I just got to realise today that I’ve been blogging for over a year now! Which I find a joyful thing actually. One year of sharing my thoughts and passions and overwhelming you with it. Endless posts on music and dance, a handful short stories, a thousand comments. But what has blogging really given me?
* Friends. I consider you to be friends – not the kind you go have a drink with, because of the lack of means, but still, you’re all a part of my life. And some of you are people I’d love to meet in real life, to have a drink with in real life. Really.
* Smiles. It happens quite often that my day’s nothing special, or even annoying, but then I see a nice comment or great post and then you make my day. 
* A third place in a competition, a giant book, a nice bag, a great weekend, an amount of friends on Facebook. I won that third place with a story I wrote for this blog, and all the rest was a nice result of winning. I need people to read what I write, that’s the trigger for me to write, and you are the audience that make me type and eventually somehow become what I always wanted to become – a writer.
* The possibility to use my knowledge of English. I still make many, many mistakes, but I believe you all forgive me. I’m but a Dutch speaking girl after all…
* Knowledge about stuff. I can’t give an example right now, but I’m sure at least someone must have written something that made me smarter.
* Self confidence. Nothing boosts your narcissistic side as much as all the positive feedback you get. I loved your comments when I wrote my short stories, or when I was a bit down. You cheered me up. That is always nice.
On the other side, what has blogging taken from me?
*Lots and lots, by which I mean lots of time. Hours and hours, days even, and by now perhaps a month or so.
But that doesn’t really matter. If I couldn’t blog, I would be terribly bored sometimes. You keep me sane! That’s awesome! Maybe I thank you too often, I’m getting so cheesy lately… But here it is, for all of you sweet people (even the tough guys are sweet after all):
*THANK YOU AND A BIG HUG*
I’m heading for another year.
PS: I was just a witness to a fly at its last minutes. Now it’s lying dead next to me. A rather disturbing thought really.
No Blog Intended 
sirselah
/ August 21, 2012Congrats on reaching a full year! Here’s to many more. π
No Blog Intended
/ August 21, 2012Thanks very much!
Michael Cargill
/ August 21, 2012Bosh! It’s good to hear that you got some success with one of your stories, they were rather good.
We am all your bestest friends, forever.
Amen.
No Blog Intended
/ August 21, 2012BFF ay?
I still hope to see one of your books (or many of your books) in a book shop so I can buy it/them and then think ‘I knew him before he was such a rock star…’, or even better ‘woah, that’s my my BOFF (best online friend forever)!’
π
mgert123
/ August 21, 2012For having English as a 2nd language you do very well. Thanks for the blog, love to follow it and know what people are doing on the other side of the world. Congrats on a year, keep it up and thank you.
No Blog Intended
/ August 21, 2012Actually, English is my third language! French is my second, but I don’t use it nearly as often as English.
Thank you very, very much for your everlasting nice comments, mgert!
Mooselicker
/ August 21, 2012Stop lying. You know English better than most people I meet.
Here’s to continued success! One of us has to make our dreams come true right? So long as we continue to support each other it will happen.
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012Have a piece of pie, Moose, for those nice words of you!
A Gripping Life
/ August 21, 2012Wow!! I can’t believe how time flies. A one year anniversary is major. Congratulations on always providing great posts – I really enjoy your thoughts, questions, occasional complaints, observations and 18 year old perspective, which to me, is always refreshing and quite beautiful. You have great energy. I love that about you. Hopefully one day you’ll share your first name – I’d like that very much. And yes, you’re one of those people I’d love to meet!
Have a wonderful evening…
Lisa
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012Those are kind words, Lisa, thank you!
You know, before you had a blog, I saw you commenting on various other blogs, and you were funny and kind and I thought ‘I want her to comment on my blog too!’. And see where I am now, you are following me and posting such nice comments and great posts!
Life’s great :).
A Gripping Life
/ August 22, 2012It’s my joy and pleasure to surround myself with people like you.
El Guapo
/ August 21, 2012Happy Blogiversary, NBI!
