100,000 Reasons to Love My Blog
Photo by Mark Straw, Joburg Photowalkers
Shortly after I publish this post, 2Summers will surpass 100,000 hits all-time.
The last time I wrote a celebratory post like this was in January 2011, when my blog surpassed 10,000 hits. In that post I wrote: “It’s a small feat, I know, but reaching that milestone is a pretty cool thing for a regular person like me.”
90,000 hits later, I still feel the same. 100,000 hits all-time is not a big number for a high-traffic blog. Still, when I started this blog in June 2010, I never dreamed I would reach 100,000 hits. I never dreamed I would have 770 email subscribers. And I certainly never dreamed that this blog would transform my life.
2Summers has become more than my blog. It’s a part of my identity. My blog is a portfolio of my writing and photography. It’s a networking tool. It’s a friend-maker. Believe it or not, I’ve made most of my friends in Joburg – either directly or indirectly – through my blog. My blog is a diary, a scrapbook, and a memory aid.
My blog is a life coach – it motivates me to do things I wouldn’t otherwise do. My blog is a therapist – I pour my feelings into it and receive helpful insight and support, in the form of comments from my readers. My blog is a teacher – it taught me to be creative. My blog is a release valve. When I feel angry or frustrated or sad, I publish a blog post and I instantly feel better.
Thanks to this blog, I’ve discovered that I’m an artist.
Thanks to this blog, I have a living, breathing history of my relationship with Jon. I’m so grateful for that.
If not for my blog, I don’t think I would be living in Johannesburg today. And that would be a real shame.
Jozi.
Thank you for reading.
Congratulations 2summers, a well deserved milestone.
Thanks Mr. Bunny Chow!
Congratulations 2summers. I am French guy and I discovered your blog one year ago and since then I am one of your regular followers. I have a passion for South Africa though I never been there. You are doing a great job. Every time I am fed up of my work I go straight to your blog. It’s a trip for free believe me!
For some reason I find it particularly flattering that a “French guy” enjoys my blog so much. Je parle un peu de francais. Merci bien pour lire 2Summers! Is that right? I’m very rusty.
well briliante 2summers, your French sound so good! je suis impressionné!! courage à toi et Félicitations You rusty? forget it Roti
Yeah you made it, now looking toward the millionth hit. :)
Thanks Francis. I look forward to it too.
We’re glad you have stayed in Johannesburg and have informed and entertained us with your blog. Congrats on the milestone. If we haven’t already done the things you suggest, they go on our to -do list…thanks for keepng us on our toes and being tourists in our own city
Thank you so much, Bridget!
Absolutely well-deserved; congrats! I look forward to each and every one of your posts. It’s like getting a free trip to South Africa every time.
Thanks Heather! I love hearing stuff like that.
100.000?? That’s amazing!! It shouldn’t be though, cos your blog is beautiful. Keep writing, and here’s to motivation, creativity, lots more readership, and a virtual barrage of support and love and comments, likes and hits :)
Congrats, Heather. Your blog is great, 100k is a real milestone, your photos are gorgeous, your words take us all to SA with you…and I am so proud to see how strong you continue to be! Here’s to a million more.
Thanks EP!
Congratulations!!! I have found many of the same things as you have through my blog. I could barely send an email 3 years ago and now I have 3 blogs, 1,000 followers and more than 200,000 hits. Who would have believed it! I never expected it to be so much fun. Meeting new people is one of the best bits.
Congratulations!
Thanks Linda!
Numbers some of us can only dream of :)
Good for you, Heather. Congratulations. I’ll be approaching 100,000 hits myself sometime soon. Hooray!
I understand what you mean about blogging changing your life!
Hugs, Kathy
Thanks Kathy. Looking forward to your 100,000 celebration.
Congratulations Heather! I adore your blog and read every single post. I ditto everything you say as I feel the same way about mine. It has truly changed my life in so many ways. Here’s to the next 100,000 hits Heather! Nicole
congrats
Congrats Heather! Your blog has touched so many of us. Keep up the awesome work! I’m sure the next 100,000 hits will come sooner than you think!
congrats my friend!
Goodonyermate! Well done♥
Congratulations on reaching the 100k milestone! - You really do have an awesome blog :)
Thanks so much to everyone for your congratulations :)
WOW, great feat to achieve 100 000 (and that on my home country nogal) hits and 0ver 700 regular subscribers. I see your dedication though and that certainly is part of your success. I’ve started a blog on my Germany stay in October and hope to one day reach your success as well
Thanks! It certainly does take some dedication. I’m fortunate to have the time and energy to devote to blogging :)
DMAN-Y2K
You are one of us now. When you simply refer to Johannesburg as Jozi, you’ve “become” a local.
I’ve read all your blogs since way back when you started. I also referred many readers to your site. I’ve never commented before, but I must say without your weekly (or whenever it happens) updates I somehow feel incomplete. Some people have their vices, I have to have some 2Summers every week (no pun intended).
Keep doin’ whatcha doin’ coz ya doin’ it well!! Hoza 2Summas!!!!!!!!!!
Hi DMAN,
Wow, how nice to hear from you after all this time. Thanks so much for reading and for telling others about my blog. Comments like this really mean a lot to me. I hope you continue to enjoy 2Summers.
-Heather
Congratulations! I don’t go on Wordpress regularly, but yours is one of the blogs I love checking out. Even though I just usually “lurk.” Hope you keep inspiring people with your words and photos. :)
Thanks Mariel! As I just told Sally, all lurkers are welcome.
I’m more a lurker than a poster but I had to pop in to say that I love how you so honestly shared how your blog has helped change your life. This inspires me.
Thanks so much for sharing, Sally
Thanks so much, Sally. Please keep lurking :)
I tried to comment on this ages ago, but that was before my internet broke down. One week later, I’m back! Oh the joys of dealing with Telkom. Anyway, meant to say congrats. Funny, I fee like blog-twins with you - we seem to have started around the same time and I’ve been observing closely last week when I was at 90k+, but then of course completely missed my own 100k milestone because I couldn’t log on. haha!
Oh, that’s a bummer! Sorry you missed your milestone. Cool that we reached it in the same week though. Glad you have your internet back.
I meant honest,,,oops!
Huge congrats! :-)
Thanks Rebecca! Hope you’re doing well.
We both started on wordpress and that’s how we discovered one another. Thanks to encouraging, we began our own domains and continue to share our worlds with our friends, family and readers. You’ve shown us a lot of ups and downs. Shown the world you live in as an expat and have really inspired people, Heather. Numbers mean a lot, they can’t be discounted. I am glad to be one of the many who’ve clicked this page 100’s of times to see your beautiful pictures, discover S. Africa, feel your joy and try to be there for your sorrow. I am proud to be a reader of your blog and love that writing has inspired you.
Aw, thanks Fidel. Right back atcha :)
Thank you for writing.. I am glad I found your blog H!