Friday, June 25, 2010

Defining my Destination

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

I think this blog is a complete disaster as far as blogs go. Seriously.

When I began this whole blogging journey, I just wanted to keep an online journal. That was the complete goal. I previously had a different blog - but I lived a different life. I was married to my first husband, living in Georgia, hosting exchange students, gardening, and sitting at the cake sale table at the Knight's of Columbus fish fry at church. See where I am going with this?

I was in a different place.

I ended the last blog right before my divorce. I had just moved to Birmingham, got really, really sick (meningitis) and was stuck both emotionally and spiritually.

Things happened.. times changed. Now I am living a more authentic life. I am with who I want to be with, my activities are things that make me come alive, and my work is a compilation of all the skills I have tried to master through out the years.

So- this online journal was supposed to be a way my exchange students (all 14) and my family could keep up with what was going on with me.

Then a few months later, a few friends wanted to see what was going on in my life. Then old acquaintances joined in.

Next thing I know - I began venting. Or taking a topic and doing a little research and sharing it with my friends and family. Then I started getting a random follower that I had never met. That was kind of exciting.

I decided to take it a little more seriously, so I began trying to change up the design. THEN I discovered Networked Blogs. I might have gained a few non-familiar followers that way. Finally, I joined a blog networking site or two, and each weekend my tiny little numbers grow.

In order to not throw my blog out to everyone on facebook, I created a fan page - so if you WANTED to read it, you could. Verses me putting it on my personal page. The numbers are higher there, than they are here.

Not that numbers matter - but it does bring me to my point.

My blog is a disaster. I do not have a niche'. I just go with the flow, and write about whatever is coming to mind. I would say it is more like a ramble. A serious example of my thoughts and thought process.

The title is dead on - I am roaming this world.. not sure what is next. A while back, I learned with planning- as "prepared" as you may seem, may not necessarily lead to happiness. Nor was there an end result that could ever satisfy me. So - I went with the "Life is a journey, not a destination" philosophy on life.

But this BLOG. THIS blog. I don't have a "Wordless Wednesday" or a "Friday Flip Off" or a "How to.." or example of an "Etsy Shop" or advice for "Mommies."

I am just a girl (ouch, I guess I should say WOMAN) sharing her thoughts. MY life is just that - my life. I get up, I go to work, I come home, I go to my little activities I choose to enrich my life, I love my egyptian, and then I get up and do it all over again.

I guess the difference is - I get up to a quiet home in the deep South that happens to be in a metropolitan area. I go to work where I prep "famous/influential" people to share our "life saving" message, and write scripts, and book television and radio interviews, and design magazine ads - all to raise awareness around the nation's #1 killer. I come home to my eclectic nest - sans offspring or pets. I attend dance classes (could be anything from Flamenco to Cha Cha), I might go walk the dogs at the Humane Society, I might volunteer at my church with the youth, I might be campaigning for Obama (Yep - you heard it right), I might be meeting some friends to see a concert on a plaza in downtown (cultural enrichment).. whatever. I just do what excites me. Then I come home to a beautiful man who happens to be the love of my life. He is a strong, opinionated, egyptian who is a proud muslim and has a love affair with his electric guitar (lord help me) and his laptop. Then I get up and do it all over again.

In the middle of that - I share (in a no-holds-barred) sort of way. I get easily disturbed by the conservatives roaming the streets of Birmingham. I hold extremely high standards for the people I call friends. I am intrigued by the paranormal. I am addicted to "collecting" people. I want to surround myself with people who will not only lift me higher, but will challenge me.

So - compared to other blogs, my blog is one big disaster. I don't have a button you can share. I don't have advertisers. I don't even know how to create tabs on this damned thing.

I just write. That's what I do.

8 comments:

Melissa said...

That's what I do, too. I write for myself. Having a following is nice. As a writers with aspirations of being published, a following is validating. But I write for myself -- just like you! That's what connects bloggers -- we do it for ourselves!

Keep writing!

Anonymous said...

I actually can't stand it when bloggers do all those daily blog things. It feels... forced. And like a million people are doing the same thing on the same day. Blah.
The reason I do the Boyfriend thing, is because I really go through celeb crushes on a almost weekly basis. Most (aside from the recent Classics) I chose because I've really been obsessing over them all week.
But I can't commit to any other weekly blogging...things. No way.

I also had a another blog. But then I turned 20... and stuff happened... and I grew up, and I decided I needed to start over. Reading my teenage blog is like reading something a totally different person wrote. It's crazy.

Mama Hen said...

Hey Nicole,
I would not say your blog is a disaster if you are doing what you set out to do. You said you wanted to keep a daily journal. Well, a journal contains a bunch of random thoughts. You write because you want to write. So quite frankly, your blog is brilliant! It is so, because you have accomplished what you set out to do! Have a great night! I hope you are feeling better from last weeks post. I was worried about you! You see that, through your blog, someone you don't even know was touched by your post that I was worried about you. Hope you are well!

Mama Hen

dianeswords.wordpress.com said...

Nicole I'm just taking a quick look at your blog. Sounds like yours is a lot like mine. And I think from reading a few of your posts that we'd get along just GREAT if we were to meet in person despite our age difference. You might enjoy reading my post "living in Islam"...I tried to respond to some of the reactions I get from folks in the US about living in Egypt. I'm a totally committed 2nd generation liberal. In fact it's a lovingly held joke at the ALF where my mom lived her last 2 years that the last thing she did the day she died was forced the hospice worker to find her absentee ballot so she could vote in the last presidential elections. Her vote was going to count!! I suspect she wrote in Hillary's name since she totally believed in her but it's in my blood to be involved and fight conservatism. I am totally going to follow your blog!!

Anonymous said...

I think that it is totally awesome that you just write for you! Isn't that what it is really all about? Writing for ourselves?

It is nice to have a following, even nicer when we have an active following. Those who actually participate/engage in our "ramblings". Albeit not totally necessary!

BTW: I am your newest follower from the LBS -Tea Party and hope you will stop by for a visit at my little corner of the blogsphere sometime.

Have a beautiful Saturday!

Gigi said...

Hi Nicole...Gigi here from TBC. Glad you've joined up with The Blogger's Concierge! I really enjoyed the several posts of yours I've read. Funny, as the creator of Friday FlipOffs...I never set out to create that. I, too, just like writing for myself! But one day it popped into my head and felt right...so I went with it. someday I may stop it because I never want memes to become what my blog is all about! Anyway, look forward to connecting with you over at TBC!

Nicole said...

Gigi - YOU should be proud! Sooooo many people have picked up on the Friday Flip off - seriously. Did you get that baby copy written?? ;-)

I am loving the TBC - and looking forward to more tips and networking.

Wendy said...

Even though I am the complete opposite of this entry, I -loved- it. You are an exceptional writer, Nicole.

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