for the next 31 days

i have a secret. my empty nest? well guess what… it’s not really all that empty. i would love to have you join me in my 31 day writing challenge where I explore what it means to be an empty-nester. and if you would like to follow along, you can find the complete listing of each day’s entries by clicking here.

 

three years.  i recently read somewhere that three years is the magic number in blogging.  they say that it usually takes about three years to find your voice and develop your niche.  and i would say that pretty much holds true for me as well.  i feel like i’ve finally found my groove when it comes to blogging.

in all honesty, i never set out to be a blogger.  i sort of figured that i would share my experience with letting go and sending my daughter off to college and then that would be the end of the story.  only my story didn’t end there.  which trust me when i tell you that no one was more surprised than me.

one of the biggest lessons i’ve learned along this journey has been that sometimes –i can’t believe i’m getting ready to say this – change is good.  now i know you’re thinking, ‘who are you and what have you done with our blogging friend Kelly???”  but don’t freak out …it’s still me.  this is just my not-so-subtle way of letting you know that for the next 31 days i’m going to change things up a bit here on my blog.

when i really started getting into blogging, one of the first blogs i started to follow was the nester.  i loved how she shared the story of her life through her passion for decorating and keeping her home.  she was a big inspiration for me in learning how to tell my own story in the course of living my life and pursuing the things i love.

anyway, for the past few years, every october she sets aside that month to blog about a specific topic for 31 days.  and in addition, she hosts a link up where she invites other bloggers to share in the challenge.  i sort of thought about doing it last year, but i chickened out.  but this year…maybe it’s that magic three year mark…i decided that i was ready to push myself.  after all, that is one of my goals for my word for this year {REACH} and this seemed like as good a place as any to get out of my comfort zone.

so once i made the decision to do this, the next question was what should i write about every day for 31 days?  what do i know enough about?  and although my vast experience with my cat’s hairballs and litterbox issues come to mind, not sure that’s something i want to spend the 31 days talking about. #yourewelcome.  so for me, the next obvious choice would be to share about my experience with empty-nesting.

now if you’ve been reading my blog for very long at all, some of this next month might sound a little familiar.  there were some pretty significant turning points along the way that i feel like i did a fair job of documenting.  the only problem, though, is that most of those big epiphanies are embedded between blog posts about deco-mesh wreaths and real life stories about waxwings, rats, and possums (oh my!).

and then there’s this…in the beginning, i sort of glossed over some really hard stuff.  i think it’s because 1) i hadn’t really found my voice so to speak and more honestly 2) i didn’t really have the courage to share it.  but the thing is, those were some of the key pieces to my story.  and so now i think it’s time…i’m ready to share that part of my story too.

i would also just like to add here that this next 31 days isn’t just about empty-nesting.  i mean that’s where it all started for me…my daughter leaving for college was the start of my unraveling so to speak.  but looking back now, it was the just beginning of my transformation.  it was where i embarked on this journey of self-discovery, and since then, i have learned to see my life differently. see myself differently.

so i sort of look at this next 31 days as a way to honor my journey.  but not that i feel like it’s over in way…honestly in many ways i feel like i’m just getting started.  no, to me, this feels more like a chance to pull over at a scenic overlook.  get out and stretch my legs a little. soak up the sunshine and breathe in the view.  look out over the road that brought me here to see how far i’ve come.  just pause for a moment to take it all in.

and so finally, with that being said….for all of you who read my blog… for every heartfelt comment and every note of encouragement… i just want you to know how much i truly appreciate you.  thank you following along on this journey.  thank you for letting me be myself and share my story.  i am profoundly and eternally grateful.  and i dedicate the next 31 days to you.

love, kelly