Quaintrelle Turns 2!!! | A Reflection On Blogging So Far

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our blog lives…

Sharing a few (a.k.a. alot) of my favorite photos from this past blog year :)

My blog turns 2 today (O_O) and here I am, typing away, all while feeling a bit out of sorts because I’m not quite sure where to begin… I created this blog to fill an artistic void while recovering from knee surgery and it’s manifested into a multi-creative outlet that is pretty much an extension of my life. Gosh… Sooooo much has happened in just one year!!! Last year, on this day, I was living in New York, loving long distance, working for a higher ed dance program and exploring the heck out of NYC before I made my move to down to Northern Virginia last summer. Today, I’m a resident in the state of Virginia, working on getting my masters in arts management, finally living together with Charles after dating for 7 years and get this, we are mutha f*ckin engaged! I’m not gonna to lie, the transition from NYC down to Northern VA wasn’t the smoothest but as with all things where gratifaction is delayed, it was most definitely worth it. As I reflect on where I was 2 years ago vs. now, I can’t help but feel grateful for everything I’ve experienced in life and that I am able to use this platform as a way to look back on those captured moments. Just like having a workout partner keeps one liable to work out, my blog has served as a liability partner in making sure that I am living life to fullest :)

And so, without further delay, I thought I’d share with you a few things I’ve learned/ experienced/ come to realization about blogging since I started 2 years ago. Drumroll please…

Regardless of how many blog posts I’ve written (285 posts so far), that moment of anxious excitement I get before I hit the publish button? Yea, that feeling has yet to go away. And if it ever did go away, I’d probably retire from blog world and call it a day.
I uber de duber applaud bloggers who post every single day. I tried it and failed miserably and felt guilty about it but then got over it and now I blog whenever I want haha. These days, I’m a believer in the “quality over quantity” ideal when it comes to blogging.
Piggybacking off the point above, summer and blogging don’t really go hand in hand for me. But fall, winter and spring seasons? I’m on top of my blogging game like no other!
No matter how many times I re-read a draft and make edits, there is always at least one typo I miss… ALWAYS lol. (crossing my fingers I don’t find a typo after I publish this post..)
Blogging made me believe in the power of online dating (I used to be a major skeptic). I mean… If I can meet bloggers online and then later, meet them in person, have a great time and become real life friends? Then yea, meeting the love of your life online is totally possible!
I do some of my best blog work between 10:30pm-12:30pm… Right now as I’m typing this up; it’s 11:46pm.
Some of the best moments that happen in my life are the ones I can’t and/or choose not to blog about… Because some stories are not truly mine to tell, some photos are not solely mine to share, and some moments are too precious to try and put them into words. Many people say, “If you don’t blog about it, it didn’t happen.” And while I agree with this statement to a certain extent, I would also counter that phrase with, “Just because you didn’t blog about it; doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” Life is always happening regardless of whether it’s “on the record” or not.
Lastly, saying “thank you” doesn’t seem adequate enough to show how much I appreciate anyone who has ever taken the time out of their day to read my posts here on Quaintrelle, whether publicly or anonymously, consistently or once in a blue moon. Because while first and foremost, I will always blog for myself… It’s comforting to know that even tho I am just one person in a world made up of 7 billion people, my voice is still heard. Your comments and support mean so much to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Gracias, gracias, gracias! Aw koon, Aw koon, Aw koon! (<– thank you in Cambodian)