5 Years Blogging - A Retrospective: 2006

This month I celebrate my fifth blogging anniversary. <Cue wild applause from the crowd!>

I'm sometimes quick to berate myself when I don't stick to things (though it might just mean I've learned what I set out to learn - but that's a whole other blog post); this year I choose to give myself credit where credit is due.

I set out blogging January 25, 2006 and I'm still here. Huzzah!

To celebrate I decided to have a little fun - well, at least it's fun for me - and comb through my blog posts to come up with five favourites for each of the five years. There's no real rhyme or reason behind my choices, I just chose posts that spoke to me, brought back good memories, or maybe reflected an important development/experience/breakthrough of that year.

So if you will let me indulge in a little narcissism, the next few weeks will include, among other things, five retrospective posts and maybe a little celebratory something for you at the end for still being here!

Here goes...

2006: An Urban Living Experiment begins

After a failed reconciliation attempt with my then husband and partner for 13 years, I moved to a delicious little 1920s apartment in the city with slanted hardwood floors, a bright red kitchen and proximity to all the city could offer to a first time urbanite. I parallel parked for the first time (no dings!), discovered old movies and took pole dancing lessons. I started an 11-month sabbatical from work, learned how to rebuild a home, a social network and a sense of self. I even started letting down the walls I'd built around me and found a liking for a certain Mr. D.

slanted floors

I wrote 140 posts that year. Here are my top five:

Introducing - My very first post evah. I had no clue where this blogging thing would go.

The Pheonix: Ashes and Hope - Rebuilding a solo life had its ups, but it had some pretty severe downs too. Luckily hope rises from the ashes.

red kitchen, Mémère's apron

Me, My Car, My Travel Mug - A Trip Report - My first solo trip down east (home) in my little blue Civic. This was a HUGE thing given that just two years before I was terrified of driving in the city, had never put gas in a car and my husband drove me everywhere. I even managed to drive through Montreal. Yeah baby!

3 Circles of Friends, 3 Amazing Outings - When I lost my marriage I lost my social network. A big part of 2006 was building confidence in taking social risks and discovering that I could make friends on my own. Not bad for a woman in her thirties.

curlicued radiators

Comfort on a Cool October Night - Part of rediscovering my sense of self included discovering what brought me comfort. This post is tiny, but it still soothes me today.

girly lamp

Coming soon, 2007...

Sitting With My Uncertainty

 

I've been quiet.

I'm enjoying the days and the nights, swaying to the rhythms of my body and soul.

I'm mulling over the possibility that a truth belief I've carried around for years, to the point where it's become a large portion of my identity, may no longer need to take up as much space.

I'm re-evaluating priorities, reconsidering previously laid out plans, entertaining the option of shifting course, paring down and slowing the pace.

I'm sitting with my uncertainty, holding on to what I know is true and opening myself to discernment amongst the rest.

And it's not as bad as I thought it would be.