Thank you, readers!
As a writer, one of the greatest feelings comes from knowing that what you wrote had a positive impact on someone. The ability to relate to others – many of whom live halfway across the globe – has always meant a great deal to me, and so when one of my blog entries receives a lot of comments (or even just a few really heartfelt ones), I can’t help but smile. I love when someone tells me that what I wrote has helped him or her in some way – at the risk of sounding cliche, it really does mean the world to me.
On Wednesday, my blog was featured on BestUniversities.com’s article entitled 50 Blog Posts Every College Applicant Should Read. (Those 50 entries cover a lot of ground, so no matter where you are in the college process, you should definitely check their article out!) Anyway, this is a huge honor for me! Seeing my article on that list meant that I would be able to share my college experience to a greater number of people, and maybe make their freshman years that much easier.
I started blogging at A Paper Town for a Paper Girl back in April 2010 because I wanted a place to share my writing openly with the world. Of course, I never thought I’d have more than five readers. After switching to WordPress in late June and creating my monthly features (most notably the Freshman 15 series), I’ve been able to slowly develop a following and interact with my readers. At the beginning of this month, one of my entries was Freshly Pressed on WordPress, and it was my proudest moment in blogging to date. Being able to relate to that many people around the world, some of whom actually said that my article helped them in some way, was truly an experience to remember.
So far, as a blogger, I’ve learned that the greatest joy in writing is not merely sharing your story with others, but letting those others in to share their stories with you. As much as I love to write on my own time, I would not enjoy blogging nearly as much if I didn’t have such wonderful, interactive and loyal readers as you. Thank you all for making it an experience worthwhile. I hope that as time goes on I will be able to do the same for you!
