3 Surprising Things Blogging Has Done for My Life

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when i started blogging, i didn’t have many expectations around it. when i started, i had a blog entitled ‘averytoday’ and i shared random stories, musings and whatever i felt like. when i changed over to ‘the new wifestyle’ i had much more intention around blogging and helping others but still didn’t have a ton of expectations for what it would give me.

there are actually three surprising things blogging has done for my life that i want to share with you.

blog flowers speaking

1) brought me closer to my family

this is the most shocking one to me but it truly has made me feel closer to my family. through blogging, i have found that i am often better at expressing myself through written word than spoken, especially when it comes to tough topics. i could never really explain to my family, my parents specifically, how anxiety affected my life until i wrote about it here.

it has given us a platform to be able to have more dialogue around why i reacted and acted the way i did many times in middle school andย high school and even today.

i am grateful because they read every post i put out there (same with my in-laws) and i love being able to have discussions around what they liked as well as had varying opinions on. never ever expected all of that from blogging!

it also helped me express a lot of what i was feeling and thinking when i was first diagnosed with postpartum depression but found it too challenging to talk with in person.

2) meeting new people

i have met some seriously amazing women through blogging! maybe i haven’t met most of them in person or have everyone’s phone number but i wouldn’t hesitate to call many of them friends. how crazy cool is it that we can connect with people across the world and build genuine relationships with them? these phenomenal women have sent us gifts for atlas (i’m looking at you audrey and elyse and nicole!) – i feel very grateful for the community that can and does exist on the interweb.

but sometimes we do meet in real life –ย lindsay! trust me, she is even funnier and amazing in person! plus, she knows the restaurants that have legit queso in dallas.

it has also been fun to compare notes and ask question to emily since our kids are only 2 weeks apart!

3) getting out of my comfort zone

this has been a big one. as previously mentioned, due to anxiety and my love of routines and planning, blogging has made me expand my comfort zone. because i need new content, i seek out things i would probably not have done if it wasn’t for my blog. for instance, letting fish chew on my feet in malaysia? sounded intriguing but also terrifying and yet #diditfortheblog

fish pedicure in malaysia

or trying seal jerky…

IMG_4264

or trying to take a cute picture while segwaying around houston

blogs for wives couple on segway

or wear a headlamp and go into the pitch-black ‘ape caves‘ in washington state!

Ape Cave - Mount St. Helens, Washington

or reach out to 5-star luxury hotel (los cauquenes hotel) in the most southern city in argentina and convince them to host us before we left for antarctica!

so there we have it. as strange as blogging can be since you basically pick and choose what you overshare on the internet, it actually has done very positive things for my life!

whether you’re a blogger or not, what does blog-reading do for you?

12 Comments

  1. Amanda

    August 9, 2017 at 7:58 am

    OMG I see a photo of you and Tirrell! LOVE!
    Also finding out how small a world it is when we both know the same person from two totally different places. Cray cray.

    • chelsea

      August 10, 2017 at 7:55 am

      oh my goodness i totally forgot alllll about that INSANE connection with you and tirrell! yay!

      also miss you blogging but also 100% get it ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Christina @ Hugs and Lattes

    August 9, 2017 at 12:14 pm

    I love love love the community blogging has given me, it has increased my joy in writing, and it has encouraged me to become more authentic in my writing style!

    • chelsea

      August 10, 2017 at 7:57 am

      so very true about being more authentic in our writing styles! i am also SO glad we connected via blogging too ๐Ÿ™‚ i know we’d have fun in the real life too!

  3. Penny

    August 9, 2017 at 5:48 pm

    you are amazing. i was happy to read that you have anxiety issues and are able to get through it. i have had anxiety issues my whole life and sometimes i can get through it and sometimes i can’t but thank you for sharing. it helps me as well. love always….

    • chelsea

      August 10, 2017 at 7:57 am

      thank you so much penny for reading and also commenting. i get what you mean about sometimes getting through it and not. it at least helps to know we aren’t alone. excited to see you in a few weeks!!

  4. Rachel G

    August 9, 2017 at 8:38 pm

    I love the sense of community gained from blogging! I also love that it helps me stay in touch with faraway family–and just the simple creative outlet for writing!

    • chelsea

      August 10, 2017 at 8:01 am

      it is really amazing the community of bloggers, isn’t it? i remember seeing your blog for the first time with something about chacos and i got really excited! i bet your faraway family SO appreciates your life updates and writings!

  5. Audrey

    August 14, 2017 at 8:20 am

    HECK YES FOR OUR AMAZING BLOG FRIENDSHIP!! (Sorry I’m so late to the game- I saw this post on Twitter but our business trip 100% threw me off my blog-game!)
    Someday, when we finally get on the same side of the country, we will definitely meet in person! I’m so glad to have discovered the new wifestyle and you through blogging!!

    • chelsea

      August 15, 2017 at 10:36 am

      yay!!!! agreed for sure audrey and it sounds like you had an action packed weekend!! cant’ wait for drinks in person somedaaaaaay! <3

  6. Vivien

    September 9, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    I like to think we connected over the blog…after I saw Ryan’s World Championship speech.

    I think I’ll always be a reader and a writer first (though sadly I’ve left my blog fall to the wayside a little bit). I’ve been hit with a little inspiration and not enough time, but I hope to get back into blogging!…about Toastmasters’ what else? Yes very nerdy of me.

    • chelsea

      September 12, 2017 at 2:23 pm

      indeed and i love that i’ve gotten to know you better AND meet you in person AND see you speak! yay! i hope you get back to blogging, harness that inspiration when it hits ๐Ÿ™‚