A lot has changed

Blogging was one of my favorite hobbies, for a very long time. I loved sharing about my day-to-day life and my adventures. I loved sharing about creative projects or books I read. I made some sweet friends. It felt good to get my thoughts out there.

In the age of Instagram, short form videos, and even shorter attention spans, I wonder if there is still a place for blogs. Sure, there are still blogs out there. I use recipes found on food blogs pretty regularly. But what about the kind of blogs that one follows and keeps up with. Does anyone still do that?

I don't know if anyone will read this, other than those who may be subscribed via email (so probably my family - hey guys!), but I thought it may be nice to do a little update on this space of the internet that used to mean so much to me.

I haven't posted on here for a long time. A lot has happened since then.

I had just graduated, last I posted. I felt pretty lost for a while, not knowing what I should do or where I should be. I worked as a nanny in Pasadena, CA for a while. It was the first time living on my own. Going from dorm life, always having friends around and too much to do, this was really different. When I was wasn't working, I explored the area, discovered new coffee shops, and started a little Etsy business where I sold upcycled thrifted items (like teacup candles). I found a really great church and got involved in the youth ministry. 

Then came the pandemic. So much changed due to that, for so many people. My nanny job fell through, and all of a sudden I was back at square one. I found myself back home in Ireland. That summer where I was unexpectedly back home, "quarantined" together with my family, was wonderful. I jumped into job searching. I wanted to find a ministry to get involved with, one where I could use my biblical counseling degree. 

There was one ministry that I couldn't get out of my mind. I had stumbled upon the job description years before while I was still at college, on a biblical counseling job board. It was internship at a Christian boarding school for teen girls in rural Washington state. Like, really rural. When I first heard about it, I went so far as to call them about my interest, but I kind of chickened out after the phone call and never followed up. But then - when I saw that the position was still open - I was ready to give it another shot. I applied, interviewed, and before I knew it I was flying to a place I had never been to, to live with people I'd never met. Somehow, I wasn't nervous. God had opened all the doors, and I knew it was where He wanted me to go. I arrived there on August 11, 2020.

Working at the school as a "dorm mom" and counselor, proved to be wonderful. It wasn't always easy, as a position like that takes a lot out of you. But I fell in love with the area, the people, and the ministry. Oh, and I also fell in love. 

I met Jeremiah, the son of the school's director, a few days after arriving at the ranch. I tried not to get distracted, but he proved very distracting. In December of that same year, we went on our first date. It was a very memorable first date, as all the restaurants were still shut down and we resorted to eating take-out in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I thought it was perfect. 

Thirteen months later, on January 15, 2022, we got married. We celebrated our first anniversary last month, both agreeing that it was our favorite year of our lives.

Between working at the school and trying to be a good homemaker (there have been mishaps), I've been keeping pretty busy. I've gotten into sourdough baking, cooking, and have been learning more about health/natural living and homesteading. 

It seems that there may be new adventures on our horizon, as we're looking into relocating. Even though we are a bit like hobbits, who consider adventures to be a bit nasty and uncomfortable, we know they are usually worth it in the end. We're looking forward to seeing where the Lord takes us. 

This evening, I was telling Jeremiah that I really missed blogging, and I was sad that nobody seemed to read blogs anymore. 

"Why not just write a blog post, just to see," he said.

Is there anybody still out there, in this vast, over-saturated blogsphere? Please drop a note if you are.