Anniversaries 17 and 28

17 years ago today, I began my AmeriNZ Blog, and I began my podcast six months later. I’m still doing both, so I guess that means I was a “content creator” way before the term was invented?

More importantly, yesterday was the 28th anniversary of when I arrived in New Zealand as a tourist, and Nigel and I met in person for the first time. That went well: I was back to live here permanently seven weeks later.

Those are the high points in what’s otherwise a terrible month for me—so much so that my theme song for the month is Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends”.

However, these two anniversaries are firmly linked because in 2004, Nigel first suggested I start a blog. Then, when I finally did in 2006, he suggested I start a podcast, and, after I did that, he kept buying me better and better equipment to do it. I may have started one or both without him in my life, and his encouragement, but it’s also possible I never would’ve.

So, the fact that my blog turns 17 today is directly connected to fact that Nigel entered my life 28 years ago. Despite all the sadness and pain that this month dredges up for me, and the fact that’s also connected with Nigel, what I think of most up until mid-September is how much being with him changed my life, and how grateful I am for that. Of course, that’s also precisely what makes the second half bad—specifically, that he’s not here. But the good stuff? OMFG, the stack is higher than any mountain. The blog is barely a foothill amid so much good, but it’s still one of the many good things Nigel helped bring into my life.

Despite everything, the good stuff is—by far—what I think about the most. Always.

Previous posts on my blogoversaries:

Anniversay Time (2007)
Blogoversary 2 (2008)
Anniversaries Three and Fourteen (2009)
Fourth blogoversary (2010)
Fifth blogoversary (2011)
Sixth blogoversary (2012)
Seventh Blogoversary (2013)
Ten years of the AmeriNZ Blog (2016)
The AmeriNZ Blog is eleven (2017)
The AmeriNZ Blog is twelve (2018)
The AmeriNZ Blog is thirteen (2019)
The AmeriNZ Blog is fourteen (2020)
The AmeriNZ Blog is fifteen (2021)
The AmeriNZ Blog is sixteen (2022)

Previous posts about my arrival anniversary (the first three are repeated from above):

Anniversary Time (2007)
Blogoversary 2 (2008)
Anniversaries Three and Fourteen (2009)
Where it began (2010)
Anniversary of the beginning (2011)
Another anniversary (2012)
18 years ago today (2013)
19 years ago today (2014)
Twenty years ago today (2015)
21 years ago today (2016)
22 years ago today (2017)
23 years ago today (2018)
24 years ago today (2019)
25 years ago today (2020)
26 years ago today (2021)
27 years ago today (2022)