Today I celebrate two years of blogging on Bedlam & Daisies.
It’s still hard for me to believe that I’ve been coming to this space and blogging for two years. I’ve been sharing my thoughts and you all have been kind enough to show up to read them and comment on them. I’ve been sharing my photography and you all have journeyed along as I began to learn a little more about the process. I have been seeking my voice and you have listened.
Blogging.
Those facts alone never cease to amaze me. My niece was the one who encouraged me to go ahead and start this blog. I first considered blogging back in 2009 because my youngest was starting kindergarten. In the end, I was too fearful to put my voice out there in the public. Fast forward 7 years…and I was ready…another two years and here we are. I feel so blessed that my voice has been received amongst you all and met with kindness.
Evolution.
As I approached this two-year mark celebrating the birth of this blogging process, I perused some of my older posts. If you’ve never seen my first post, here it is. In it, I state the fact that I’m sure the blog will evolve, just as I am evolving. I read those words through the lens of having done just that. I am reminded that one of my favorite mantras from my challenge of 30 days of meditation is “I am committed to my personal growth and evolution.” I often find myself repeating that in my mind on those occasions when I want to give up because the challenge seems to hard.
Photography.
After my introduction, my next post was about my love of photography. I had no experience. Just a love. That love has grown over the past two years. I’ve learned a few things about capturing the beauty that my eye beholds. I still have a tremendous amount of knowledge to gain about the process, but when I reflect back to two years ago, I can see that I am moving forward. This was a helpful recognition because I still struggle with comparison. Struggles around the loss of Instagram followers. Struggles around the fact that my skills aren’t growing as quickly as others. Reflecting helps me stop and realize that this is a personal journey. I am not everyone else. My growth may be slow, but it is growth, and that is good.
Comfort Zones.
A big part of creating the blog was to force myself outside of my comfort zones. Placing my words out into the public was one of those beginning stretches. I had so much anxiety and fear over that process that after I hit publish, I went into the shower and cried. And yet, as I reflected on the journey in this post written at the end of 2016, I see that pressing outside of my comfort zones was exactly what I needed. That journey of testing comfort zones was the catalyst for having me finally secure a passport and decide to travel outside of the United States.
It’s still amazing to me that receiving my passport was a recent highlight that I spoke about on my celebration of one year of blogging. 2017 would see me traveling to Amsterdam and Paris with my husband and children. Six weeks later I would travel to Edinburgh and Glasgow (and stops in Stirling, Shotts, and Airdrie) with my mother and aunt. While I only took two trips, I am eager for more and found a love for travel.
Going Forward.
I remember talking in this post about how I was a work in progress. Truly, I am still a work in progress. In that post, I mentioned 2016 being a year of seeking clarity and saw 2017 as a year of becoming more focused and disciplined. Honestly, I see 2018 as a mix of those both. I am still seeking my passions and discovering my voice. Part of the goal of my 30-day challenges during this year of being 40 is to continue to find who I am below the expectations placed upon me. Going forward, I plan to do more seeking. I plan to continue to press outside of my comfort zones.
And going forward, I plan to evolve.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I hope that you will continue on with me in the coming year.
I’d also love to know what topics you most enjoy on my blog!
Be sure to let me know in the comments!
As I continue to tweak the layout of the blog, I want to be sure that you are hearing about the topics that drew you to my blog.
Sending all you much love and light on my second blogiversary!
Let your light shine!
Amy
Congratulations!!💚
Thank you Roda!! 💕
Happy blogiversary my friend.
Thanks so much Tony! 💕
Congratulations, well done.
Thank you!! 💕
Congratulations 🥂
Yours was one of the first blogs I followed.. BECAUSE of the photography, so you drew me in! ☺️
I enjoy your honesty and your drive.
May 2018 bring you happy blogging 🌸
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you enjoy my photography. The process of capturing and creating it has become something that I love. I appreciate that you enjoy my honesty and drive. That means a lot! 💕
Congratulations!!
Thank you!! 💕
Congratulations!👏👏
Thank you!! 💕
Congrats on reaching the two year milestone, Amy (the Streets of Nuremberg will be 2 later this month). And thanks for always brightening up our days with your posts! All the best for the future! Marcus
Thank you so much Marcus! I thought your two year mark was coming up as well. 😊. I’m glad that you find my posts brighten the day. That is a very kind thing to say! 💕
Congratulations 🙂 Cheers to you, and here’s to the two years to come…. and more! 🙂 xx
Thank you!! Here’s to the years to come, indeed! 😊💕
“Going forward, I plan to do more seeking. I plan to continue to press outside of my comfort zones” and “Let your light shine” are my favorite words here.
I appreciate how your words flow and how genuine you come across to me. I also felt drawn by the pictures of doors from your visit to Edinburgh and Glasgow. I wish you all the best in 2018 and in years to come.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Thank you for sharing what your favorite words were too!
It means so much to me that you find that I come across as genuine. I hope that my words never fail to convey that because I find that honesty to be important in how I represent myself.
