Return from Blogging Hiatus
It's no secret that I've taken an extended vacation from my blog. One year, one month, and twenty-one days, to be exact. Between starting my third year of dental school and juggling my list of extracurricular activities, I lost my passion for this blog along the way. Blogging felt like another item on my increasingly long to-do list. It was adding unnecessary stress to my already stressful life.
I felt compelled to churn out blog posts even when I had nothing to say about the mundane events of day-to-day dental school life. I felt compelled to find perfectly curated words for each entry I wrote. After sending out hundreds of emails and dedicating hundreds of hours to soliciting authors and editing posts for Mouth, ASDA News, and the Mouthing Off Blog, the act of blogging simply lost its appeal. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being an electronic editor and contributing editor for ASDA. But when your passion becomes your job, the novelty and excitement slowly fades.
If there's one thing I've been trying to focus on this past year during my blogging hiatus, it's finding balance in my life. I won't call myself a success story yet. But I'm making steps (however small) in the right direction. Last weekend, I found myself at an odd juncture. It was my last ASDA editorial board meeting at the ADA building in Chicago. As I scrolled through my editorial calendar, I realized that my time as ASDA's electronic editor was winding down. I've spent the past two years giving a voice to dental students across the nation. It came at the expense of showcasing my own voice through my blog.
As my year on the ASDA editorial board winds down, I've come to realize that I miss blogging. I miss writing for a captive audience. I miss chronicling my roundabout (but well-intentioned) path to becoming a full-fledged adult and young professional.
Mirror and Explorer has been a part of my life through my undergraduate days. It's been an integral part of my story on my way to becoming a dentist. I want this blog to accompany me as I embark on my journey to becoming an orthodontist.
I'm not going to make any promises, but I won't let this blog die. I'm taking away the pressures and expectations that comes with this blog. But if you'd like to join me on the next chapter of my adventure, I welcome you with open arms!
