It’s been a while so I thought I’d do another “Let’s Connect” post. I believe my last one was back in 2019. The blogging community is a supportive place and I always think it’s fun to reach out and learn more about each other.
You might just find some new blogs you have never heard of before, new people to follow and new friends along the way. 🙂
For the new followers I’ve received, I’ve been blogging for 10 years. I started in 2013 and was happily surprised at how enjoyable it was and how incredible the blogging community could be.
I met my Podcast co-host, Rachel via blogging. I have friends I met on blogging that I now have writer chats with over Zoom. I follow an array of blogs that cover things from writing advice, to photos, to personal experiences, recipes etc.
I am always happy to meet more bloggers and learn why they started their blog.
Share something, anything, in the comments below. You don’t need to have a WordPress account to leave comments, though please note comments are moderated so if you are new to my blog your comment may not appear until I approve it (keeps the spammers from taking over!)
Not sure what to say? Then here are some questions you could answer. Answer one, answer them all! Whatever feels best for you.
- Why did you start your blog?
- Where are you from?
- What’s a fun fact about yourself?
- What is your favourite hobby?
- What have you got planned for 2024?
- or anything else you want to share
And to get the ball rolling, I’m going to answer those questions about:
- I started my blog because I was sharing my writing tutorials over on DeviantArt and I found it wasn’t condusive for detailed tutorials. As I got more and more requests for tutorials, I decided to start a blog.
- I’m from England but I currently live in N. Ireland
- I spend a lot of time rescuing snails and earthworms from being stepped on
- Writing is my favourite hobby (not surprising since this is a writer’s website) so I’ll also add nature walks
- I have a few things brewing in my head regarding 2024, but I haven’t fermented them yet.
- I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for 10 years!! Where has the time gone??
Over to you!
Let’s Connect!
Author Ari Meghlen Official Website 
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Love the idea of this post, Ari! It’s always a pleasure to learn more about the writers behind the blogs I read. ❤
I started my blog back in 2018 to share a poem-a-day and grew with it as it evolved into a creative writing space. I am from Virginia but I'm studying Creative Writing in Arizona, and a fun fact about me is I'm learning Persian as a second language. 🙂
Hi Layla! Nice to have you in the Connect. I love how your blog evolved. A poem a day is very impressive.
What do you love about Arizona? Will you stay there once you have finished your studies or will you move somewhere else?
Wow, Persian – how cool is that! I am learning French as a second language lol I couldn’t imagine trying something more intense.
May I ask, what drew you to pick Persian?
I don’t know if I’ll stay in Arizona after I graduate, but I certainly am open to it!
As for Persian, I’m learning Persian because my mother’s family is from Iran and I’d like to be able to at least speak to that part of my heritage.
What drew you to French? 🙃
What a nice idea Ari! It was interesting to find out more about you. I am glad you added nature walks as a hobby as I know you enjoy them.
1) I also started my blog in 2013, but I only had a handful of readers (friends who subscribed, but rarely commented). It wasn’t until November 2017 that someone from the WP Blogosphere saw a post and I got my first follow. It’s been very, very enjoyable, but to be honest, I started the blog at the insistence of my friend/neighbor, who passed away in August 2017. She followed many blogs on other platforms and kept sending me posts saying “you tell me about your walks, so write about them!” So I started it for her. She would love to see how my blog has grown, with longer posts and lots of photos these days.
2) I was born in Canada and am still a Canadian citizen, though I’ve lived in the U.S. since moving here with my parents in 1966 at age 10.
3) While I love to “chat it up” with people online, especially in this forum, as I get older, I find I enjoy my own company more and more. I “escape” to the park on my daily walks and hate when people want to intrude on that “me” time to talk about current events, politics, etc. I relish my time out in nature, alone with my thoughts, with my camera and the critters. I am used to being alone because I have no living family members, my long-time friends all live out of state and I’ve worked from home the past 12 years.
4) I guess my favorite hobby is walking (if that could be considered as such), but walking was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself as it evolved into blogging and a renewed interest photography.
5) I’m excited because I plan to retire the end of February 2024. I gave my notice to my boss the end of June and planned to leave at year-end 2023. We are losing our lease after 20 years (new landlord) the end of February 2024, so he will have to find a new office. I hoped he would retire, but he says “I like practicing law and want to die with my boots on” … he will be 77 next March. His father was 83 and still practicing law, but had kidney failure and passed away. I intend to be firm about leaving. I do not plan to find another job, simply retire at 67 to enjoy hobbies that I’ve put off, learn to sketch and draw (a hobby I once enjoyed as a teen) and I hope to hone my photography.
6) Nothing else to share – my answers were long-winded enough!
Hi Linda, thanks for joining the Connect.
I am so sorry that you lost your friend who encouraged you with your blog. I am so glad she did or we may never have connected!
I can appreciate that. Quiet moments with ourselves are so important and yet everyone does seem to want to bring in all the noise of the world into our quiet bubbles.
Walking is definitely a hobby and such a good one. I don’t get to do it as much as I want these days, but I am hoping to increase it.
I always love all your photos and you are so lucky with all the cracking bird and animal shots. Whenever I try they are always whipping away just as I get the camera out. lol
Wow, that is impressive that your boss is 77 and still working. I don’t think I’d want to do that lol
I am so glad you are going to have more time for yourself and hobbies you want to enjoy. 🙂
Hi Ari – that was fun to participate. I lost my friend in August 2017 and got my first WordPress follow that November. Marge would have loved how full of nature walks and bird and animal shots this blog is now. She also was a nature lover. Thank you for the compliment about the photos and that is one thing I hope to do more – more walking in larger parks. One day I’ll learn how to us the camera manually, but in the meantime. it is so much easier just to shoot on automatic. Some people want to work forever, but why? On top of it, my boss was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment six years ago. He has issues now so better to go out on top without waiting too long and it is obvious.
