8 Years, 800 Blog Posts

This is my 800th blog post.

I lied a little bit in the title because it hasn’t actually been eight years – I published my first post on 26 June 2010. But close enough.

I wasn’t sure I would write a post to commemorate this. 800 is a strange number – 500 (which I also blogged about) and 1000 seem more significant. But 800 is still a lot. Assuming an average of 600-650 words per post, I’ve written at least 500,000 words on this blog. Half a million!

My name is Heather and I’ve written half a million words. Photo shot by Nina Neubauer at Perron in Melville – my new favorite lunch spot.

This milestone comes at a poignant moment for me. I find myself pondering all that’s happened since I started the blog – seven years, four months, and fifteen days ago – and wondering what it all means.

2Summers started as a kind of expat travel journal and eventually morphed into an ongoing story about life in Johannesburg. I think of it as a “culture blog”. Accidentally I think I’ve created something pretty unique.

From time to time, 2Summers has also been a place where I pour out all my grief and anger and joy over the tragedies and triumphs in my life. There have been many tragedies and many triumphs over the last 800 posts.

As the Melville Cat already announced, my three-year-relationship ended recently. For the last several weeks, in addition to feeling like I’ve been run over by a convoy of garbage trucks, this breakup has left me questioning lots of things.

For example. What does it mean to be 43-year-old single woman with no children in the world today? Why do I have so many unsuccessful relationships? Why is Donald Trump STILL the President of the United States?

(Okay, that last one has nothing to do with my breakup. But I want to know.)

At some point recently it dawned on me that my life is HALF OVER. Maybe even more than half. For the first time ever I find myself questioning my mortality and the possibility (which every human faces) that I might die alone. A tad melodramatic? Perhaps. But also it’s true.

So yeah, I’m questioning a lot. But there are two things I don’t question: 1) Living in Joburg; and 2) This blog.

Since the breakup, a couple of people have asked if I plan to stay in Joburg. I’m always a bit taken aback, because how on earth would I live anywhere else? This city has embedded itself into the texture of my being and that happened long before this failed relationship ever started.

Of course no one has asked me if I plan to continue blogging. Because stopping this blog would be just ridiculous.

So this post isn’t one of those snappy “8 things I learned in 800 posts” kind of posts. (If you want to read one of those though, please check out my friend Anje’s lovely post from earlier today.)

All I really want to say is: Blog, I love you. You’ve saved my ass repeatedly and now you’re doing it again. You give me a reason to exist. So thanks.

Will you marry me, Blog?