May has slipped past in a flurry of rain and tumbled blossom, the acid-green leaves of spring expanding into the deeper green of summer. In some ways it’s been a long month, yet I wonder where it’s gone.

And, somewhere within the tangle of days, I passed my seven-year blogging anniversary on this site. Seven years! Another thing I find hard to believe, though I do still think the 90s were only ten years ago. When I was a child the days seemed to last for approximately 324345 hours, especially the ones preceding birthdays or Christmas or summer holidays, excitement curling through me so I could barely breathe, each second taking an hour or more. But now, the older I get, the quicker time seems to pass – a cliché, I’m sure, but such things do become cliché because they are true.

They say that you replace your entire body every seven years. Every strand of hair and skin cell, every bone and vessel, silently and quietly torn down and rebuilt, bit by bit, in microscopic stages. I suppose that means I’m a completely different person now than I was when I started the blog, way back in 2014. It’s true that blogging has changed me, improving my confidence as a writer, introducing me to people with whom I’ll be friends for life, and opening me to experiences I may otherwise never have had.

When I started this blog, I was in the initial drafting stages of my first novel, Oak and Mist. This blog was to be a place where I would discuss my writing journey. But it became so much more. A place where I could muse on life, share doors and travels and life events, delve into mystery and magic, challenge myself as a writer. One of my favourite blogging prompts was Sue Vincent’s #writephoto, stories seemingly captured in every photograph she shared. Sadly, so sadly, we lost Sue earlier this year. I was privileged to be able to say goodbye to her, but I was far more privileged to have known her – she is someone I will miss, always.

As for that first novel? It took its initial steps into publication in 2015, followed by four more novels in the series, plus an omnibus, and a standalone adult fiction novel. I’ve written three more books I’ve yet to publish, and fragments of several more. I’ve connected with readers across the globe, and become part of a wonderfully supportive and generous writing community. I’ve had setbacks, too – I’ve been querying agents for years now, had ten full manuscript requests from agents and publishers, but am yet to score that trad deal. I’ll keep trying, though, and sharing my journey along the way.

And I’ve written a LOT of blog posts. 830, to be exact, including this one. Here are a few highlights:

My very first post. God, I remember how nervous I was when I pressed publish on this post. What if actual real people on the internet read it? I was also incredibly suspicious of the first person who ever liked one of my posts – what did they want from me? Laughable now, but at the time I was so new to this world I had no idea what to expect.

My most popular post. Every year since I’ve written this post, it’s topped my most popular posts. I’ve found it shared on other people’s blogs (credited to me), and still have people contact me about it. If I’m honest, I wrote it as a bit of a piss-take in response to the increasingly overwrought author bios I’d been seeing, every element of their lives teased out for maximum interest. But the mad-lib style formula I came up with actually seems to work, hence, I think, the continued interest in the post.

My favourite post. Honestly there are so many. But this one, about my grandfather, stands out for me as one of my favourites (not the only favourite, though). And this one about Anais Nin. Oh, and this one, and…

It’s been seven years of work and ideas and walking and wanders, of poetry and prose, of opening my heart in black and white, of friendship and triumphs, of love and sorrow and life changes. It’s been a wonderful journey, so far. Thank you all so much for being on it with me.

Here’s to the next seven years of blogging. Who will I be then?

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This morning, while eating breakfast, I read an article about hummus, and how the Israelis make it. I love hummus and often make my own, so this was an interesting article. But what I also loved about it was the descriptions of life in Jerusalem, glimpses into homes and kitchens and restaurants, to the idea of eating hummus for breakfast, a different way of life.

This is what travel offers us. The opportunity to see how other people on the planet live, what they consider part of their daily routines. We are all human, of course, and have needs that are universal (though not always available to everyone). Food, shelter, sleep, clothing. Work, friendship, family. Once those are in place, we diverge in how we conduct our daily routines. And that, to me, is one of the great joys of travelling. The opportunity to try new flavours, new ways of doing things. Different ideas on how to decorate homes, serve meals, shop and eat out. And also the history of a place and how it has shaped these ideas.

When we were in Dubai about ten years ago, we visited to the museum in the old town. It was very well done, not just in terms of informing us of the history of the place, but also how the desert landscape and the ocean had shaped their customs and clothing styles and diet, even their palaces built of shells. It made me consider my own life, and how where I’ve lived has also shaped the person I am and the things I enjoy doing.

Whenever we go somewhere new, I make a point of doing some research before we go. Of interesting places to visit, restaurants to try, things to see, customs to observe. While I can certainly appreciate the idea of going on holiday simply to lie in the sun, I prefer to get out and about. Last year I went to Australia, Croatia and Denmark. This year, however, things are quite different.

A planned trip to Morocco in April was cancelled for obvious reasons, and there doesn’t look to be much travel outside this small island for the foreseeable future. However, while we may be physically confined in space, there are still opportunities to let our spirits roam free. Whether in the pages of a book, or a blog like this, through travel documentaries and magazines, or even by looking at photos of places you’ve already been. And may I introduce you to the wonders of Window Swap? The premise is simple – loops of window views from around the world, submitted by users. From rain in Bangalore to sun in Melbourne, Tyrolean meadows and skyscrapers in Seoul, you can travel across the globe at the click of a mouse. People’s pets show up in some of the loops, while others have sound, and it is utterly delightful (and quite easy to lose yourself in for a little while).

So I guess this post is more about my love of wandering, rather than being a wander in itself. I’ve been fortunate to visit lots of places, but there are plenty more I still want to see. The world may be on pause for now, but one day I know we’ll all be out there again. Until then, virtual wandering will have to do…

Enjoyed this post? Want to read more? Find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, Under Stone (Ambeth Chronicles #4), is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.