As 2023 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year that reignited my love for blogging, introduced me to new digital communities, and helped me establish a writing rhythm that feels just right.

Rediscovering Blogging⌗

This year marked my return to blogging after a hiatus. Drawn to its simplicity and adaptability, I embraced the Hugo platform, choosing a theme that brought a personalized elegance to my virtual space.

Impressed by Inspiration⌗

Among the myriad of inspiring content creators, Robb stands out. His page, a beacon of creativity and dedication, has earned my unofficial “Web Award of the Year.” His work is a testament to what passionate webcraft can achieve!

Kudos to all people maintaining their personal sites and blogs, you’re AWESOME! 🙌 The Web is Fantastic, you know?

Finding My Writing Groove⌗

Challenging myself to write more, I’m proud to have published a personal best of 40 posts (including this one!). I wrote 0 posts in 2022 and 0 in 2021, so it’s a huge improvement!

Adding “Bullets” was a game-changer, allowing me to share my thoughts in a more casual format.

The Return of RSS⌗

RSS feeds have made a triumphant return to my daily life, enriching my reading routine with curated content that keeps me connected and informed. For those yet to rediscover its charm, I urge you to give it a go. And if you have a blog, Please, Expose your RSS!

Great Blogging Platform That Works⌗

The trio of Hugo, GitHub, and Netlify has become the cornerstone of my blogging. Together, they provide a reliable and cost-effective solution that keeps my focus on creating content rather than managing a website. All the code is available on GitHub.

One small addition to this trio is a standalone app written in Ruby that helps me to add some dynamic content to my blog. It’s a simple app that fetches the data from various services (like what did I add to my reading lists, what are Mastodon links to my entries, etc.) and allows me to add them to my blog.

Conclusion⌗

Looking back on 2023, I’m filled with gratitude for the renewed passion, lessons, and connections blogging has brought into my life. It’s with eagerness that I look forward to continuing this journey into 2024. To my readers, thank you for being a part of this voyage—may our adventures in the blogosphere continue to flourish! 🙏