It’s been a while! We’ve been busy–I’m sure you have, too. Time seems to go faster and faster these days. I’m trying to make it slow down in my own life by staying offline and (as usual) deleting accounts, old posts, and generally online content that doesn’t reflect who I am now.
Do you feel that way sometimes? We keep such excellent records of ourselves online these days. I wonder if it doesn’t stop us from growing as people a bit.
The blogging world, social media, and the Internet in general aren’t what they used to be. I used to swear I’d write–on here and for other online publications–forever, for the love of it. But part of the love of it was the community, of other writers/bloggers and of readers to connect with. Meeting people who live very different lives from you, who perhaps live very far away, was wonderful 10-15 years ago. The people I met back then made my world feel bigger and more full of possibilities. Their lives and reflections made me dream about all of the things I might do in the future.
Now I usually feel like I am speaking into a void when I write or post. And scrolling is such a time-waster and tough on the mental health. It makes me feel more negative. Like the world is smaller and everything is going downhill, all over the world. I wish I knew less about most people on the Internet these days. The only real connection I’ve found these days is offline, as I guess it was for most of history until the blip that was the 2010s.
And I can be nostalgic for the way things were, but it’s best not to get lost in nostalgia. There is way too much to appreciate in the here and now. So much potential for connection, adventure, beauty and growth.
If daily diary, hobby-type blogging ever comes back into vogue–with the wonderful people who made it what it was–I will be back. For now, JtC is on indefinite hiatus. I wish you a wonderful summer (or winter, down under) and all the best going forward 🙂
xx Claire
2026 has been a great year for books so far. While in recent years, I’ve often stuck to nonfiction (mostly the parenting, sustainability and lifestyle genres), I made a promise to myself to branch out this year. So far, it’s paid off. I’m learning a lot and escaping from my real life a little bit. And, I feel somewhat more “with it” given that most of my friends are fiction readers and now we have something new to chat about.
Oof. What a weekend. The past few days have been President’s Day weekend–no school but Eric still had work–so I haven’t had time to sit down with the blog or really, anything beyond dishes and laundry that’s needed my attention. (Our tax forms are screaming my name from the corner as their deadline approaches…)
And I really can’t take credit for this one as I was inspired by my sister-in-law’s setup in Boston for her kids/my nephews 🙂
Today’s post is a bit different than usual, but I hope it will help someone in a similar situation.