On one hand, it's hard to believe I've gotten this far... I mean, I don't think I've spent seven years on anything, thereby making my interactions with this digital space the longest-running and most-dedicated relationship I've ever had.
On the other, as soon as this hobby made itself a mainstay in my life, I knew I wasn't going to give it up without a fight. It's my corner of the Internet... mine to stock as I please with what information and content I choose, and to hold as a prize in itself. It even lasted through four years of college, especially that rigorous Junior year, including - most notably - the November of 2014, where I was not only a full-time student, but also preparing for Panhellenic duties, participating in NaNoWriMo, and still writing articles for College Fashion on a biweekly basis. The fact we made it to five years is a minor miracle in itself, let alone seven!
Not only do I still love writing for the blog, but I love reading my past work, too (which is much less narcissistic than it sounds, I swear!). Rereading past articles is still such a source of joy to me, not only because of the pleasant surprise of still actually enjoying something you wrote when you were younger - like "Wow! This isn't terrible! Go, Past Savannah!" - but because when it is kind of lame, it shows me how much I've grown as a critical reader and writer.
I like change, and not only has the blog played a role in my own development, but it's gone through its own evolution, as well. For instance, while they aren't exactly on subject matter, the "Just Planner Things" posts are not only some of the most fun to write, but they net me consistently high view counts, which has been a fun surprise. I still love taking part in The Broke and the Bookish's "Top Ten Tuesdays," because they guarantee that at least a few voices will shout back at me through the web-void about the bookish things they love, too. While I certainly don't write as much about fashion as I used to, I've been starting to speak up more about how I love cookbooks. Even my monthly installments of personal non-bookish favorites have been a new source of fun for me, even though I know people might not be as interested in those posts in particular. I'm learning, I'm growing, and I'm figuring out what I like to talk about.
Even after seven years, I'm still learning and growing!
What was a low-cost hobby, became a college apps extracurricular, then a college talk piece, to a resume booster and beyond, and still maintains its ability to exercise my talent, transmit my voice further than I could otherwise, and serve as a source of personal pride, even though, all of these years later, I still refrain from telling people about it until I know they're entirely trustworthy (I learned my lesson the hard way through sorority recruitment back in 2012: tell someone you have a blog, and try not to wince when they respond how they "don't really get Tumblr.")
I love this space, and I cherish the opportunities I've had because of it, especially the books I've been motivated to read, in order to better stock it with worthy reading material. I'm definitely going to be around for another year, so check back in next July for another account of how old I'm feeling.
How I Celebrated:
I took a cue from a past Book-Ban Resolution year, and decided to grant myself a brief reprieve, in order to properly celebrate the occasion with some new reads. Back in 2015, I rang in my 5th Anniversary with five new books, and because of the two I purchased for Indie Bookstore Day back in April, I would be officially buying a total of seven new books in my seventh year of blogging! So, on the official date of my Bloggoversary - Monday, July 24th - I made time to pick them up.
Riley Sager's Final Girls and Edgar Cantero's Meddling Kids are two titles among some of my most anticipated for 2017, and I was incredibly happy to dig them out of their respective mis-shelved places in my local B+N (Seriously: Girls was one of only two in a bottom-shelf display, and the copy I didn't buy was riddled with scuff marks, while Kids was in a completely wrong section, with no other copies to be found!).
Meanwhile, I can finally say I own something from Margaret Atwood, with the purchase of Hag-Seed, one of the most recent installments of my beloved Hogarth Shakespeare collection; this one, a retelling of my all-time favorite Bard comedy, The Tempest.
And, of course, I'd be remiss in not purchasing any YA, which is why I was happy to grab a hardcover of Our Dark Duet, the sequel in the This Savage Song duology from fave author Victoria Schwab. The five books are rounded out by the only title I expressly purchased with the intention of sharing: Melissa De La Cruz' Rise of the Isle of the Lost, which will soon be passed along to my equally Descendants-and-DCOM-loving siblings.
[The two books I purchased back in April were Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows (the second in the Darker Shade of Magic fantasy series), and Lev Grossman's The Magician King (the second in the Magicians series, another recent favorite).]
Wow, guys, I can't believe we've made it to seven years! I can't thank you enough for another year of bookish Internet friendship. Here's to another one!
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