My Eleven Year Blogiversary 👨🏻‍💻🥳

My dearest readers,

 

I can't believe the journey started 11 years ago today when I started my blog, The Closet Professor. During these 11 years, I’ve published 5,177 posts, had over 4.5 million views, over 20,000 comments, and around 600 followers.

My life has changed so much over the past 11 years. In July 2010, I had just finished my first-year teaching at a private school in Alabama. I was miserable working in a job that paid little, and with bills that continued to mount. Now, 11 years later, I'm living in Vermont, have a great job as a Museum Curator, hold the academic rank of Assistant Professor, and make a salary more than double what I was making then; plus, I have insurance and retirement. Eleven years ago, I couldn’t imagine any of this, especially living in Vermont of all places.

My health is also very different than it was 11 years ago. Back then, my migraines had started to become a daily occurrence. I’ve always had migraines, but they were episodic. It was during my years teaching in Alabama that they became chronic. I never went a moment without pain back then, and no doctors seemed to care enough to do much about it. Some days the pain would be bearable, but others I could barely function. My current doctor has worked with me and sent me to the right specialists to help get my migraines under control, and I do see hope.

During these 10 years, I’ve posted almost daily and since June 24, 2018, I’ve posted twice a day. The only times I didn’t post were when depression overtook me because of the deaths of loved ones. The best thing about this blog is I’ve made wonderful friends. When times have been the toughest, y'all have been here, and helped me get through so much. Your love and advice have gotten me through some of the darkest times in my life, especially you Susan. If it weren’t for my friends, and I consider all of you who read this a friend (even if we don’t always agree on things), I wouldn't have kept this blog going all this time. I hope to continue writing this blog for many years to come. I can only wonder what the next 11 years will bring.

Thank you for these past amazing 11 years!

 

With love,

Joe