It kind of snuck up on me. Number 200. I was preparing last Friday's post as usual, when I realized my next entry would be the 200th of
Sabrina's Crossing. I thought, a number like that shouldn't get just any old entry.
Such a milestone was deserving of a special blog. Some special thought and reflection. A little attention and celebration. So I put things to a halt, and started working on number 200.
Roughly 19 months have passed since I started blogging. And it's passed very quickly.
The Questions
I've never been one to jump into something without giving it a lot of thought. Blogging had been an idea for a while, but I had always hesitated, and not taken the jump. Not til
September of 2011 (my first post). It was the start of a new basketball season for me: another new experience, a new country, a new team, and I had decided, a
new blog (my post on why I finally decided to start blogging).
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| Blogging has been an interesting turn in my journey. |
I was unsure of several things when I started: how often I would write, what exactly I would write about, would I like it, would I be any good at it, and probably most importantly, would it last? On a day-to-day basis those are
still the questions I ask myself. But nevertheless, I plug along.
It's been a good experiment, and I've surprised myself to a certain extent. Not that I've kept up with it, because usually when I commit to something, I stick to it. But because of the importance I've put on writing and blogging.
I will sit down for three to four hours at a time working on an entry. I'll put other things off until I've published for the day. When I've given myself a deadline, I hold to it, and want to get it done. So it has held me accountable while I entertain the hours of down time throughout my days in Europe. To week in and week out, put together two to three (hopefully) quality posts. It keeps my mind working. My blog gives me someone to 'answer' to.
The Posts
Some topics and posts are easier to write about than others. And some are more personal than others. They vary from informative, to introspective and experienced-based.
The more difficult entries are ones that are information heavy. I want to relay the important points, and do it in the most efficient way possible. Posts that are too long, won't get read. I know that. So the struggle lies in quickly getting to the point, and laying down the facts. Those are probably the most satisfying to write because I feel like I'm 'doing good', so to speak. I like passing along information that I think has value, and that usually goes unnoticed in our daily life.
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| Pictures can say it all. |
Travel blogs are fun. I don't have to rack my brain for creative ideas. For those, I rely on my memory and my camera. A picture's worth a thousand words, so many times, I let the pictures do the talking.
And of course there's basketball. For me, basketball posts are like second nature. I could write about basketball for days.
I like varying my posts. Being well-rounded in my life, and in my writing (
and in my basketball!), holds a great deal of value to me. I like the things I've been writing about, and I think that's also an important facet: to like what you're doing.
The ability to change topics keeps things fresh for me to a certain extent. If I were to only write about one thing or another, I think the well would run dry, and I would get bored. Having a wide variety keeps things interesting for me. And hopefully keeps
you interested.
The Process
I'm always looking for new things to write about, and I guess new ways to challenge myself. But I've also used my blog to think aloud at times. Vent frustrations, or ask questions. You could call it an online diary, but I would prefer to think of it as more-informative than therapeutic.
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| Working on some notes while on the road. |
I've settled into a nice little routine, and have gotten pretty adept at getting my entry mostly-written the night before I want to post it. My goal is to publish three times a week. And more often that not, I hit that goal.
But I find myself always brainstorming, working on some graphic, or slightly changing my layout. So I put a lot of effort and energy into
Sabrina's Crossing.
Blogging has become fairly time consuming, and whether it's time well spent, who knows? But I enjoy it. And I'm learning. About me. About the things I'm writing about. And about the inter-workings of blogging, internet graphics, promoting, and the like.
Other interests, outside of basketball, have come forward through my writing. Not too long ago, I thought I was a 'jock' and that was it. But there's a lot more to me than bouncing an orange ball. My blog has helped me express, and explore, those other interests. So I couldn't be happier that I finally made the jump into
Sabrina's Crossing.
