100,000 Reasons to Love My Blog

Photo by Mark Straw, Joburg Photowalkers

Shortly after I publish this post, 2Summers will surpass 100,000 hits all-time.

The last time I wrote a celebratory post like this was in January 2011, when my blog surpassed 10,000 hits. In that post I wrote: “It’s a small feat, I know, but reaching that milestone is a pretty cool thing for a regular person like me.”

90,000 hits later, I still feel the same. 100,000 hits all-time is not a big number for a high-traffic blog. Still, when I started this blog in June 2010, I never dreamed I would reach 100,000 hits. I never dreamed I would have 770 email subscribers. And I certainly never dreamed that this blog would transform my life.

2Summers has become more than my blog. It’s a part of my identity. My blog is a portfolio of my writing and photography. It’s a networking tool. It’s a friend-maker. Believe it or not, I’ve made most of my friends in Joburg – either directly or indirectly – through my blog. My blog is a diary, a scrapbook, and a memory aid.

My blog is a life coach – it motivates me to do things I wouldn’t otherwise do. My blog is a therapist – I pour my feelings into it and receive helpful insight and support, in the form of comments from my readers. My blog is a teacher – it taught me to be creative. My blog is a release valve. When I feel angry or frustrated or sad, I publish a blog post and I instantly feel better.

Thanks to this blog, I’ve discovered that I’m an artist.

Thanks to this blog, I have a living, breathing history of my relationship with Jon. I’m so grateful for that.

If not for my blog, I don’t think I would be living in Johannesburg today. And that would be a real shame.

Jozi.

Thank you for reading.