Why I Haven't Blogged

Hi! I still exist, I promise. I haven't fallen off a cliff while playing Pokemon GO or anything crazy like that, though I have been playing a lot of Pokemon GO... Anyway, you may have noticed that I've been pretty quiet the last few months. It wasn't a conscious decision, I've just been doing a lot of other things and kind of neglecting the blog as a consequence. So here are some reasons I've come up with after I've thought about why I stopped doing something I really love to do:

Reason 1: My laptop was running out of space
Alright. This sounds like a really lame and dumb excuse, but let me explain. First of all, anything related to backing up my information fills me with anxiety. What if I do something wrong? What if I lose my files? What if my computer explodes and then my apartment catches fire and the building collapses and traps me under the rubble, etc. You know, the things that normally happen when one backs up their computer. In all honesty, though, I hadn't backed up my computer in about 3 years. There were a lot of files that I needed to backup and I was confused about whether or not Time Machine would delete my previous backup if I started a new one, which it turns out it might do if your new backup can't fit on your external hard drive. I have files on my external that are no longer on my computer since I made room after my first backup and deleted a lot of things on my computer. After doing research online and having about an hour or more long conversation with someone from Apple via their live chat, I decided to narrow down my backup to just my Documents, Pictures, Movies, and Music. It turns out the backup wasn't that big, though it took about 2-3 days to complete. I am not exaggerating. I left my laptop open and pretty much untouched while my backup slowly completed for 2-3 days. It was annoying, but it was worth it in the end because I was able to edit and save pictures again without worrying about my storage disk becoming full.

Reason 2: Doing Other Things
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I've been traveling a lot this year! I have such a passion for travel, and I made it a goal this year to try to do it as much as possible, even if it was just small weekend trips. So far this year, I've been to Florida, Boston (twice), Washington D.C., Atlantic City (twice), Provincetown, and Montreal. I've been pretty busy!

I also have a goal of reading 50 books this year, so I've been really focused on that and spending my usual photo editing/blogging time to read. I've read 30 books so far!

I've also been trying to exercise, on and off. I get really motivated and then I stop and getting really unmotivated for a while. It's pretty frustrating, but I usually either do home workouts or go for long walks which takes up time and energy, which leads me to the next reason...

Reason 3: Body Issues
Let me preface this by saying that I know I am not an unhealthy weight or morbidly obese or anything. That being said, I still can tell that I've gained a little weight in the last year or so. Clothes feel tighter, which means hours of trying things on and then feeling really frustrated when I don't feel good in anything I put on. It doesn't necessarily motivate someone to go out and take pictures in a cute outfit after all that.

I have trouble sticking to eating right. I like being active and once I start exercising, I can usually stick to it, but it's hard to deny myself all the foods that I love. It's hard for me to not have pizza or Chinese food or other delicious but terrible-for-you foods. There are always mysterious treats showing up in the staff room at work that is so hard to resist eating such as donuts, cookies, candy, etc. I know I'm not at all "old", but the difference in metabolism from 21 to 26 is pretty shockingly noticeable. It's also hard and overwhelming to decipher what exactly is a healthy diet. There are so many contradictory ideas online and in books that it's hard to figure out what is best. At the end of the day, I am just trying to eat healthy, whole foods. I am not going crazy and spending tons of money on completely organic/whole/raw/whatever foods. I am just trying to eat as many unprocessed foods as I reasonably can. It's hard, but I know it's best.

Reason 4: Doing Nothing is Awesome (Sometimes)
I've been at my job now for almost a year. I love it there but at the end of most days, I come home, get in my pajamas, and lay in bed. It's so nice to do nothing once you're out of work and on your own time. It's hard to come home and want to look at a screen for hours after spending the majority of the day doing that. It's hard to come home and want to exercise, but I know I'm not a morning person and would never be successful in getting up at 5 am to workout as beneficial as it would be for me.

When it comes down to it, watching Netflix with Chris, reading a book, or maybe going for a walk are all the activities I can muster after work. I have been putting other hobbies before blogging, and that's been ok, but I'm ready to get back into it again. I miss it! This blog has been a huge part of my life over the last 6 years. I miss writing and doing shoots and being a part of this community. It's been hard to keep up with all my fellow blogger friends. I can't remember the last time I sat down and read a bunch of blogs. I am going to try to be more active here (as well as in the physical exercising sense!). What better time than autumn? It's always been my favorite time to post! :) I have a lot of travel stuff to share as well as older outfit posts, but I am looking forward to new ones too. Here's to a more active blogging life!