My first blogoversary.

A year ago, I started blogging. My theme was (sort of) “I moved to New Zealand, and it’s been a challenging journey.”

I chose to use my real name. And I told my parents and my friends about my blog.

I wrote about trying to fit in in New Zealand, parenting a child who is allergic to everything, and my marriage. And I spent a lot of time on my soapbox, pontificating about, you know, stuff.

In 2009, I was trying to find myself. Like, what does it mean to be an expat? If I have lived in New Zealand for eight years, am I still an American? Or am I a Kiwi now? What am I going to do next year, when the child starts school? What’s it like to be a wife, and do I even want to be a wife?

And I was trying figure out who I am on social media. What kind of blogger am I? Here are my favourite posts from 2009:

• I’m coming out of the closet. A photo essay of my life in NZ.


• My glass is always half empty, but not on the inside. People have often told me that I have a negative outlook. I just don’t think irony and sarcasm are appreciated enough. In this post, I show my true positive self, and I explain how lucky I am to live in NZ.


• Springtime can kill you. A post about being neurotic and social media.


• High school memories. Joining Facebook was like a de facto high school reunion, and it got me thinking about things that I haven’t thought about in 20 years.


• DIY. On marriage and Kiwi culture.
  

One of the best and most surprising parts of this blogging journey has been my readers.(Especially those of you who have been brave enough to come out and follow me publicly.) As always, I’d like to thank you for reading and for your comments. Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2010.