April Fools' Day; One Year of Blogging!

April 1, 2013. Iowa, USA. A blogger account was created in response to a young couple taking a very big jump in their personal and professional lives. They knew it would be an amazing experience, worthy of sharing with friends and family. A blog would be a great way to share their stories, and would also function as a method of forced-journaling- so that they could have an "everlasting" internet record of our travels.

Since then, it has grown into a much larger endeavor, with more room to grow. It has been a daily assignment for me to discover Dublin and Ireland, and the Travel Monday deadlines keep us planning and taking trips outside of Dublin, if for no other reason than to have travel content (yeah, right!) I am sincerely enjoying the writing process, and the casual daily semi-deadlines of blogging seem to fit my style perfectly. Reading old posts now, I see how much I have grown as a reflector and writer. I am now doing much more proofreading of posts before publishing, and by much more, I mean some. With more practice, maybe I'll further refine my technique.

Without the blog to keep me busy seeking out things to do, I might fit the stereotype of the bored trailing husband, so in that way it has been a lifesaver, especially given the difficulty of finding work here. Look for more and more posts about history, Dublin, traveling, cooking, brewing, and, yes, video games now and for the foreseeable future.

I have to thank Sara, my wife and partner in blogging adventure. Most of the many great photos appearing on the blog are taken with her fantastic eye for a good shot. She supports me in every way someone can be supported, really. Financially, professionally, and emotionally, she always has my back. Without her, after all, I would probably have never visited Europe, let alone live here!

Also a big thanks to anyone, past, present, and future, who has interacted with the blog. Readers, commenters, sharers, spammers, Facebook likers, +1ers, re-tweeters, subscribers, linkers, and all the other "ers" have given all my hard work meaning and purpose. Please continue to do all of the following (minus maybe the spamming...) and know that what you do helps me keep writing and keep cabin fever at bay.

Who knew one year ago I'd be here, at the kitchen table, looking over a full year of stories, photos, and videos, getting ready for another exciting Spring and Summer? I could not have imagined how great I would still be feeling, and to all those who worry about me- don't. I'm doin' just fine.

Here's to another year (and another 300 posts!) of blogging fun. Glad to have you along for the ride, and hope to keep you all with me.

Sincerely,

Cory and Sara