Your photos are lovely and they are always so much fun to look at.
I’m the same, my current camera just stays on automatic most of the time. My old camera had a great “action shot” setting but it died and I could never find ones as good without spending like 5 times as much!
Wow so even with such a diagonsis he still wants to keep pushing? I’m with you, he should go out on top.
Thank you Ari. I’m of the mindset that if I have to fiddle around for a setting, the photo will be lost. Scenery isn’t going anywhere, but critters aren’t going to “pose” or “perch” forever.
Yes, you would think he would be mindful of his diagnosis and call it quits – this is the perfect opportunity to close up shop with no questions asked.
1. I started my website nine years ago this month (on the 19th) to promote myself as a writer and build a following in preparation for publishing a novel. The blogging part officially began the following month.
2. I live in Maryland. I was born in Germany and also lived in Japan.
3. I’m a direct descendant of missionary John McMillan, a founder of my grandfather’s alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
4. Besides writing (though it’s more than a hobby now), I work out and I collect coins.
5. Next year my publisher and I are planning to bring out my second fantasy novel, which is currently being edited.
6. I have Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.
Thanks for joining the connect, Andrew!
That is great! So you are coming up on your 9th Blogiversary!!
Do you think you would eventually move out of the US and live somewhere else again?
How did you get into coin collecting?
That is awesome! I am looking forward to seeing your second novel, is it the sequel to Mystical Greenwood?
You’re welcome, Ari.
To answer your first question, I suppose it could happen, but I’d really have to be certain about it. I certainly want to visit some other countries eventually, especially the UK.
Coin collecting started as a hobby as a kid with Bicentennial quarters.
Yes, it is the sequel to Mystical Greenwood.
Thanks for sharing, Andrew 🙂
You’re welcome.
I just realized I typed the wrong number. It’s actually eight years, not nine. My bad.
That’s still a long time!
I’ve been blogging since 2010 when my first book was published. My publisher suggested I start a blog as a way to showcase my writing and promote my book. I’m so glad I did as I’ve met the most amazing people through my blog. People like you!
I’m from Canada but live in Spain for the most part right now.
For 2024 I am planning a trip to Thailand to visit my brother. I also want to publish Amanda in Scotland. I’m sure I’ll have other plans but these two are on the top of the list.
Thanks, this was fun.
Hi Darlene, thanks for connecting!
Wow, so you;ve been blogging even longer than me! That’s awesome.
Aww you are so sweet! I love all the people I’ve met through blogging. You are all such fun and interesting people, from all across the world.
What made you decide to move from Canada to Spain?
Those are great goals for 2024, and I’m sure your brother will love seeing you. How long has he lived in Thailand?
PS; I’m looking forward to seeing some awesome photos of your trip there.
My brother had lived in Thailand for about ten years. It will be good to see him. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of pictures. My husband’s parents are British and they moved to Spain 22 years ago. We would come to visit them often and loved it here. The weather and relaxed lifestyle were a big draw, so we retired here. Now that my in-laws are getting older it is good we are here to assist them. xo
Yes, I’ve heard Spain is a lovely place to retire too. So glad you are enjoying it.
I am Jeanne, from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”, at ajeanneinthekitchen.com. I write mostly a food blog, with my own recipes that I cook, but I also include pieces about our travels and adventures outside the kitchen too. I have been blogging for about 5 1/2 years now. My husband and I and our 4 fur babies (2 dogs, 2 cats) live outside of Denver, CO, USA. I am originally from Southern California, from the L.A. area, but have called Denver home now for 24 years. I love adventures of all kinds, but my passion, outside of the kitchen and cooking, is scuba diving. We dive all over the world. We just got back from Spain, and dived in Mallorca. At the moment, we don’t have anything on the books for next year, but I know that will change soon. We always have some fun things planned, and are never long in between adventures. 🙂
Hi Jeanne, thanks so much for connecting!
I love checking out food blogs, despite not being the cook in our household. lol
Aww what are your cats and dogs called?
What made you choose to move to Denver?
I have never scuba dived. My brother does and it does seem like fun but I worry my claustraphobia would make me freak out lol
I love that you have adventures! That is so great.
Hi Ari. Our cats are Otis and Nicodemus. they are tan and black. Otis is the tan one and we call him our puma. Nicodemus or Nicky is all black and we call her our panther. We have a malamute named Juneau and a Great Pyrenees names Andorra, but we call her Dorrie.
I was transferred to Denver with a job I had at the time, and decided to call it home.
If you have claustrophobia, scuba diving is probably not for you. But I LOVE it. I am coming up on my 400th dive.
Have a great day and make everyday great. 🙂
Aww I love those names! So cute! I hadn’t heard of a Great Pyrenees before so just looked them up! Adorable!!
Wow 400 dives? That is insane! (in a good way!) 😀
Thanks! I hope you are having a great day too.
Thank you. 🙂
Why did you start your blog? I wanted an outlet and one that could provide attention but also it could give me money in the future. It also introduces conversations but it doesn’t do that well of a job.
Where are you from?
The US South. Still live there.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
I love pigments and like buying and collecting them and making them into watercolor. I have a couple of posts on my blog.
What is your favourite hobby?
Writing.
What have you got planned for 2024?
I want to fully learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and C++ programming languages so I can make stuff that contributes to my hobby and also make a pretty site.😂
Thanks so much for connecting!
I always love hearing why people started their blogs. I’m sorry it’s not creating the conversations you hoped it would yet.
What do you like the most about living in the US South?
I like your fun fact.
I am loving your plans for 2024. I remember back in my college days learning C++ and teaching myself HTML. Never could get the hand of CSS.