I’ve said it plenty of times already, but it bears repeating, so here we go: when I started my blog, all I wanted was an avenue for my random thoughts. I used to have mini blogs elsewhere before settling down on LiveJournal until everyone left due to a slew of issues that have arisen over the last ten years or so. Instead of moving, I created my online space. I also wanted it to be off the radar, so while it was open to the public, I never really plugged it like I did with my other sites. I was simply using it as my personal hub for everything else I wasn’t doing site-wise before.

I planted my roots in book blogging, and pulling them out was kinda confusing.

Then I became obsessed with reading to the point where all I was writing & talking about were the books I read. I was hesitant to post my reviews on shelfari (do you still remember this site?) then I moved to goodreads and realized that I could do book reviews on my blog. It morphed into a book blog, and for a good number of years, it remained that way. It was a book blog. I was called a book blogger (I was hesitant to call myself that actually) and I was semi-active in the community. In the short (or long?) bookish gig I’ve learned a lot, and I am forever thankful for the many opportunities that came my way and the friendship that built because of it. But then there came a time when I wasn’t into it. My interests were changing big time. And the longer I tried to stick to it, the more obvious it became that my heart wasn’t there. And a hobby is something that I should enjoy. So I disregarded the little name I made. It was really time to move on.

I moved on, but I didn’t really, and I was stuck in the middle, confused.

Moving on, I changed from books to anime/manga/webtoons. I tried to “recap” manga or webtoons and monthly highlights for the series I read do exist. I did a short recap of my seasonal anime. And realized, ooops! Wasn’t this the same as my bookish phase, only with a different niche? Looking back, I was so confused and didn’t know I was. With all the rebranding I did, the transition was sadly awkward and screamed identity crisis. I concocted features after features after features, with most of them getting defunct after a few posts. Until I got fed up with the whole situation because I wasn’t sure anymore (and that was two years after my third rebranding). I wanted more personal and more fun! The theme changes were no longer rekindling interest. And I took a break and came back refreshed and ready to give it another go for the fourth time. And the fourth time was the charm.

I pulled myself together and came to terms. And now I’m blogging freely and loving every minute of it.

There are a lot of changes, sure. I do post less than before. I talked about simple topics that spark discussion inside my head. I still concentrate on reading, specifically manga and webtoons, but it’s all about my thoughts now. No more striving to sound professional. I feel like the intimate vibe is more me anyway. I may sound redundant and objective-less (if this is even a word? ), but this is my real blogging mojo. I stopped containing my blog inside a box of labels. I rarely—if at all—consider things that don’t really reflect my preferences. Yes, I’ve gone rogue, niche-less, and I love that I get to post what I want, when I want. It is messy, but it’s okay. And I’m sticking to this routine, thank you very much!