Who can believe it? I am the featured blogger for December on Twenty Something Bloggers! The big surprise for me wasn’t yesterday afternoon when my twitter stream suddenly blew up (though that was pretty damn exciting). The surprise came weeks ago when MinD first nominated me and then continued as others chimed in as well (thank you, thank you, thank you). I’m on 20sb all the time surfing the forums and every time I saw that thread on the front page, I had to check it out. I’m not one to look away when people are saying nice things about me.
A couple times I wondered if people had me confused with another Ashley. There are a lot of us, you know. I can’t tell you how many times I was walking down the hall in high school, heard someone yell “hey Ashley,” and turned around to discover they were yelling for another girl. At a certain point, you stop turning around.
This time, I was pretty sure people were talking about me. It’s just hard to believe, because there are so many great bloggers out there. And, I’m pretty sure 98% of them belong to 20sb, because that’s where I’ve found almost all of the blog friends who have come to mean so much to me in the last year and a half. I’d celebrate winning anything, but being nominated by awesome and talented people makes a very happy difference.
Starting a blog was one of the best decisions I ever made, though I didn’t so much make a deliberate choice as fall backwards into it. I had no idea what I was doing and sometimes I still feel that way. It’s a good thing for me that it’s almost impossible to be a blogger without participating in the blogging community. Given the opportunity to avoid people, I probably would have taken it, and I never would have known how amazing blogging can be.
As much as I love to write, blogging is about a lot more than just writing and it’s not usually my love for the craft that gets me to stay up too late and avoid my responsibilities in order to make sure I have something to post the next day. I’m head over heels for blogging for all the reasons I thought I’d love it and all the reasons I could never predict.
I should admit that knowing there are new and more eyes on this blog makes me nervous. The good, full of adrenaline kind of nervous, I think, and not the cry and throw up kind. You understand.
If you’re new to this corner of the internet, my name is Ashley, I’m almost 26 (December is my birthday month!), I study theology, I work in a library, I like to write, and I blog pretty regularly.
Please let me know who you are, so I can follow you home and read your most intimate thoughts.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
I think I actually found your blog on that discussion thread, congrats, you completely deserve it!
Aww congratulations. I’m always sad that i started blogging to late to join 20SB but i still read loads of you lovely people
Congrats! Also, yay for December birthdays!
Congrads! I’ll check that out on 20SB!
CONGRATS!!!! and another YAY for December babies :)
I have found blogging to be such an inspiration! I blogged before following anyone…and before anyone followed me…Its a form of release for me…I am glad to grace your blog :) Keep writing and I will keep reading…
Good for you!
I always secretly wished I would make it as a featured blogger on there, now it’s too late. :( Well done, you deserve it!
Congratulations Ashely, its very well deserved!!
Woohoo! You earned it girl! And yes, still on for the 2nd!
Congrats! You deserve it!
Congrats Ashley! It’s awesome when you get rewarded for something you obviously love doing anyway.
Congrats! I’m on 20SB but I don’t spend much time on there. Glad to know we were blog friends before you were “big time”… :)
Congratulations! I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more, your blog rocks, Ashley. Seriously!! So happy for you!
Congrats! I’m excited to have found you before you blew up. :)
Congrats Ashley! I’m so excited that you won!
Nice to meet you, Ashley. Congrats on the recognition; it’s what brought me to your site and I look forward to reading more. Happy birthday! 26 isn’t so bad. We still have four years on 20SB.
Please come and visit me at: http://collology.blogspot.com/
It is extremely well-deserved—you are awesome. Big congrats!
Congratulations! I look forward to reading you :)
Congratulations! Although I have only been following your blog for a very short time, I can say that I very much enjoy it! Well deserved!
nice content, nice writing, nice girl = great job >
keep it up !
Hey, Ashley! I just discovered your blog since you’re the Featured Blogger of the Month. Congratulations! You’ve got some great stuff on here.
So happy you won this because that’s how I found you! Congratulations!
Congrats lady! I’m a huge fan of your blog, you totally deserve it!!
I believe it. I nominated and voted for you. WINKITTY!
Congratulations! Just remember those of us who have been reading since before you received these accolades and all this fame!
Yay, Ashley! Congratulations, you completely deserve it!
WOOOO! Congrats! You so deserve it :)
I just found you today when I decided to sign up for the 20 something bloggers. Congrats!
First of all, CONGRATS on your nomination and selection to be this month’s Featured!
I’m not as active on 20SB as I’d like to be, but I look forward to reading more of your stuff. :-)
So I’ve had your blog open in one of my (zillion) tabs in firefox for, like, weeks? And honestly I don’t even remember what led me to you, although I’m sure it was someone else in 20SB whose blog I read, referencing how awesome you are. Anyway, I saw that you were Featured Blogger and it clicked that I’d had your blog open but still hadn’t read it (hello, my name is Tabitha, and I am a procrastinator), so here I am, for basically the first time.
And that was a roundabout way of saying, “Hi! Congrats on being featured blogger!” And also: I’ve only read this one post so far, but I already kinda like you. Off to read more!
Congrats!! I’m so happy for you! :)
Congrats on being the featured blogger!
Congrats, yo!! You totally deserve it!
I’m so excited for you! I voted for you in November when I found out you had never won – and I was SHOCKED! Injustice, I tell you. So you totally deserve it and congrats!
Congratulations on your win!! I hadn’t come across your blog before, but after reading just a few of your posts, I think it’s fair to say that you’re a great writer and you thoroughly deserved your win!
Looking forward to reading more! :-)
I know I’m a little late on this, but congratulations, lady! I’m so excited for you!
I just discovered Twenty Something Bloggers and your blog tonight, and plan to keep reading.
-Genevieve
P.S. – I also turn into a self-loathing blob during “vactaions”..
Your blog is awesome and so relatable! I’m 26, was an English major, have anxiety, and have been reading one non-fiction Christian book after another (and yes, I’m liberal as well). I don’t know you but I feel so happy that you got a nice “break” on your website. Seems like maybe I should have picked a community for my blog. Best wishes for 2010!
So excited you were chosen and you are more than deserving hun. How you keep up a blog as great as this one in addition to those 800 jobs you have and school, I truly have no idea. I think I’m going to have to beg you for tips if grad school accepts me for the fall! Ha.
Congratulations again hun, and so glad I was part of making you the Featured Blogger!
I love reading your blog, you definitely deserve the recognition. Thank you for the inspiration!