Once upon a time, I had a blog. I started it during a hard time in my life, a time when I was going through a difficult break-up, a time when I felt discarded, lost, and directionless. A time when I felt as if I had lost myself. I started a blog to find myself once again.

I never really expected anyone to read my blog. I'm unclear as to why I didn't just journal in a notebook. Probably because I had heard the concept of a blog and thought I'd start one. Not because I thought I'd meet people and form a little network of bloggers that I'd come to think of as my friends. But that's exactly what happened.

Somehow, I found a handful of people whose blogs I eagerly read and who in turn read and commented on mine. They became my lifeboat. They became my cheerleaders. They became my online family.

Through the process of blogging and bonding, I found myself once again. I found my voice. I found my sense of humor. I found my sense of self. I found my confidence. I found the courage to change my outlook and my life. And I documented it all on the blog, encouraged and congratulated by my family of bloggers.

At the same time, I saw those people going through life events and growing, changing, taking risks. I laughed with them, cried with them, was anxious and fearful with them. I celebrated with them. I met possible love interests with them and followed along to their end or the jump to the next step.

And in my own life, I took the next step.

My next step wasn't a romantic endeavor, but an adventurous endeavor. In 2013, and then again in 2015, I quit my job and I hiked the country south to north first on the Appalachian Trail and then on the Pacific Crest Trail. I recorded THOSE adventures on a different blog (Heatherhikes.com) For some reason, I wanted to keep that blog completely separate from Jeepgirl. (It seemed really important to me at the time, but I cannot recall why now.) In any case, while I was out there hiking and camping and getting blisters and getting rained on, I let Jeepgirl go silent.

It's been silent around here for a long time.

And then, today, for no particular reason, I decided to see if this blog was still active.

It was.

And that made me so happy.

I've checked in on my blog family from time to time, and many of them have let their blogs go silent, as well. They have moved on, gotten married (or divorced); developed an illness or overcome one; started families, bought houses, traveled around the world.

Or so I imagine.

I wish them all well.

And I hope that maybe sometime, if they decide to check in on Jeepgirl, they will be pleasantly surprised that I have emerged once again.

This blog has always been a happy place for me. I'm glad to be back.