I can't believe I started this blog only one year ago!  In my first post ever, I concluded with this note about my motivation for writing the blog:

So, I present to you this chronicle of how I choose to live my life, not because I want to brag about my awesomeness,
 but because I want to inspire people to do things, even if it's only for a day or an hour.  Or perhaps writing 
about my travel adventures will make you less intimidated about a particular destination, or about traveling 
in general, because seeing the world is ESSENTIAL, in my humble opinion!  Lastly, I'm hoping that by 
maintaining this blog, I will, as a result, be inspired by myself to never stop learning, living, and exploring!!  

Hopefully, over this past year, I achieved my goal and have been able to entertain, to educate, and to inspire.  Based on the stats, I know it's not just my friends and family reading this thing, and that idea makes me really happy!  I can definitely say that regardless of the audience, maintaining this blog, as I predicted and desired, has definitely had me doing a lot more than what was my "normal" before.  So much that it may be more challenging next year to find new things to do and still keep up the same pace!

Stats:
  • 117 Posts (this one is #118)
  • 30 places "explored"... 30 things "learned"... 57 activities "lived"
I also got ownership of my own domain, created a Facebook page to post new blogs/photos/fun things related to the blog ("like" it!), and I started another, more casual, blog called Julie Runs Amok!

It's been so fun, I wonder why I didn't think of starting this before!!

THANKS FOR READING AND COMING ALONG FOR THE RIDE!

- Love, Julie