The Depth of Two Years' Friendship

Today is my blog-o-versary.

Or blog-a-versary.

Or blog-i-versary.

Or any of the above without the dashes.

Or whatever you want to call it.

I've been blogging for two years now on Yet Another Period Drama Blog, and I thought long and hard today about what I ought to write about this anniversary.  (It's a funny thing about anniversaries-- they're kind of an annual thing, and this one crept up on me before I realized it.)  I wanted to be Deep and Thoughtful in this post, as much as possible anyway, and properly express to you all what I feel about attaining my second year of blogging and entering my third, but I can't help putting in a dash of Silly as well.  You knew that, right? :D

I think the thing that's stood out to me the most over this second year of blogging (not that it didn't during the first) was the friendships I've formed.  So much of me is made of what I've learned from all of you, and all that.  I truly never thought when I clicked "create blog" on that pleasant day in early fall when Lee marched over the mountain-wall of 2011 that I'd be starting a journey that would bring me to meet so many kindred spirits.  (And I literally met one of them.  Best eight days of my life.  Melody is my soul-sister, cheesy as that may sound, and you probably are all quite tired of hearing me going on and on about how amazing she is so I'll shut up now and keep my slogginess for our emails.  Heehee.)

I've always rather thought long-distance friendships were a fascinating thing-- when I was younger I had several pen pals and though our correspondences faded away after a few years, it always seemed a wonderful thing to me that two people could get to know each other across many miles as well as (or perhaps even better than) two people who had only met face-to-face.  Through blogging and reading other people's blogs, exchanging emails (Puddle, you owe me a reply.  Like, sometime soon.) and even talking on Skype or the phone, I've come to know and love quite a few wonderful people over the last two years.  (And of course they all have to live miles and miles and MILES away.  SUCH IS LIFE.)

And so this post is a shout-out to all the dear, dear friends I've met and learned to love through this ridiculously fun blogging adventure.  You know who you are, my nears and dears.  Here's a giant hug for each and every one of you.

And this post is also for all the wonderful people whose blogs I read and who follow this blog (either, or and both!), whom I might not know as well just yet, but who I'm eager to learn more about and come to love.  Because kindred spirits aren't so scarce as I used to think.  When I first ventured into the foray of the Jane-Austen-etc. blogging world, I really never thought that so many people would come join this little corner of the web and share my delight in old-fashioned stories.  Just goes to show that... I don't know everything.  (What a shocker.)

Oh, and because I am not capable of ending a post on a sweet and heartwarming note, I have to throw in some of the stats this blog has enjoyed or accrued or whatever over the last year.  Because those happen to fascinate me and I want them preserved for posterity and what have you. (All stats unless otherwise indicated are for the last two years-- i.e., "all time"-- not just the last year.)

Total Posts (including this one): 295

Pageviews: 248,809

Followers: 321 (hello and hugs to all of you!)

Most Popular Post: Period Drama Heroines #7- Jane Eyre

Most Popular Traffic Source: Google Images

Most Popular Search Keywords: "jane eyre" (not sure why this is... I've written a total of ONE post on the woman...)

Most Ridiculous Search Keywords: "should eponine and javert get married" (UM WHAT)

Events Hosted: Celebrate Musicals Week

Blogging Friends Met In Real Life: Melody

Oh, and I changed my header.  Here's what I used to have:

(made by Melody)

And here's my new header for Autumn 2013.

Annnnnnd this post comes to an abrupt end.

:P