It’s my blogversary! Wow. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for a year – at the same time, it feels like I’ve been doing it forever. 😅
It’s kind of crazy to look back and see all the things I’ve baked, the books I’ve read, and the things I’ve done. And here I am sitting at home lamenting all the things I haven’t accomplished. This reflection has really helped to change my perspective – and I needed it, too!
I just wanted to get on here and take the time to share some of the year’s highlights and thank you all for your support.
- I’ve made 92 posts, including this one; that’s 38,666 words!
- My post “A New Take on Milk Tea” has topped the charts with 14 likes and on Instagram, my post corresponding with our adventures in Salt Lake City came out on top with 76 likes (and this just blew me away!).
- My most used tag is “baking,” with 43 occurrences. You can really tell where my heart is.
- My follower count has grown – 80 on Insta and 66 on the blog. I’m pretty pleased with that!
- The most meaningful responses I’ve received have been personal emails from my family (❤️) but also someone sharing their own experience with the Outlander series and Laura Adlington’s (GBBO ’20) comment on my instagram post for last year’s final GBBO bake along.
Big changes have also happened off the blog:
- I got married! Best friends for almost 18 years and dating for two, Tim and I were married in the Catholic Church in July. We honeymooned in Salt Lake and Yellowstone.
- I was promoted at work and am now the Kitchen Manager, which means I’m in charge of scheduling, stock, and just general day-to-day changes/hiccups/mistakes/frantic adaptation. It’s been a bit stressful, but I’m thankful for the experience.
- I’m still finding ways to travel despite distance and COVID, adding two new big American cities and four national parks to my list.
- I’m still freelance writing and have published 16 newspaper articles in the past year. Check them out here.
And with all the changes and progress of the past year, I’ve given the blog itself a bit of a refresh – new photos and updated pages.
Finally, I just thought I’d give a quick self-introduction to those who are just now joining us.
bruadarach (n) {Scottish}: dreamer, visionary
- My name is Laura Iunghuhn (yes, I’m married now, but I’m keeping my maiden name on all my writing). I have a BA in English Lit. & Creative Writing. Currently considering a masters in business.
- I’m a writer – surprise! I freelance and submit my creative nonfiction to a variety of print publications. I’m open to work! If you need any writing or editing done, drop me a line through the contact page, and for my resume & portfolio, just click the LinkedIn icon.
- My preferred book genres are realistic fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy. Huge Harry Potter nerd here (and proud Gryffindor). But when it comes down to it, give me a story with strong character development, and I’m in.
- I consider myself a bread baker, but it’s my least experimental area. I bake the same breads repeatedly, especially this one. I also have a soft spot for French baking; I think it’s due to the challenge it always poses.
- I’m from the Midwest United States, and love the area as a home base. Every year, the seasons get me with their stunning changing beauty. 😍 But I’ve also got major wanderlust, and if stay home too long, I start to lose my sense of purpose and feel that I’m missing out on so much of what the world has to offer. Mentally planning a trip back to Europe…
Hope you all continue to read and interact with the blog! Love all your support and response – it keeps me sane. 🙃
The Logophile's Bookshelf 