When I started this blog eleven months ago, I viewed it only as a way for me to connect with friends and family back home. I never imagined that less than one year later it would become foundation I needed to start my own writing career.

Actually, I had such low aspirations when I started that I simply created a free blog through Google. And then cried for a whole day when, a month in, I lost that blog when the college email address I used to create it was terminated.

I tentatively started over again with WordPress and agonized about whether I could justify spending $3 a month to self host my site. When I realized that in order to get that rate I’d have to commit to a three year contract, I almost gave up blogging altogether. But Ian convinced me to suck it up and realize the enjoyment that I’d get out of writing would be worth the $120.

Well… he was right. Whether this blog has been helpful or enjoyable for anyone else I don’t know. What I do know is that it has been a fantastic medium of self discovery for me. I never expected to find such a love of writing and taking pictures, or such fulfillment from learning what makes the internet tick (I can even code a bit now!). Least of all did I expect the doors to open for me that have since I started.

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