Today is the tenth anniversary since I launched Gluten-Free Fun. WOW... Ten whole years. That is ANCIENT in blog years! Where did the time go? An entire decade of sharing my lifelong celiac disease and gluten-free experience with the world. That is even longer than most of my readers have been diagnosed.
I have written more than 2,000 (yes, two thousand!) blog posts, had hundreds of thousands of visitors to my website, launched Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for Gluten-Free Fun, and most importantly I connected with tons of my readers both in person and via the Internet. To me, meeting my readers and fellow celiacs has always been the best part of writing this blog. I am always flattered when someone introduces themselves to me to say that they read my blog. Even after 10 years, I am beyond thankful when I meet these people. As I have said from day one, if I can help even just one person with celiac disease through this blog, it is all worth it.
I had big plans for my redesign to launch today and then my computer and my phone crapped out last week. (Note to others: never try to update a very old Mac or iPhone to the new iOS. It is NOT compatible.) So for the past week, I have been borrowing my man's computer to try and preserve the redesign work that I had been working slowly on for months. Unfortunately, I am not having much luck. Looks like it is time to head to the Apple Genius Bar and to make a resolution to back up my computer on a regular basis. Grrrrr...
In the meantime, you may have noticed a more modern and cleaner look on social media. This is the look I am going for with the finalized redesign I know this blog looks and feels dated because it is. What you saw in 2007 is what you see now. For me, it was always the content that mattered most. I also learned a lot over the past ten years and even more recently in the past few years about the gluten-free blogging world in general. When I started my blog, there were very few of us gluten-free bloggers. Now, to be honest, the market is flooded. There are even conferences full devoted to food bloggers. Ten years ago, I think all of us gluten-free bloggers in the country could fit in a small room.
I may not be as flashy as some of the blogs, I don't create recipes (not my thing), and I definitely have slowed down in my blogging over the years. But one place that I never waver is in my integrity, my honesty, and my advocacy for people living with celiac disease. Even if my opinions aren't always shared by other gluten-free bloggers, I will continue to be the outspoken celiac that I have always been since I launched Gluten-Free Fun in 2007 and be true to myself and my readers.
I thank you for following me now and for the past ten years. I write this blog for you and you, dear readers, mean the world to me.
Thank you and here's to many more years of Gluten-Free Fun!
[Blogger note: It's 9:15pm PST so I am technically since on January 4th on the west coast. Whew... just under the deadline for celebrating my blog today.]
Labels: Gluten-Free Fun
