Wandering Into Blogging: How My Blog Got Started

Today I talk about a different kind of Wandering.  Not a drive down physical roads, but a journey none the less, into the world of blogging.

First I would like to say THANK YOU!!  Thank you to all of the wonderful people who blog. You make the world more interesting.

Today is an anniversary day for me.  It is the 4 week anniversary of my blog.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine how much fun it would be.  And never in my wildest dreams could I ever have imagined how many people would look at my posts in such a short amount of time!

January 24^th 2014 was day 1.  Someone several years ago suggested that I blog because they liked my conversations of places that I had gone and things I had seen.  I was busy and stressed and didn’t give it another thought.  I saw this person’s face smiling at me when I was looking through my friends list on Facebook just before Christmas and debated about whether I should unfriend her or not, you see, she passed away 4 years ago, just after she told me to blog.  She was a very dear friend and I didn’t want to let her go.  That is when I remembered the blog thing.  I thought about it for a few days.  I Googled “what is blogging”.  I read.  I looked at a few blogs.

In January I twisted my back while reaching into the dishwasher.  I could not walk without pain.  This happens a couple times a year.  I knew it would take a few days in the recliner with ice.

I called my 30 something son and asked him about blogging.  He explained the technical part about what a blog site is.  He’s a computer geek.  Computer Science degree.  Professional working coder since 2000.  I don’t remember a quarter of what he said.  But he did point me toward WordPress and I am ever so grateful.

On Jan 24 I Googled WordPress, went to their site, read a little, and accidently, yes accidently, started my blog.  I was just messing around, clicking to see what would happen.  Still not sure if this was something I wanted to commit to.  Presto!  I had a page!  I was in amazement.  I typed something, I posted.  https://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/day-one-of-blogging/

I looked at it.  I was afraid to log out because I didn’t think I would find my way back.  I did a second post, it included a photo. Mind you, it was several hours later by now. https://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/traveling/

I got brave and logged out to see if I could if I could find it and log back in.  I was surprised and please when I found my blog and got back in.  Well, I must admit that I did need to Google “How to log in to my WordPress blog”.  Thank goodness there were easy to follow instructions.

At the moment I logged in and saw my blog, I made the decision that Yes, I am a blogger. 

I made the decision to find a photo of something interesting that my husband and I had found while out for one of our weekend morning drives.  I made my first official post.   https://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/strange-vehicle/

I was hooked!  I had no big expectations.  I thought I would be lucky if 2 or 3 people came to my blog before the end of the month.  When my husband got home from work, I twisted his arm and made him find my blog online.  I asked him to make a comment because I wanted to see what it would look like.  I….Er….accidently “Liked” my own post. (Inset embarrassed smiley here).  I was Amazed when, by the end of the day, I had 11 visitors on day one!

On day two I made 3 posts.  This is also the day I found out about Challenges.  One of my posts was Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition.  People looked!  People “Liked”!  So now I was hooked on Photo Challenges.  What can I say, I like attention (inset smiley face here).  I guess I’m just a ham at heart.  Plus I liked the idea of showing off my photos.

I spent many hours reading other blogs.  Mesmerized by their stories and photos.  Wondering how I could make my blog look as professional and interesting as theirs.  I made more posts.  I read other bloggers posts.  I clicked Like.  I clicked Follow on the ones I wanted to come back to.

I think it was day 3 that I got my first follower.  WOW!   Thank you S. K. Nicholls  with your blog http://redclayandroses1.wordpress.com    Very nice blog.  If you haven’t been there you don’t know what you are missing.  Go now.  And also Cee’s Photography who has a great blog and provides so many photo challenges.  Thank you Cee, I love your photos and your challenges.  http://ceenphotography.com/

Every day I had more followers!  I had not expected to get any followers until my blog was several weeks old, or maybe months.  I tried on Themes like a girl tries on clothes.  I read more tutorials.  I added Widgets.  I tinkered.  I followed.  I posted.  I read.  I tinkered some more.

So here it is 4 weeks later.  My heart does a little “Happy Dance” every time I get a Like, a View, a Comment and it leaps when I get a Follower.  So that’s my story.  Happy Anniversary to me.

Thank you to everyone that has looked at my blog.

Thank you to all of you who have taken the time leave a comment.

Thank you for clicking the Like button, I feel so much joy and excitement to think that another human being finds that something I have posted is worthy of being viewed.

And a huge THANK YOU to everyone that has chosen to follow my blog. I am elated every time I get a new follower!