Why "Life is Like Gum"?

I have been blogging since 2001, and under the moniker "Geek+Nerd" since 2004. In blogging years, I am an old timer, a pioneer, navigating the Oregon Trail of the interwebs. I have seen bloggers come and go, and I have seen blogging trends rise and fall.

I dearly loved blogging at Geek+Nerd, which probably begs the questions "Why start a new blog?" and "Why now?"

In a nutshell, it was time for a change.

Now here is the decidedly not in a nutshell, less cryptic, more verbose answer.

1. Blogger identity crisis...

As I mentioned, I came of age in a blogging era. In addition to perceiving all that was happening around me on the interwebs, I was also in the midst of finding my own identity and voice, which was sometimes overshadowed by me trying to be like the "cool kids." I would pimp my Etsy shop, because everybody was doing it, I would craft tutorials because everybody was doing it, etc. THEN BLAMMO!

2. Personal crisis...

My 20's were filled with lots of sorrow, tragedy and strife - namely stemming from this event and this event. I tried to return to blogging at G+N after the second event, but it never felt right, because...

3. Time for a new chapter...

Ultimately, when I found my blogging voice, I think G+N morphed into an epic love letter to my ex-husband. Little recollections of our day to day life, the love I poured into, and felt from, our extended families. G+N was never about just ME, it was about US, so continuing to blog in that space never felt right. That book is done, so time to write a new one! Which leads me to...

4. Why "Life is Like Gum"? 

One day, I was sitting in my current temporary digs, snapping bubble gum, trying to come up with a new clever blog name that was NOT taken. A bubble popped, and gum stuck to my nose, and suddenly I thought to myself, "Life is like gum...sometimes it's sweet and sometimes it's a sticky mess." Which is a perfect name for me because...

5. My life is not a magazine! 

Yes...sometimes I am a domestic goddess that dresses like an adorable zaftig Modcloth model, makes hand crafted gifts and bakes in my squeaky clean, serene kitchen.

Then sometimes I am rocking sweatpants and a mop of hair that hasn't been washed for five days and my kitchen looks like this...like right now.

Don't get me wrong...I love blogs that look like magazines. I am glad that they exist. But my blog is never going to be one of them, and I am okay with that. Which brings me to...

6. What will Life is Like Gum be about? 

My elevator pitch? "Life is Like Gum is a blog about a 30-something girl's journey to becoming her best self." 

I recently read an article about blogging etiquette, (on one of those beautiful blogs that looks like a magazine no less), that outlined blogging rules such as Don't complain. Don't talk about your personal life. BLAH BLAH BLAH. Seriously? When did blogging develop all of these rules? Who died and said we need an Emily Post for the internet? I'm over it. 

I've decided that my voice wants to talk not just about the beauty in the world, but the ugly bits too. I hope that it resonates with people, because I think there are quite a few of you out there trying to figure shit out too. 

And yes...there will be swearing.