Can’t wait to see what you throw at us over the next year. You speak English like a native (but with less cursing).
As long as the blogging doesn’t cut too much into the reading or dancing, have at it!
El Guapo
/ August 21, 2012oh, and PIIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012YEEEEEEES!!!!
I know what you guys want ;).
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012Haha, my mother doesn’t like it when I curse :). Plus: the native Belgian curses are way cooler than ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’, but they are a bit… local.
Blogging is one of the hobbies, but those hobbies all get the time they deserve!
By the way, I like that word, blogiversary. Do you have copyright, or can I steal it?
El Guapo
/ August 22, 2012Of course! But it isn’t my credit because I have no idea who I stole it from first…
jiltaroo
/ August 22, 2012Happy Birthday!! I’d like to join the party. You are a pleasure to read and I’m excited to find your blog. I’m goind now so I can get back to reading your blog!
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012Join in! It’s all for free, and I must say, you can meet lots of great people here! Hopefully you’ll enjoy my blog, and if not, just take a piece of pie and try out the other blogs!
jell jell @ I'll Sleep When They're Grown
/ August 22, 2012How fun! One whole year of blogging! And you can always have pie for your blogiversary day, week or month. ALWAYS.
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012Haha, I know, I see every occasion as the perfect occasion for pie :).
Lily
/ August 22, 2012Congratulations! You started around the same time I did, I think. I might have started in September though. Still, it’s weird that we found each other and that we’ve been reading each other’s thoughts for a whole year. I bet we know more about each other than a lot of other people π
You should keep blogging! Your English has improved immensely. I never see any mistakes! Good for you!
No Blog Intended
/ August 22, 2012I was really convinced that my vocabulary and grammar failed at times, by which I mean, quite often. But all of you tell me it’s not so bad at all :). I’ll believe you!
Haha, that’s weird indeed! I like(d) reading your thoughts! I’ve got no idea how I ended up on your blog. Maybe you commented on Michael’s blog or something, it might be there I found you. But you are the first and only person who used the word oxymoron in real life, so we were destined to become blog friends :D.
dockfam
/ August 23, 2012I’ve only been blogging for a few short months and already it is an addiction. I hope I’m still around after a year and that i still have people willing to read my nonsense! Congrats to you!
No Blog Intended
/ August 24, 2012Thanks! Yes, blogging is as addicting as drugs or something. Years go by fast, so you just need a bit perseverance and you will be around like forever! π
jakesprinter
/ August 24, 2012It`s your day π
No Blog Intended
/ August 24, 2012Thanks π
Edita Lozovska
/ August 26, 2012Congrats. More than a year – you go, girl.
I wish I could celebrate with you eating cake. Lots of cake.
It’s refreshing to know your blog keeps you sane. Mine has the same effect on me. This is why there are two people less in mental asylums. I’d totally state that i am Cleopatra, fyi. You could be Napoleon if you want??
Anywho – congrats. You are freaking awesome. Like super totally awesome.
No Blog Intended
/ August 26, 2012Thankyouthankyouthankyou Edita. I’ll bring a cake to the picnic, okay? Promised.
Haha, Cleopatra ay? Good choice. I’d probably go for Catherine from Wuthering Heights or something like that. Someone with an overly vivacious life, you know.
I do believe though that we would have a great time together in a mental asylum :). Especially when stating to be someone else… And with enough cake around, of course. Unfortunately, they won’t let us have kalashnikovs I’m afraid… π
Addie
/ August 29, 2012Time does fly, except for the fly–for it, well, time stopped. Still, it’s been great fun following your adventures and I look forward to your further forays into the world. You speak more than one language! I’m so impressed! I barely speak human!!
((hugs))
No Blog Intended
/ August 30, 2012Haha, I adore your comment, Addie! You’re definitely one of the people I really wanted to be friends with, one of the people that made blogging even more fun! Thanks so much, and hugs back!
SummerSolsticeGirl
/ September 3, 2012Congrats on your blog-a-versary!
No Blog Intended
/ September 4, 2012Thank you!