This past Sunday marked my 5 years of blogging in this space, and it would be remiss of me not to mention it as I’ve done the other 4 times. I would be lying if I said that it’s gotten easier over time. While I’ve fallen into a content-churning groove and I know my aesthetic to a T (two of the most important elements for maintaing a blog, in my opinion), it’s a combination of the ever-changing landscape of content creation and my desire to maintain a well balanced life as I’ve gotten older that makes it difficult. It’s hard not to prioritize Instagram over a website these days. And it’s even harder to somehow juggle a 9-to-5 job, actual adult responsibilities, and fulfilling weekends that are about more than just “doing it for the ‘gram.”

A friend recently mentioned the term “vacant blogging” and it really struck a chord with me. I’m sure you’re familiar with the symptoms — a blog with pretty photos and good fashion, but severely lacking in making that defining connection to a bigger picture. She said that style doesn’t exist without a lifestyle — there’s no point to personal style if there’s no story behind it. And she’s right. The whole reason I started a blog in the first place was to make that connection in my writing. But somewhere along the way, I lost it (those late night photo editing sessions really suck it out of you).

So in an effort to bring back more of a story, my story, I want to make it a point this year to share more about real life (not just blog life). To start, below is a photo of me and a complete stranger (hey, Howard!) who asked if he could be in a photo when he saw us snapping away. Even though we ended up chatting for only a few minutes, the incident reminded me that blogging has the capacity to be so much more that just fashion. It’s about people and meaningful connections and shared experiences, and it’s about time I truly embrace that.