2020 has been a rocky year. There is no doubting that. From the unexpected eruption of Taal Volcano, to the Australian wildfires, to the spread of Covid-19, and now, the rise of the voice of the oppressed in what has been resonating all over social media lately – the Black Lives Matter movement. To say that 2020 is eventful is an understatement. I am one with the world in praying and hoping that things will start looking up pretty soon.

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With the hoopla that is going on and the pandemonium that has taken over the world, it has become quite a challenge finding one’s voice. Finding something positive in the sea of negatives has turned into a hobby. Thankfully, despite all of these things happening around me, life never fails to remind me of its beauty.

Today, WordPress greeted me on my latest achievement – my blog’s fifth anniversary! Wow, I never thought I’ve been doing this blog for that long. It fascinates me and, at times, baffles me as well. Time does fly fast. This welcome news couldn’t have timed itself better. It came at a time of low morale, after enduring a hectic week doing month-end financial reporting.

So yes, I am an accountant as you can perhaps glean from the above paragraph. Being a full time accountant is, well, full of its own quirks. When I was younger, I never thought of pursuing a path towards becoming an accountant; I didn’t even have any iota on what they do! Haha. Just like becoming an accountant, I didn’t see myself doing this blog. But life does have its pleasant surprises. Through its angels and messengers, I ended up becoming a good accountant and an even better writer. (I am allowed to brag something I guess, LOL)

The start was the most challenging part. I didn’t know how to or where to. Is my blog just going to be a conduit for my emotions? Is it an escape from the challenges of the world? What will I write? How will I write it? It was really difficult, as any start is. It took one good piece to take blogging seriously. From that point on, there was no turning back. Five years thence, I guess I am here to stay.

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A Ticket to the Rest of the World

A lot has happened in five years. My blog has become an outlet for me to express my thoughts on various things that I love – travelling, reading, and mountain climbing. I poured everything into it, my thoughts, my emotions, and, sometimes, my ideas. The Pine-Scented Chronicles, my brainchild, is one of very few things I can shout to the world I am proud of.

But my blogging has turned into just a mere expression of thoughts. Over the years, my blogging has become to learning more about the world at large. Through blogging, I have broadened my horizon. I started reading about places fellow bloggers  have visited. I begun reading about other’s thoughts on books they’ve just read. I became immersed in other’s thoughts and ideas. Blogging has opened a door in my mind and transported me to various parts of the world. There is so much of the world that I have to learn and explore.

Blogging has also transformed into an alternative form of social media. It is a platform which connected me with fellow bloggers from every corner of the globe. It is no one way street as I learn from them and they also learn from me. From a paltry single digit number of subscribers during the infancy of my blog, my number of subscribers has ballooned to over 700. I am eternally grateful to these 700 followers. I never thought that by starting this blog, I have punched a ticket to the rest of the world.

A Thankful Heart

Over the past two years, my blog experience an exponential growth in terms of both followers and number of views. This is something that is unprecedented and something I never thought was even possible. This was even more rewarding for I can see how much my blog has grown over the years. It shows my dedication and hard work. It is all rewarding.

I can praise myself all I want but the real lifeblood of this blog are my followers and everyone who takes the time to read my thoughts. From one to over seven hundred followers, my blog’s growth is undeniable. They are seven hundred reasons for me to keep on pushing forward, seven hundred reasons to keep on writing my best in every single piece.

My gratitude goes to everyone who has been part of this extraordinary journey. No word is enough to convey how thankful I am to each and everyone of you. I hope that you keep on supporting me on this personal journey. I still have a lot of things I want to write about, a lot of things I want to experience. I am just getting started; the best is yet to come. May you all still be part of this growth. Let us grow together.

Happy fifth year anniversary, The Pine-Scented Chronicles! Cheers! Here’s to more years of blogging.