Happy One Year Blogiversary to Me!

One year ago today, I published my very first blog entry, a sad, little post titled Well Read...What Does That Mean?  To date, that entry has received a whopping total of three views. 

Three, as tres, for you Spanish speaking folks.

Three, as in one more than two and one less than four.  

LOL!  Truth be told, I'm pretty sure two of those views were from me, checking to make sure the post did what it was supposed to do once I clicked "Publish." Little did I know the adventure I would embark upon after clicking that orange button in the upper right corner of Blogger.

And here I am...365 days, 1 Twitter account, countless hours of typing and editing, and 209 posts later!  Happy Blogiversary to me!  

As I started preparing this post, I thought about how I came to embark upon this blogging journey.  I started blogging because having a blog made participating in book challenges easier.  Early on, the majority of my entries were single book reviews.  Over time, I started participating in various linkups as well as publishing content on matters that weighed heavily on my mind and stuff I just felt compelled to write.  As an introvert, I spend a lot of time in my head and this blog gives me a place to let those thoughts out and allow them to run amuck!  It has evolved into a unique little space, part book blog, part travel blog, part life blog. Regardless of what I write about, this space has become a valuable and creative outlet for me.  Thank you for joining me on this adventure.

So, today on the monumental occasion, I've created some blog superlatives, you know, like those you might see in a high school yearbook. 

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (aka "Post with the most views to date"):

Stripes - Hugh's Photo Challenge (Week 9)
245 views
- Seriously, I have no idea how this post featuring one picture and 123 words (including the link up information) generated so many views.  I have submitted 15 more picture posts in Hugh's weekly photo challenge since this one and none of them have even come close to generating the number of views this one did.  Go figure...

THE ONE THAT FAILED TO GET OUT OF THE GATE (aka "Post the fewest views to date"):  

Well Read...  What Does That Mean?

3 views
- Whomp, whomp...

TEACHER'S PET (aka "Post that is my personal favorite"):
M is for Mind's Eye
- This is a very personal piece and a piece that required me to really step out of my comfort zone.

TEACHER'S PEST (aka "Post that I like the least"):
Q is for Qi
- What can I say?  I was trying to compose a blog entry about something, anything, that started with the letter Q.  I was desperate...

AGED TO PERFECTION (aka "Post that took the longest to compose"):
O is for One Hour
- I worked on this post on and off for several months and in the days leading up to it going live, I spent many hours listening to the songs that were "in the running" and whittling down my final selections.

BIGGEST SURPRISES (aka "Posts that turned out to far better than I would've ever imagined"):
Stripes - Hugh's Photo Challenge (Week 9) 
- It still baffles my mind...

H is for Hallelujah
- As I mentioned in my Blogging A to Z Reflection post, this blog entry was truly a last minute idea and I composed it in under 30 minutes.  To date, it is the fourth most viewed post on my blog.

BIGGEST FLOPS (aka "Posts that I expected to do better than it did in terms of comments/views"):
Current Events in One Sentence (Aug. 30 - Sept. 15) 

Happy Back to the Future Day!
- Yeah, I had bigger expectations for both of these posts, but maybe the timing just wasn't right.  Who knows?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MANY thanks to some fellow bloggers who have welcomed me into their blogging community:  Erin, Kristen, Lindsay, Steph, Mackenzie, and E Man... just to name a few.  I enjoy our interactions and look forward to many more in the future.

And MANY, MANY thanks to you, the readers, whether you are new or returning. Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting.  I do appreciate it!

Linking up with:

West Virginia, my beloved home state, was hit by devastating floods last week. Many homes, businesses, schools, and churches were completely inundated with rapidly rising water. Many of homes were completely washed away by flash floods. West Virginians are strong, resilient people who rise up in the face of adversity. But, even the strongest folks could use some prayers from time to time. I ask that you remember the flood victims who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their belongings, and especially those who have lost loved ones. Thank you.