Ahhh! Ohhh~ look at this cool gif image! Get it... outer space?
Hello book nerds, yes, I am back! I have returned from my hiatus and hopefully I can do better this time ;)
So what happened? To be honest, I got burnout. Okay, that's a little dramatic but I did get tired. Tired from work. Tired from reading. Tired from blogging. Tired from trying to keep up with my activities prior to starting my job. I've always said I wouldn't pressure myself when it came to blogging; that I'll do my own thing. The thing is, I don't think I took myself seriously. In some way, I did pressure myself. I worried that I wasn't coming up with posts that were interesting enough for blog readers. I worried I wasn't producing enough content on a regular basis. I worried that I wouldn't able to finish my Goodreads reading challenge (FYI: I didn't). I constantly thought of how horrible my blog is getting that I didn't accomplish anything for months. I think in the end, I let myself get to me. I forgot why I started blogging in the first place: to have fun. Blogging can appear to be pretty competitive but it truly doesn't have to be. It's all in the mind, right?
Here I am now, finally able to put into words what I've been feeling for months now. Don't get me wrong, 2014 was a blast! I went places, met new people, tried new things. Everything that involved my (used to be) pink blog saddened me though and I couldn't bring myself to write anything. Not even a review of a book I gave 5 stars to. What motivated me to write this post though is the fact that I FREAKING MISS EVERYONE. I miss my blogger friends I talk to online and in person. I miss being able to geek out over a book. I miss sharing my most random bookish thoughts on my blog and reading comments from others who feel the same way. I simply miss this wonderful blogging community that is equal parts nerdy and kickass. How can I possibly stay away for too long?
I then devised a "plan" to get my mojo back which consists of three steps:
Step 1: get a makeover. I loved my pink blog but it was time to say good bye. I thought of keeping the overall theme pink but I figured I needed something really different from what I had for 2 years. I enlisted Hazel of Stay Bookish to help me out and I am VERY happy with the outcome. Look how pretty my new layout is! It's not complete yet but I love it just the same. I mean-- can you feel the cupcake goodness?! (because doesn't it remind you of a cupcake shop?) Feel it. Feel ittttt.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| X-tina is feelin' it |
Step 2: read whatever. So far I've been doing this. In the months I've been quiet here, I compensated by reading a hell lot. Granted, I didn't read enough to reach 50 books in 2014 but I read books just because I wanted to. And it felt great! I realized I didn't have to keep up with whatever everyone else is into. I could pick any book on my shelf or my Kindle and just go for it. Less pressure. More enjoyment.
Step 3: let it rip. You know that feeling when you buy school supplies before the start of the semester? How excited you get about school because everything's new? I felt just like that when I drafted ideas for my blog. New topic posts, different review style, possible collaborations, etc etc. The actual work won't always be smooth sailing but at least I'm getting somewhere now.
Aaaaand that's about it. Sorry I was gone for too long but hello! Sab the book eater is back online! :D
