I first started blogging at the age of twenty- two as an exercise for a web based college class before blogger had even been taken over by google, muchless google reader. While many blogs sprouted from the program with flourish and died just as quickly, I found love for the craft of words not based on news leads and quotes. It was a breath of fresh air, and it allowed my friend(s) back home to see what I was upto.

A few years later I switched to a myspace blog format and rather than simply write about what I did that week, I started dabbling in writing story telling and unloading emotions via posts. It was in 2006 that I started again with blogger, and after a few months of writing for my friends, when idly surfing the Internet one day I came across Steph at MuchAdo About Sumthing. She shared hilarious tales and triumphs and heartbreak and we all waited with baited breath for the next post. It was a place where people all commented and corresponded and  actual blog friendships formed and I pressed my nose against the glass of her blog and took it all in.

Later that year I found comments starting to creep up on my blog and I formed relationships with some of the bloggers I still find dearest and whom I have truly  never thanked for introducing me to 20SB. So Maxie, Chelsea, Paula, and Jamie thank you. As the 595(approx) member at the time I fell down the rabbit hole and embraced the community. I created blog flirtations, and blog crushes, I have seen people go from 100 followers to fame, I have learned about people I thought I knew, and read about people I wish to know. I have had teared up over blogger friends happiness and sadness, and had real friendships form off of these pages. I have started a sentance with, “My blogger friend _______, has a story about that!….” more times than I can count.

So maybe it’s something in my eye, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little choked up to say goodbye. I don’t have it in me anymore to keep up; the drive, the passion, or even the stories. I figure it’s best to have a post with a proper goodbye, rather than just fading out.I thought of just writing for myself, but the truth is that if I don’t have time to comment, or the will, it’s really just keeping up a half assed friendship on my part.

In the nine years I have been blogging, I have changed. In the last 3 years I have been blogging regularly I have changed exponentially. You have seen me in my darkest hours, during my silliest times and during the highest of highs. I have gone through relationships, flings, career changes, and home changes. I have gained a pet, lost love, gained friendships and faced my fears all on these pages. Hell, I stopped fighting being awkward and took getting nominated as ‘Most Awkward Blogger’ as a badge of pride. This blog has become a scrapbook, a diary, and a yearbook for my twenties.

With all that being said, the time is here to close the door. I’m not saying I’m going away forever, hell I may miss blogging and come back in a couple months. But for right now I feel I have posted the stories I have to share, and absorbed the friendships you all have so dearly provided. As I am closing the door to my twenties, I am not scared, I am content with what I know and what I can only hope to learn with each passing year. Am I where I thought I would be at 30? Hell no, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I just know that I’m ready for it, and can’t help but think blogging has something to do with that. 

Blogging has helped to give me confidence in myself, my choices, my writing and allowed me an emotional catharsis. It allowed me an outlet to be my most honest self. Flawed, silly, but always me.I can only thank all of those who have read over the years, and encouraged me. Your comments, emails, friendships and more have made my sides split from laughter and my eyes well up with tears. I wrote for me, but I continued, and grew because of you.

So with that, all I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m leaving this community with my head held high, and a lot of friendships in my heart. And pants.

Hugs and kisses,

Meghan

Kamloops, B.C.

P.S. Off topic, but through Random.org, my best friend Leanne won the book ‘Texts From Last Night’. Yes, I made her enter the contest like everyone else, and no I didn’t plan on her winning.

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