What I’ve Learned in 5 Year of Blogging

Dress: Exact (wearing a size 10)/Shoes: Similar, Similar / Earrings: Similar, Similar

Maybe I Shouldn’t Have Been as Open, but I’m Glad I Was

Honestly, had I known then what I know now, I would probably be more guarded. I’d share a little less about my college relationship and I’d maybe wait to share so much personal stuff until after I was done. However, those are the posts that I look back on the most. The ones that anchor me in my writing and remind why I want to blog. It’s never fun to say you were wrong or something didn’t work out. But it’s also not accepting that there is always some good in everything. I didn’t look back at my archive for about 1.5 years due to it being too painful. Did I want to delete the past? Pretty much. But I also know and knew then, you cannot have growth while being comfortable.

Plus I was a little naive about how many people were going to read my blog. Probs could have like, not freaking shared that I basically flunked math and my letter to myself about college. Oh well. I think that I wouldn’t have what I have now if I understood this was going to be a long-term thing.

Do Not Blog For Anyone But Yourself

There is no point in blogging for anyone but yourself. As much as I love the community, the love and support, this is for me. This blog started as a way for me to be able to look back om during times and remember if I could get through that, I can get through anything. No one is forcing anyone to blog, don’t act like it’s a job. No one is going to be upset if you don’t have a post up 3x a week. This is all self-imposed. Give yourself a break. Don’t tweet out that you have a post going live in 10 minutes, you will only realize how no one is waiting around for that and put out the content  you want to see in the world.

Numbers in No Way Define You

Your size does not define you. Your readership does not define you. Your Instagram following does not define you. Sure, it’d be great to have like 10x the following, but what am I going to do with that? I would feel 10x the pressure to spend more money, force my friends to document everything I do and be exposed to trolls. I’ve realized how much numbers creep into our lives everyday. At the end of the day, what does that get us? (If you are someone who has that genuine large following, congrats! You are awesome and I am genuinely happy for you!)

On a more personal note of numbers, I have talked a lot about body image over the years. College weight gain and weight loss, thick thighs and exercise. Oh and the importance of size representation.

Friendships Come from the most Random Places

Example: My friend Jennifer owned a small business and we met up to talk about a collab for the blog.

Then we emailed. Throughout college. Like, over 100 emails back and forth daily. We broke Gmail’s formatting sometimes due to our back and forth. We then threw a blogger brunch – which ended up on a troll site which was GREAT! We worked on her jewelry brand from website launch to pop-up shows. I graduated college and she had her first child. Still emailing, texting and doing hangouts all day long. The day is completely off if we don’t chat.

All because of blogging.

Blogging Made me a Feminist

Blogging has taught me to cheer, support and scream from the rooftops for other women! I would have done that anyway, but blogging adding in such a different layer for me.  I want people to succeed. I want them to talk about issues that are important to them. The community I have from other women has emboldened me to talk about so many things. We need each other. I am so down for the voice that has risen from blogging and the ways we are going to continue to fight for what’s right.

Dress: Exact (wearing a size 10)/Shoes: Similar, Similar / Earrings: Similar, Similar

Proudest Moments

It’s hard to figure out exactly what were my best moments. There’s about 15 different categories I want to go through, but that seemed excessive even for me. Here are some of the moments that have stood out to me.

• One of the proudest moments I’ve  ever had in blogging was when I put up this post and my dad said he was proud of me and knew it wasn’t easy. I really didn’t think my dad even knew my blog’s name. I still tear up thinking about reading that text.
• My sister’s kids watching my TV interview about my blog and thinking I was cool. I’m never too old to want the approval of my nieces and nephews, no matter how young they are.
• The collaborations I’ve gotten. Old Navy is a favorite, but recently ModCloth has been so freaking fun to work with!
• That time I was just freaking tired of PR people trying to get me to do free stuff for them. This was and still is one of my biggest pet peeves about blogging. You are seriously getting paid to reach out to me and tell me that you’d like free advertisement for consideration of sharing on social media? Nope. Nope. Nope. BYE.
• The community I feel with people across the world. I really cannot say enough about this. You are amazing.

If you can’t tell, I’m a little sentimental right now, so I need to wrap this up before I cry more. But it’s been so good guys. And I can’t wait to keep seeing how good it’s going to get.