Last week wordpress sent me a “trophy”. I like that even blogging is extrensically motivated in that you get trophies on occasions. I didn’t know what I had done this time…(HA) but wordpress informed me August 6th is my blogging anniversary! Funny enough, LOLZ is no longer a baby or even a toddler. BabyLOLZ sounds so precious though…
I always remember that I started blogging in early August but can never remember the exact date. I think every year it informs me and every year I say I’ll remember. (Can you tell I need a planner to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries and life events? Blogging is just blogging…so I don’t feel guilty for forgetting every year…
It just so happens that I also hit my 1000 #coffeeaday streak on Instagram a few days ago. I decided to stop while I’m ahead and keep my 1000 day streak at that…1000. It’s been a few days since I’ve taken a coffee picture and I’m at peace with it. Nothing goes on forever….does this mean I’ve stopped having coffee? No, of course not. I will still post photos here and there but I probably will never begin a streak again. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to stop.
So with that, Happy Fourth Birthday LOLZ!
I could write multiple posts reflecting on everything I’ve learned, accomplished, failed and done in the last four years but that would literally be four years worth so I’ll keep it short.
In summary here are the last four years:
Year 1: I was in college studying both math and education. I began running. I was still swimming but I decided to run and swim in college. I had a great year.
Year 2: I quit swimming and changed to a public health major with a math minor. I had my first major running injury (21st birthday stress fracture!) I ended relationships (both friends and a long term boyfriend) and grew as a person. I began my senior year rejuvenated. Senior year was the most free I felt during college (except for the beginning of freshman year). I had a great year. Oh and I graduated college!
Year 3: I moved and worked at SUNY Oswego. I made great friends, learned what real life was all about. I ran a lot. I had what I consider my first breakout race (Nike Women’s Half). I became extremely close with both Heather and Laura. I learned about true adulthood and real life responsibilities. I learned that I really enjoyed not being in college. I maintained a long distance relationship with Tim. Then I moved back home to VA one last time for the summer.
Year 4: I was invited to run for Oiselle. I moved in with Tim in Texas. I lived in Texas for 6 weeks and then moved to New Jersey. I raised 2000+ dollars for Ophelia’s Place and Eating Disorder Awareness and won that half marathon. I ran my first marathon and began working at a local running store. I got engaged. I developed a love for diners. Oh and I PR’ed again at the April Fools Half marathon! For the first time, I could say I was liberated, happy and truly enjoyed the path my life is taking.
Year 5: As Natasha Bedingfield says…the rest is just unwritten. I hope to run another marathon, have solid races and get married. I hope to continue loving my life and embracing the good, the bad and everywhere in between. I hope I’ll be posting a year five blog post next year. I appreciate everyone taking time to share the journey with me.
Questions for you:
How long have you been blogging?
What has been the most life changing event of your life so far?
I love the pictures! 4 years isn’t that long a time – and at the same time it is also an eternity! It was just over 4 years ago that I started blogging (to the extent that the little that I write can be called “blogging). It was about a month after I ran my first marathon (Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona), which at that moment in my life was one of the most life changing. My sporadic posts since then have almost all been about the journey on which running has taken me. What has been the most life changing event? That is nearly impossible to answer. So many twists and turns along the way, of which I was reminded of several on my recent trip to Coeur d’Alene via Spokane, WA. It is hard to single one out…it is more like an interconnected web.
Congrats! It’s so great that you have been blogging for so long and have so much of the last few years documented. I’m getting close to my 1 year blogging anniversary!
I love that I’ve been reading for almost as long as you’ve been blogging. It’s kind of fun to be able to follow the whole journey. I think year 5 is going to be the best yet for you!
Happy blog-aversary! Fun recap of the years and plenty of LOLZ! Thanks for sharing and I’m glad I found your site a few months ago!
My current blog – which is the first one I have really put any effort into getting others to read – has been going for less than a year, but as my ‘from the archives’ posts show I have posts on personal blogs going back over a dozen years … which is fun looking back!
