I have been blogging on and off since high school, back when Xanga was all the rage. I’m not sure exactly why I started to blog then, other than I’ve always used writing as a way to express myself. As an introverted thinker, I find writing to be very relaxing. It helps me process and sort my thoughts and relieve stress. I love having the time to choose the perfectly nuanced word to express what I’m thinking or how I am feeling.
I do know that I started this particular blog shortly after I permanently injured my wrist and could no longer play the piano for hours a day. Playing the piano and music in general was my preferred way of expressing myself prior to my injury. Since my injury, I have become an avid writer. In addition to journaling, I blog here, at www.rachelbuckingham.wordpress.com, and several other blogs. I am also a freelance writer, currently writing several articles and my first novel.
In addition to using blogging to express myself, I started this blog as an effort to write more and hone my skills. That is also the reason I have chosen to participate in the postaday2011 challenge. A writer cannot improve without writing (and reading in my opinion). So I blog because I love writing; it is an extension of myself.