Welcome back to the Blogosphere, Shannon.

So, obviously I haven’t written in a while...I feel the need to explain. I need to explain to the people who are looking for updates and not receiving them and I need to explain to myself. It’s taken me a while to even realize how much I have slacked on this personal writing project. The easy to understand explanation is that my blog was made mostly to document my AmeriCorps experience. AmeriCorps has been done for nearly 5 months already…so maybe that is why the posts have stopped. But I know all too well that that’s hardly a reason at all. I haven’t been writing…because I haven’t been that happy. This adventure of moving to Denver was supposed to turn out a lot differently than it has…and I think I’m just taking a bit longer than usual to adjust to this kink in my plans.

Don’t get me wrong—wonderful things are happening in Denver. Plenty of things, in fact, that would excite you, make you proud and perhaps even make you desire to pack up your life without a plan and become as successful as I have. Seriously, that is how good things are going. Textbook Shannon is rockin’ and rollin’. It’s everything underneath the surface, the emotions wrapped up in all the twists and turns, the version of me that writes this blog that isn’t glowing with success.

“When life gives you lemons, don’t forget the sweet stuff” is the cheesy little tagline I have on The Simple Serendipities banner. I know it seems faulty to only write to all of you about the “sweet stuff” but really, my blog is riddled with sour, I’m just always able to overcome it and write about what I’ve learned and why all the ugly stuff was worth it. I'm not totally clear on why all this is "worth it" yet. 

Quickly, I’ll explain my process of writing these monthly posts:

1. I have a daily journal which I try (and lately have failed) to write in about the big things that happened that day.
2.  At the end of the month, I go through all the days of the month and I highlight the events that still stick out to me as most important.
3. I try to put all these highlights into pretty little categories (ie. AmeriCorps, Visiting Home for Christmas, etc).
4. And then I write that month’s post.

Two BIG, IMPORTANT steps have been frequently missing from my process. Number 1, because I’m so busy and don’t take the time to actually write about my days. And Number 2, because sometimes there are gaps in my journal I feel discouraged by…and sometimes because there is not-so-happy stuff that I immediately re-live when I read about it. I don’t want to have to make up my days…nor do I want to thrust myself back into the heat of the moment of them (considering their nature lately).

I feel, now, by telling you – the abyss of the internet and the few readers who still may be interested in this poorly orchestrated blog—I will become a bit more accountable for sucking it up and doing what I say I’m going to do. I need to forget for 5 seconds that this blog isn’t a chore, it’s a goal I implemented to help me remain positive…and to remain a writer even after all the college essays and poems were no longer required. Yes, this blog is meant to update you…because Lord knows we probably don’t live in the same place anymore with all of my mobility the past year and a half…but mostly, this blog is for me. I love words. I love writing, thinking, reflecting, and being positive. So why not give myself the gift of this project? It always does me more good than harm. Perhaps it does the same for you.

I hope to crank out my August highlights (eek, that was a long time ago) within the next 7 days. Feel free to harass me if I don’t follow through.

Happy Hump Day, all.

I’m back!