… later, I begin with a confession — I almost didn’t write this 8th anniversary post.
Reason? I have hardly blogged this past year managing only 18 posts, 11 of which were written in the months of June and July 2017 and the remaining 7 spread out over the remaining 10 months.
For this reason alone, I didn’t feel that my 8th blog anniversary deserved the usual blog post to mark this milestone. The blog anniversary (June 2) came and went, but I couldn’t ignore the niggling thought that maybe, I should reconsider writing that anniversary post. After all, while the blog anniversary was a milestone or the ‘destination’, the posts were always about the journey to that destination, and it was important to record that journey. So I finally got down to writing the blog anniversary post, and here I am with it, albeit 10 days late.
To be honest, this post is less about the blog and blogging or the reasons why I didn’t blog or wasn’t able to blog (actually, I was writing blog posts; I was just not publishing them). This is more about what I did this year some of which will get written about eventually here !
I read a lot this year. Though I never keep a count of the number of books read, I know that I read a lot, more than I ever have in the last 4-5 years. Paperbacks, hardcovers, e-books, literary magazines across genres and disciplines — I read them all. Sometimes I read like my life depended on it; other times, I read like I had all the time in the world.
I listened to a lot of music, something that I had not done much in the last few years. This past year was about music too — old favourites and new discoveries in equal measure.
I travelled some. In August 2017, I visited Tranquebar and some nearby places in Tamil Nadu, while in February 2018, I visited Bikaner in Rajasthan. Both were fabulous visits and I hope to finish writing about both these visits and post them soon here.
I explored Mumbai quite a bit from its ancient rock-cut cave sites, museums, exhibitions, food scene, theatre… It felt good to reconnect with the city I call home and a place that I have neglected quite a bit on the blog. Once again, I hope to post about my Mumbai explorations on the blog sooner rather than later.
This was also the year of moving away from social media, especially Twitter and Facebook, a process I had begun a couple of years back due to a growing disconnect with both platforms. Though I have not yet deleted my accounts, I have kept my activity to the minimum on both these platforms. Currently, I am most active on Instagram for it is the only online space that makes sense to me — it is neither the battlefield that Twitter is, nor is it intrusive the way Facebook is.
The best part of this past year, however, has been the presence of friends and their love, care, comfort and support. These friends held my hand — both literally and long distance — and saw me through some tough times. They were my lifelines this year. It is also because of their gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle nagging that I have not given up on this blog.
That, and messages, mails and comments of readers like you, who asked me why I was not writing, when was the next post due, if everything was all right, etc. While the writing (or blogging in this case) is a solitary activity and is mine and mine alone, it is readers like you who have kept me motivated to continue writing/blogging. More than in previous years, I am grateful to every one of you who have liked, read and shared my posts. Thank you for being part of this blogging journey of mine and thank you for the constant encouragement. 🙏🏼
So, this was my 8 years of blogging with 530 posts comprising 4,92,489 words, 53 videos, 2 audio, and 3,631 images, which have elicited 6,87,539 page views, 13,431 comments, and 93,141 spam comments. The blogging sabbatical is over and I’m all set for Year 9 of blogging.
Are you ready for all the posts coming you way this year? 🙂
The Blogging Journey… Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 |
Join me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as I explore the world around me and share “My Favourite Things” with you.
My Favourite Things 
Welcome back. 🙂
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Thank you, Rama. As the lack of blog posts will attest I’m not fully back yet. But hopefully that drought will end soon. 🙂
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Lovely post… And yes it’s so true about Instagram being a preferred platform these days..
Here’s to many more books, trips, meets and excitement in life… Hugs
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Thank you so much for the comment and the wishes, Aarti. I hope that we also get to meet this year. Come for the madness that is the Kala Ghoda Arts festival in February 2019?
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8 years.. is a long time actually. But, I still like the blog as the content you post is really unique and very much what I love to read about. The photographs are great and tempting. I would love to read the future posts on Bikaner, Tranqebar and of course, Mumbai. Keep blogging..
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Thank you, Lata. 8 years seems like yesterday and forever at the same time, if you know what I mean. Thank you also for your encouragement. The posts on all these posts should be up in the near furture. Fingers Crossed
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And it has been 8 years after I stopped writing on my old blog, A Wide Angle View of India. I guess you came on the scene after I left. I have got back to blogging with a new blog, and it’s sad that 99% of my blogger friends have all stopped blogging. It got me thinking. Finally life overtakes you, and it’s not possible to keep up. I have decided not to put pressure on myself this time. And only to write short posts.
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Hello Nita, wonderful to see you here. Yes, a lot of people have stopped blogging, but I know many who have persevered too. The blogging scene is what is used to be like when I started and off and is changing so rapidly and it isn’t even what it was a year ago. More than life catching up, it has been market forces and social media have had a greater impact on the decision to slowing sown blogging. Some people are able to thrive in this environment, but I couldn’t and chose to stay away.
It is not that I stopped writing; I continued writing and I continue writing. I just didn’t hit the publish button on the blog. Each to her own.
Wishing you the the best in your blogging journey. 🙂
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Congratulations and happy anniversary to your blog.. it has always been a pleasure ri come and reqd your posts…
And here’s wishing many many manyyyyyyy more years….and lots of posts…
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Thank you so much, Bikramjit. And apologies for this very late reply. 🙂
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Heartiest Congratulations ()
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Thank you very much for your wishes. 🙂
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I feel blogging is an emotional experience although it has grown from being just that. We blog when we are in a”blog” mode and disconnect when we are not! Congrats for completing 8 years. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t blog as much as you used to.
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Thank you, Arv.
Yes, I know its perfectly fine to blog when one wants to and not when one doesn’t want to — I’m a prime example of that. 😛 These anniversary posts are as much for the readers as it is for me. A reminder, a record of my blogging journey, something that I can go back to whenever I want to and whenever I need to.
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😃
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Bring them on…love your travel tales a lot and ones on Mumbai as well. Keep writing 🙂
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Thank you, Vishal. There is a blog series on the various rock cut caves of Mumbai in the making; just don’t know how it will turn out in the end. But it will definitely be posted here sooner rather than later.
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I will love reading them all for all your tales convey power expression about exploring the city, something bloggers hardly do! There is more to Mumbai than the usual that we know.
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Keep writing. Your Chambal blog was fantastic…
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Thank you so much, Nutsure. I want to visit other areas that the Chambal cuts through, both upriver and downriver. It would be fascinating to trace the journey of a river.
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Welcome back! I missed your posts. 🙂 ~hugs~
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Thank you, Shekhar. And hugs right back at you. 🙂
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What a lovely way to round things up! I may not have said this very often, but I truly admire your blog and the way you write. Keep going always. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Deboshree. Your appreciation and your encouragement are much needed. Thanks once again. 🙂
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The post said so much without saying too much. That’s the mark of a great writer. Good that you decided to record the milestone post. Happy blogging through year 9!
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Dear, dear Zephyr, you have been with me for most of the blogging joirney. Your quiet encouragement, wise counsel, the shoulder to cry on and not to mention the mails pointing out the typos. 😛
Thank you so much, Zephyr, my dear friend. ❤
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lovely words from yours 🙂
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Thank you so much, Susmita.
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Congratulations and you should start writing soon and regularly
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Thank you very much. Getting back into a routine of writing and publishing posts is what I’m hoping and aiming for. 🙂
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