Good morning, friends!
So, if you read my blog post from last week, you’ll remember that I promised a pretty big announcement on Monday.
And as my sister so dutifully reminded me, I didn’t make that announcement on Monday. Whoops! 
I’ve been a little busy. And if you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know this. But I’m going to say it anyway.
That big announcement that I’ve been holding in for the past few weeks? I’m moving.
To Virginia.
I recently accepted a job with an amazing company in the Charlottesville, Virginia area. It was quite unexpected; I wasn’t actively looking for a new job – a recruiter contacted me – but the opportunity was so good for my career that I just couldn’t pass it up.
So I’m moving. Away from St. Louis. Away from the city I’ve lived in for my entire life. Away from the city that I’ve grown to absolutely adore.
Am I excited? Absolutely. The company I’ll be working for is fantastic, and the job I’ll be doing? It’s in my field (Chemistry), it’s a huge step up for my career, and I’ll be doing the things I absolutely love to do.
But you know what? Even though I’m over the moon about this, I’m also terrified. I’ll be living in a completely new city. Away from my family. Away from my friends. Away from everything I’ve ever known.
As I’ve announced my news to family and friends, one of the first questions I’ve been asked is “What are you going to do about your blog?”
It’s a very legitimate question. After all, the title of my blog is Off the Eaten Path St. Louis. However, even though my blog is pretty region-specific, it can easily be broadened to reflect whatever city I’m in.
I’ve thought about that option quite a bit – changing the blog to Off the Eaten Path Charlottesville. I could even change the blog to Off the Eaten Path, and write reviews of restaurants in any city I happen to be in.
I’ve bounced around a few other options that I’m keeping under wraps for now, as well. The point is, I’ve thought about the future of my blog. A lot.
And I’ve come to the conclusion that while I’m not going to shut this blog down, I’m going to go on hiatus. How long will this hiatus last? I don’t know for sure. It could be a few weeks. It could be a few months. It could be longer than that. My priorities right now are getting settled in my new city (I’m moving in two days!), getting adjusted to my new job, and starting my new life.
When I started blogging in March of 2010, I was not in a great place. I was unhappy with a lot of things in my life. I felt unfulfilled in my job. My social life was pretty nonexistent.
And as silly as this sounds, blogging changed everything. It gave me confidence in my skills as a writer. I joined Twitter, mostly to promote my blog, and I ended up connecting with a lot of amazing people. I started Yelping more, and met even more fantastic friends through that avenue. Thanks to my blog, I was able to have the opportunity to freelance for Patch. This improved my people skills like no other; immersing myself in the local community and talking with people from all walks of life improved my communication skills in ways that I never thought imaginable.
It wasn’t until after I started blogging that I had the courage to take on another passion: running. I joined a few running groups, and six half marathons (and one full marathon!) later, it’s safe to say that I’m in love with the sport and all of the great people I’ve met through it.
Blogging has showed me that there are other people out there who share my passion for food. It’s made me a stronger writer. It’s introduced me to new people, new cuisines, and new opportunities that would have never presented themselves otherwise.
However, most importantly, blogging has made me fall in love with St. Louis in ways that I never thought possible. I’ve seen so many great things in this city. I’ve met so many amazing people. I don’t think that would have been possible had I not started this blog.
And while I don’t want to lose any of that, I need to take a step back for now. Right now, my career is the most important thing in my life, and I don’t want anything to stand in the way of that. Writing quality blog posts takes a lot of time, and while I probably could churn out weekly blog posts (on restaurants in St. Louis and elsewhere; you wouldn’t believe the amount of reviews I have waiting to be queued up!) I don’t want the quality of this blog to suffer.
So there you have it. This isn’t “goodbye,”, it’s “see you later.” I promise to keep you updated on Twitter and Facebook, as always.
Thanks for being loyal readers of Off the Eaten Path. I’ll see you all soon.
{ 22 comments }
