Happy 19th KERFDay!
August 31st marks 19 years of continuous blogging! I started this blog in my twenties, out of a strange combination of curiosity and creativity.
Nineteen years is a long time to keep showing up in one place, and somewhere along the way it turned into a running record of my whole adult life. That’s actually kinda cool when I think about it! When I read older posts, I don’t even recognize the woman (girl?) in the photos. Of course I remember moments from those days, but they all feel like a dream. I think some of you have better memories of my life than I do! This space has held every version of me, and I thank you for cheering me on from afar.
By The Numbers
At 10 years in, I had 6,844 posts. Today that number is hovering around 8,177! A few more numbers that stopped me in my tracks:
- Somewhere north of 383,000 comments left on this blog since day one
- 6 houses, and lots of Home Neat Home posts!
- 2 birth stories, which were some of my most viewed posts
- 431 travel posts, which are my favorites to write!
- 3 Healthy Living Summits, born out of wanting to meet you all in person. Plus many more blog events!
Friendship (noun, pronounced /?frend???p/)
The state of being friends based on mutual affection, esteem, trust, and support.
Despite the fact that I haven’t met many of you in real life, I feel your energy every day when I read comments and DMs. And when I do get the chance to say hi in real life, I know we are already friends. I wish there were an easier way to gather as a group (which is exactly how the Healthy Living Summit was born!) You have grown up with me, and boy have we gone through many phases together.
There are comments I still think about, like when some of you have written that sharing one of my stories (birth, separation, health) directly influenced your life. That is my why.
This was my actual license plate in 2013!
KERF = Kath Embraces Real Friendships
I truly appreciate your loyalty, enthusiasm, and kindness over the 19 (!) years that so many of you have been continuously reading.
The OG KERF Logo!
I now keep hair supplies in this bowl!
My grandfather loved his KERF sweatshirt!
Reader Questions
I put a question box on Instagram for an “Ask Me Anything.” Here were some of the questions I received:
What do you miss about the peak HLB (healthy living blog) days?
Everything! I loved that my only focus was publishing posts and the quality did not matter – pictures, captions, done! I loved that everyone seemed to have a blog so there was so much connectedness. Back when people actually left comments on blogs, they had links to their blogs and you could go see who was behind the comment (usually). I loved the Healthy Living Summits and getting together in real life and the other blog conferences from the time (BlogHer, Foodbuzz). It was just a really fun time! And no one took it too seriously.
Why do you think you’re still inspired to blog all these years later?
To be completely honest, the income. At least at the level, intensity, and pace I have been going for 19 years. As I share below, I don’t think I will ever cold turkey stop. But if or when I’m doing it just for fun, I would probably just do travel and the occasional life recap and call it a day 🙂
What do you miss about having a Great Harvest?
Obviously all the free bread! And the Savannah bars. We used to make such good sandwiches. I rarely make sandwiches at home now. I can still go buy bread, but it’s not the same.
What would you tell yourself 19 years ago, knowing what you know now?
Work smarter, not harder. I try to be strategic, but I’m only looking a month ahead. I wish I had spent more time studying the industry and trying to be ahead of the curve instead of following it.
Do you have a favorite post of all time?
Ahhh such a great question! The first one that popped into my mind was this post where I finished my dietetic internship. I just remember the RELIEF I felt of being done!! I also love that both of my birth stories are preserved in such detail. I do go back and read them on occasion. There are many more – lots of my travel posts!
How is your new normal going? Any hobbies or travel in the works?
New normal is great. I am obsessed with my new house and so glad I decided to go for it! I love the vibe, natural light, and neighborhood. I’ve been actually learning piano via the Simply Piano app, which has been really fun. And travel – yes – I am going to Paris in 2 weeks with a couple of friends!!!
What’s the best thing that’s happened from your blog? And the worst?
Another great question! The best thing is that it has allowed me to have a flexible, work-from-home-on-my-own-terms lifestyle for almost all of the 19 years. I always wanted to be able to be home as needed for my children, and flexibility is one of my top life values in general. I am so grateful. The worst is easy: all the judgment that comes from sharing your life online. That has ebbed and flowed, but it’s been the biggest source of stress / frustration from blogging.
Think you’ll still be blogging another 19 years?
See below! But the short answer is: probably, but as a phase out.
What’s Next?
When people ask me about my blog, I describe it as a bell curve. I think it peaked around the time when Mazen was born in terms of public interest. But it’s still chugging along with decent traffic, good income via ads and partnerships, and lots of purpose for my life. I have no intention of writing a farewell post, and plan to write through year 20! I do think I’m going to downshift some in the coming years, perhaps publishing posts less often and only writing about topics that really bring me joy, even if that means fewer posts per month. I waffle back and forth between wanting to grow and start new ventures and doubling down on what has worked well for the last 5-10 years and striving for simplicity above all else. I change my mind every week in that sense.
I want to say thank you to all of you, because without you there would be no KERF! I am humbled that you are all still here, and also so very, very thankful.
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