I love all the pictures and remember most of these moments, even when you were a math major in college (I think it was neat that you switched majors and that you studied two completely different things- I did too). I also remember all your daily coffee pictures. Plus all the pictures are a great throwback!
I have no clue when my blogger anniversary is but this is a neat way of celebrating it.
Congrats on 4 years blogging, that’s really incredible! Love all your photos. Very glad to have connected up with you in blog-land 🙂
Thank you Michele!
Happy birthday lolz 🙂 I had no idea you’d been blogging that long haha. That is quite an accomplishment! It seems like you have had quite a few years full of lots of growth, laughter, and life, which is awesome to see 🙂 I think the biggest thing in my life in the past few years was meeting Joe. Thanks to him, I found my best friend and my love of running, which has helped me grow in ways I never expected. I have learned a lot in the past few years, but I don’t think I would have been able to do it without him. Not in the ways I have anyway!
Due to a previous relationship, I deleted most of the first year of my blog posts!
I guess I’m old now LOL.
Happy Blog Birthday! Imagine, if you’d never started running, I might not even know you! That’s not a world I want to live in.
Happy anniversary!!! i cant believe it has been that long! Lot of changes!
this was a great post to reflect on how you have transformed – happy anniversary 🙂
Happy Birthday LOLZ! Hope that year 5 will be the best one yet 🙂
One of my favourite things about blogging is being able to go back and look at everything that’s happened over the years. I’ve been blogging at Spoons for close to 2 years now, but I’ve been around the blog world for about 4 I think. It seems like so long, but at the same time it’s all gone by in the blink of an eye.
Happy birthday LOLZ! So cool to look back at the last few years and how your life has changed over the course of your time blogging. I’m ridiculously glad we have become friends through all of this and look forward to many more shenanagins (on AND off the blog 🙂 )
Happy birthday, LOLZ! Sounds like each year keeps getting better. I hope that trend continues for you and that year five is the best yet!
Woohoo! I love the recap! I’ve been blogging since I was 14. I had one blog for 9 years (and have all of those blogs saved as word documents). I’ve only been on this one for a year (in 5 days- I know because I keep getting a notice that my domain is expiring). But off and on, I’ve blogged for 14 years now. Wow.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the 5th year!!!!
I don’t know about you, but this calls for red velvet diner cake.
I am SO glad to have gotten to know you through blogging. Happy blog birthday LOLZthatswimrun hehehe. I am so glad I get to follow your journey!
Happy Blog-aversary!
Happy blogaversary–can’t wait to see where the future takes you! And thanks for letting us tag along. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! Love the pics and the recaps. I’ve been blogging for 1.5 years and still trying to find my niche. YOU ROCK! Keep up the good work!
Congrats on 4 years! That is quite a while in the blog world! I’ll be hitting the 1 year mark on Monday (I also couldn’t remember the date but knew it was coming up so I went back to check last week).
Happy blog birthday, Hollie!! I have loved following your blog and becoming blog friends over the years 🙂
I can’t believe you’ve ben blogging for so long! Congrats on that, it really is an accomplishment. I remember starting reading you when I was still in grad school, and that seems like FOREVER ago. I think you may still have been in school? Isn’t it amazing what happens over the years!
Awww babyLOLZ. I am so glad that you started blogging because it allowed me to creepily recognize you from the internetz at a race in the tundra. Can’t wait to see what the future brings (read: more shenanigans!).
Happy LOLZ-versary! Since I’m relatively new to your blog, I enjoyed the recap. I also have realized that I like not being in school (except for that feeling of “freedom” which I didn’t appreciate at the time). Looking forward to reading next year’s post, too! 🙂
had an OMG attack at first reading BabyLOLZ thinking it was… A BabyLOLZ.
Dang girl, that’s a heck of a 5 years, congratulations!
Sometimes I find that it is so easy to feel like my life and days are on repeat, but when I stop and look back in 1 year or 6 month intervals, the past few years have been wild and amazing and a heck of a ride!
I must say, I think I’m most impressed by your 1000 #coffeeaday haha