I don't know why, but the last couple months, I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past... my old self, both sillier and smarter; somewhat more clear-headed and a great deal more zealous; so much more driven and chafing at my restraints.
I remember how I channeled that first bout of teenage angst and homesickness into the beginnings of an active, passionate blog... dreaming of solving the world's problems, utterly convinced that I could change the world (once I could make sense of it, that is).
I remember how I met my first readers, fellow bloggers whose every update I faithfully read and commented on. I felt a thrilling kinship with these other bloggers, ecstatic that they were taking little old me seriously enough to keep up with and converse with. I will especially never forget iMuslim and Faraz, who showed up in the very early days and put up with my bouts of teenage silliness :)
I spent hours (that I should've spent on homework, probably) surfing the Islamosphere and acquainting myself with what was going on in the Muslim world, online and on the ground, in the East and in the West. To be honest, I think I learned more in those hours of blogging than I did from school!
Of course, the crowning moment came with the inception of MuslimMatters.org - the founders of which never expected for it to reach the levels it did. My involvement with MM basically took all the time and energy that I spent on personal blogging, and alHamdulillaah it really was an amazing experience. I got to brush online shoulders with big shot sheikhs like Sheikh Yasir Qadhi and Sheikh Yaser Birjas; I had the opportunity to vastly improve my writing skills; and I learned a lot about dealing with others in a working environment. It even had some very surprising personal benefits - I never would have expected it to be the catalyst for some much-needed father-daughter bonding (of a sort).
Although certain issues resulted in me leaving MM, it will always hold a special place in my heart for being my first semi-professional project, the place where I grew up... if not in real life, at least in my head :P
AlHamdulillaah, after my approximately year-and-a-half-long hiatus from writing (due to marriage, homesickness, sort-of-depression, pregnancy, childbirth, moving to a new country), I'm now back in business - alHamdulillaah! My fingers are whirring, my brain is spinning, and I feel ready to begin a new, more productive chapter in my life.
I'm beginning a course on how to teach ESL, I've joined the SISTERS magazine team as a freelance writer, and, of course, I have my now 6-month-old Mouseling to keep me busy in the meantime (i.e. all the time).
AlHamdulillaah :)
P.S. Welcome to the blog world, little brother ;)
P.P.S. I really hope I didn't get you in trouble :S