My Second Blogiversary Post + Where Have I Been?

  My Two-Year Blogiversary

(Also, Where Have I Been?)

"Always trust your gut instincts. They are messages from your soul, telling you which way to go."

~Unknown

A screenshot I took from WCUE on Roblox.

Wow. Two years already? And what have I done in that time?!

The answer is keeping busy, waiting, changing/growing as a person, learning, and trying new things.

Yes, I've neglected my blog, but I do not plan to abandon it quite yet. After all, I still have a list of ideas for posts that may be of interest to you!

So, if not blogging, then what have I been up to in 2024...?

My sisters finally convinced me to create a Roblox account in early March of last year. I had kept pushing it away, afraid of becoming addicted to it. Thankfully, I have not, but it ended up changing my life anyway in a way I never expected (but more on that later)!

I've also become much more active on Discord and joined several servers related to some of my favourite Roblox games.

- I became an Admin for Yogurt Documentaries, which makes realistic animal documentaries with various survival games on Roblox. Check out the channel and trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/@Yogurtdapro

- I became a Community Helper for Checho's Deltarune Roleplay (another game on Roblox). It's a small role, but I basically help the staff team develop the game by testing for bugs and sharing my opinion on certain features before they are added to the game.

- I have been auditioning for various voice-acting roles for over two years now, and I finally got chosen for two parts! I shall be voice acting Spottedleaf and Fernshade for the Warrior Cats Ultimate Edition Project, which will be a mini-series on YouTube eventually: https://www.youtube.com/@mellowbear

- I decided against starting a second blog and focusing solely on this one.

- I started selling my photography as stock photos on various websites as a way to make some passive income. (GettyImages/iStock, Shutterstock, 500px, AdobeStock, and Alamy)

And apart from those things?

Through all this socializing on the internet, mainly on Discord and Roblox, I have made huge progress with working through my social anxiety—at least online, haha! I have gained quite a bit of confidence and am able to communicate well with strangers on the internet. I remain cautious, of course, but my gut has been very helpful in helping me decide what risks are worth taking.

I ended up finding some of the most amazing people, whom I now consider my friends. A few of them are even my best friends.

There are people out there who criticize online friends, saying they are not true friendships. But I disagree. These past 6 months have opened my eyes to a new way of socializing and making friends. After many unsuccessful attempts at making friends in person and getting ghosted more than once, I felt quite a bit hopeless in that respect. I'm not saying I didn't have any friends at all, of course! (You know who you are; I haven't forgotten you all <3) But still, I found myself somewhat lonely a lot of the time...

Sometimes, even the best of friends can grow a little distant for a while.

That's when we found each other on Roblox, a group of similarly lonely people who have had little success with in-person friendships for various reasons. We all decided to take the risk and bypass the chat filters to reach out to each other... and trust each other. Through video calls, chatting, and playing Roblox together, we have become as close as any in-person friends would be. Sure, we can't physically hug or tackle each other, but as introverts and dedicated roleplayers, this way is quite ideal for us and our strange lifestyles.

We spend many late nights together, creating stories and characters through role-play, laughing more loudly than we should at 3 AM, and even arguing at times. I have met some real people, and they have been helping me finally see who I am and who I'm becoming after all these years. Some of the friendships have had challenges, but we work through them and learn how to handle them as adults. It is truly an interesting and rewarding experience.

~ * ~

A few other real-life changes have also occurred in the past year, such as buying our first horse and having a shelter shed built for her.

Apollonia, our 12-year-old Percheron cross mare. (May 2024)

Our lovely green run-in shelter with a hay storage area on the left and a tack room on the right.

So there we have it! Now you know why I haven't been writing and editing more blog posts. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that I will have the time to come out with posts on a regular basis. This year has already thrown a bunch of wild cards and lemons at me and my family, but we always try to make the best of those situations. Perhaps I'll make a post in the coming months about my Thoughts on Change. But until then, we'll finish off this post for now.

My Current Statistics:

Followers: 9 (Hooray, +1 from last year!)

Posts: 23

Comments: 76

All Time Views: 5,295

Most Popular Post: The Flaming-Hot... Five Reasons Why [Tag] (Just... WHY?!)

Least Popular Post: Ranking My 2018 Model Animal Photos (Eh, fair enough.)

Top Locations:

Comments or questions? I'd love to hear from you and get some feedback!

(Also, I believe you don't need a Blogger account to leave a comment on my Blog. Just so you're all aware!)

Another screenshot I took from WCUE on Roblox.

"Always look on the bright side of life." 

~Graham Chapman