I’m so happy to hear that you’ve loved the photos of doors. I’m hoping to snap some more in future excursions. 😊
I wish you all the best in 2018 and in the future years as well! 💕
Congrats my friend 🙂 You honestly continue to be such an inspiration and encouragement to me. I love the way you write about your journey. I am so thankful to have connected with you, and like so many others, have the priveledge of reading your stories and seeing your beautiful photography. Two years is an awesome acheivement. So much love and blessings to you xx
Dee, thank you so much! I’m glad that we can be an inspiration and an encourager for each other! So much love and blessings back to you my friend! xx 💕
2 years already? My how time flies when you’re having fun 🙂
Keep up the great work. You have a writing voice that is sincere, compassionate, and genuine. It’s a refreshing quality especially in a world filled with so much that’s either insincere or artificial.
As for the photography, maybe it’s good to remind ourselves from time to time that it’s not a race or a competition, and that we are all our own worst critics.
Congrats on the milestone Amy, and here’s to many more!
Thank you so much Norm! The time has flown and has been so fun!
Your comments about my writing voice are so kind. It means so much that those qualities come across in my writing and I’m happy to hear that they do.
I think it’s always a good reminder (about many things in life) that it isn’t a competition or race. I have learned through this journey that I am my own worst critic, but am hoping to avoid that role more often 😉.
Here’s to many more milestones for the both of us! 💕
Happy blogaversary to you Amy! I am also hitting a milestone, my first year is done now. It is an amazing journey, isn’t it? I have learned a lot about myself as well. Hopefully we both continue to evolve and remain buddies 🙂
Thank you so much! Congratulations on your first year of blogging! It is an amazing journey! I think that unless you’ve gone into blogging with a specific mindset of what you will write about there is so much evolving that takes place during the journey (probably even for those who had a specific mindset). I hope we both continue to evolve and remain buddies as well! 😊💕
We will 🙂
Congratulations. Your blog is such an inspiration to me. I hope you have continued success and inspire many more. 🙂
Thank you Laura! I am so touched that you find my blog to be an inspiration. I hope those same things for you! 💕
2 years of blogging, playing outside your comfort zone, and expanding your reach. Thats huge.
And I can see that rather than struggling with the “burnout” or blogger fatigue that I hear about so often, you’re just getting started. Excited to continue following along to see where this journey takes you.
Thanks Gabe!
I do see myself as just getting started, even if I’ve had my ups and downs on the journey thus far. I’m so glad that you’ll be along for the journey. I can’t wait to read about your next adventure! 💕
Congratulations on this awesome milestone! I always look forward to your posts. ☺
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy my posts. I always look for my dose of humor in yours…and they never fail to bring many chuckles or downright belly laughs! 😂💕
Congratulations and Keep going!
Thank you so much!! 💕
Congrats!!!
Thank you so much Jai!! 💕
Thank you for liking my blog post. Since you have, I’ve discovered your sweet, meaningful blog that’s apparently gone on for 2 years now. Congratulations! Blogging is still pretty new to me, so I understand all these things you’re talking about, like the evolution of our writing as well as ourselves.
Thank you! I’m so happy that my visit brought you to my blog. The evolution of our writing as well as ourselves is a lovely thing about blogging. I wish you all the best in your continued blogging journey! 💕
Congratulations! You write the best posts of anybody I read – and you have the best quotes, and best photography too. (note to self – must try harder lol)
Thank you Jonathan! You are too kind! I’m so glad that you stumbled upon my blog (I checked…it’s been quite a while since we began following each other’s journeys). I’m waiting to see all the photos you collect on that pocket camera during your travels this year (and how long you give up that smartphone. lol). 😊💕
Looking forward to sharing the journey through your photos, and words.
Thank you so much Deborah! I’m glad to have you along on the journey! 🙂
Congratulations! I very much enjoy your blog and am grateful to find you here. Continue your evolution, all the best people do 🙂
Thank you Joey!! 🙂
Congratulations Amy. Isn’t it amazing how blogging transforms us. Enjoy whatever comes next. I always love the positivity of your blog. 💖
Thank you Miriam. Blogging has been an amazingly transformational journey. In ways that I never expected! I’m looking forward to what comes next, as well as hearing about what comes next for you!. <3
Me too ❤️
As I was reading your words, I was reminded that we not only learn from our journey, but from the journey of others. That is so evident with blogging. While we are all on our own journeys of discovery, it is often the insights provided by others – whether directly or not – that also shape our experience.
So while you have been learning during this 2 years of blogging, others – including me – have been learning from you. Learning from your 30-day challenges (I LOVE those!), your photography, and mostly being reminded not to lose that sense of awe at the beauty around us.
Congrats, Amy. I hope you’ll keep doing what you’re doing 💕
Thank you Joanne! Your kind words mean a lot. It is true we do learn so much from the journey of others as well. I’m always in awe of the things you take on outdoors. It makes me want to get out and explore the area around my more –and maybe lace up a pair of skates, as well. 😉 <3
Remember to take photos 😉