Michelle & Me
I spent the bulk of today enjoying and working Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s Wine and Swine, an event that benefited their culinary grant program. I showed up early and happily ate all the swine I could stomach, all the while enjoying the company of Michelle, a friend I met through food blogging. Working the event was pretty enjoyable as well since I worked registration with Christy, another food blogging friend. So my Sunday was spent in the sun, eating pork prepared by notable chefs, and socializing with some of my favorite people.
On my drive home, I was feeling grateful. This event would have been a little out of my price range but food blogging has afforded me opportunities where I can volunteer my time and then enjoy the event outside my shift. I reflected on how else blogging has changed my life. Some of my closest confidants are friends I’ve met through blogging. I often forget that Kim and I, though we went to college together, we actually originally met through online journaling over ten years ago! If I hadn’t kept a blog, I wouldn’t have started vlogging, which I’ve already said changed my life as well.
I try not to make my blog the place I’m excessively negative and mopey. I can hardly stand myself when I’m stuck in a rut, but man the few times I blogged it out, the comments really comforted me. Through blogging I found a network of support I wasn’t looking for but has become something I cherish.
I started sharing my life online while I was in high school mostly because I have a deep urge to document everything I can. I had no idea that a hobby could be one of the happiest decisions I’ve made in my lifetime. Last year I wrote a thank you letter and posted it on my blog for anyone reading. And everything I wrote is still true for me. If you’re reading, thank you so much!