Blogaversary: A Blog Turns One, The Adventure Continues

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Exactly one year ago, on December 10, 2008, I published my very first NYCity Mama adventure. I wrote about Ft. Tryon Park. People ask me a lot of questions about my “blogging career”, and honestly, I don’t have the answer to a lot of them, except for why I started. To tell the truth, when I started blogging, I didn’t read blogs, not personal blogs. I read news blogs, magazine blogs…didn’t really know them to be “blogs”, but rather online media sites. I did visit sites that would offer ideas and listed places to spend my days with my children and I frequented a parents message board, but mostly talked about politics. But as far as visiting personal blogs, no. I never really had an interest in it. I wasn’t really in tune to the fact that there was an entire world out there of bloggers.

I started writing to share my adventures with friends and family far away, and to get them excited about coming to visit us.

A year later, I have shared almost 200 adventures on this site alone, and many more on others. I sent out my first tweet on Jan. 17, 2008 and almost a year after that have met many amazing people through Twitter and developed wonderful friendships.

But in addition to discovering the world of blogging, and making new friends, I have rediscovered some things about myself as well. Like my love for travel, writing, trying new and old things over and over, and how much I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things. I also realized that I really enjoyed giving people information on my favorite tested activities and/or places that are great as they travel, especially with kids. I enjoy this so much, that it has become what I hope to always do.

And as I think about the many other things I have learned this past year, not only about myself, but about this thing called blogging, there are some other random thoughts that come immediately to mind, and I thought I would share them with you anyway. Like for example:

1. I am nice. I embraced it finally, this “nice” label. I got called nice a lot by a lot of different people when I started blogging. I hated it to tell the truth. And sometimes it was more like a put down than a compliment, but the truth is I am, and can be, so there you go.
2. I can really not be nice too, especially to mean people. It’s a gift.
3. One of the things that surprises people the most about me when they meet me is that I swear a lot, and that I’m actually tall and blond. Ok, well, those last two aren’t true, but I thought just “swearing” sounded awful, so I added two others to distract from it.
4. I hate, beyond all, being called a “Mommy Blogger”. I know. I have ‘Mama’ in my title, I blog about my kids, and I am a mom. It’s clear I had no idea, and didn’t think it through when I started blogging. But I was also the chick that HATED the nurses that called me Mommy at the hospital when my kids were born. In short, I hate when people who aren’t my kids call me Mommy period. Cause, if I had to list WHO I was, “mommy” would not be first, second, or third on my list.
5. I adore my kids. Most of the time. And when I don’t adore them, it’s ok too.
6. I truly do love New York City. I am thrilled that we are raising our family here. If I can get just one new person excited about this city, then I would feel like I have communicated my love for the city well. My blog reminds me of the many reasons NYC is great every time I write about it.
7. I am not afraid of a lot of things: except mice and roaches…so never call me to help get rid of either.
8. I love reading other people’s blogs, and reading about the things that moves them and inspires them. It’s awesome to get to know people through such personal notations. I am lucky to be a reader of many, but I admit, I don’t do it often, and not nearly as much as I wish I could.
9. Though this is so much fun to do, I still think the true value is in the life lived and in connecting in real life with others. So, in the end, in my travels, and in my adventures, though I love blogging about them, I enjoy even more the people I meet that compliment the experiences while on our journeys. This can never, and will never be replaced for me.
10. I live fully aware that life is short. Sounds morbid, but for me it’s not. This is why I think we should all really embrace the moment, live life to the fullest, and be adventurous…with kids, without, it doesn’t matter. Just make it worth it.

I want to thank everyone who reads this site, who follows me on twitter, and who has contributed to making our lives adventurous and fun.

I look forward to another fun, adventure filled year, and hope to see you there with us!

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