Time flies when you have a lot going on...

 First things first, Happy Birthday to me! I spent the morning enjoying a late snooze as well as a big breakfast of pancakes and strawberries. My afternoon was spent with a migraine, grocery shopping, video-chatting with my husband, and taking a little nap. Sounds about on par.

It's been roughly five months since my last post, and honestly, life has been a little too wild to report. I will say, in regards to documenting and journaling, I have been keeping up quite a bit more in my paper planner and journal than I have been on this digital one. BUT, I can say I have been putting in a lot of thought and effort into making this blog everything I want it to be. I did more research on different blogging platforms in 2026. Which are the best, and for what purposes, and which to avoid.. I had a blog on Wordpress, but I feel like when you're using their free option, they really do limit you on what you can and can't do, as well as how much media you can upload. Not to mention, when I had the Wordpress site, I got a lot of spam comments. Not sure if that will happen here...

Anywho, I decided to stick with blogger. I like that the blog is attached to my email and that it is such an easy platform to use. I suppose if I were trying to monetize my blog I may have a different opinion. But alas, I am attempting to bring back the blogs of a bygone era... the early 2000s. This is mainly just for me, and then to share with my friends and family when I so choose. I truly do long for the time before wifi... Not that I think wifi is inherently bad, but just because it is an addictive thing that has taken over the minds and souls of the larger part of society. I long for the time before smart phones, before always keeping cell phones on us. And I know what you're thinking, "Jeez Kaelyn, no one is MAKING you have a smart phone." And you're absolutely correct. But everything is immeasurably more difficult in today's world if you don't. THAT's what I wish would change.

Quick little life update, and then I will share my *new* goals for this blog: John and I are leaving Europe. John received orders back in the U.S. and so we are heading back that way later this month. We are not the happiest about having to leave this part of the world, but we are looking forward to finally being in only one house. We will have some adapting to do, for sure, and we will be able to have our dog back with us. I miss Gunner more than I can possibly write.

As for the future of this space, I have ideas of how I can make it exceptionally perfect for me. I want to have it be all of my hobbies and interests in one place, but nicely organized, if possible. I will label each blog post so that it fits into a specific category (or "label") and I will have the list of labels to choose from on the sidebar. That way, if I just want to look at food recipes, I can just click on the "Food" label... if I just want to look at book reviews, I can just click on the "Books" label, etc. I do thing I want to write most of the posts (other than the ones labeled "journal") as if they are actual articles, rather than writing everything with the Dear Diary feel. Just know, the "Journal" label is for posts like this one. This is my diary. These are my thoughts. Anything goes!

-Kaelyn