Guess what? I've been blogging on Have Dog, Will Drive for over two years! I bought the domain name in April of 2017, launched the blog publicly in May of 2017, and really got in the swing of blogging that summer. Keeping up with this blog is one of my favorite hobbies, and I'm so thankful for those of you following along. This blog has had some different stages within that time frame, going from being strictly focused on camping and dog-related posts to now being more about everyday lifestyle. I love them equally—some of those early posts were so lovingly/painstakingly crafted, and they’re cool to look back on, but I also love the simplicity of many of my blogs now. They also fit with my life at this stage and make it easier to post frequently when I’m not necessarily going camping every month like we used to.
Probably my favorite type of post to write is recaps of trips! Just recently I went back and read all of my honeymoon recap posts, and it was so fun to remember little details I 100% would have forgotten by now if I hadn’t blogged/journaled about them. I like to think of my blog as like a “journal plus.” I love paper journals and have kept them for years, but it’s nice to blog because I can weave pictures, links, and more depth into my stories and share them for others to connect with.
Which brings me to my absolute favorite part of blogging—the people I e-meet and connect with! In the two+ years I’ve been blogging I’ve had people read my blog from every US state and over 100 countries. I’ve emailed with dozens if not hundreds of readers, shared happy and sad times with people, given trip advice, and just gotten to hear the stories of so many interesting people. I’m so grateful to everyone who has written to me over these two years! Other than weird spam messages (sorry), I have responded to every single inquiry on my contact page, and I love to hear from people :)
I like to think that the common thread running through my blog, no matter the type of post, is just to embrace the sweetness of life. To reflect on how a getaway, big or small, can refresh your soul. To remember to love on our people and pets every chance we get. That’s my goal, at least!
To wrap this up, I want to link a few favorite oldie-but-goodie posts that you might not have read if you only recently started reading my blog:
The Life of Casper - our first dog (the original dog in “Have Dog, Will Drive”) who passed away a couple of months after I started the blog
Engaged in Alaska (and really my whole Alaska series)
The stories of how we ended up adopting Willie and then Bean
How to Make your Camping Experience a Little More Martha Stewart (this one isn't necessarily one of my most-read, but it's SO me, and I personally love it)
My best photography advice
Our Santa Cruz Mountains getaway - a special trip that ended up being exactly our one year to the day pre-wedding anniversary (but we didn’t know it yet, since we weren’t even engaged yet much less had planned our wedding!)
A recap of making Grace’s Red Rover music video
Last but not least, A Heart to Heart
Whether this is your first time reading my blog or you’ve been reading since 2017, thank you so so much for your time. In a world of emoji Instagram captions (which, don’t get me wrong, I love), long-form, old-school blogging is where my heart is in terms of sharing on the internet. It means a lot that anyone reads, let alone all the sweet people I have gotten the privilege of hearing from.
Here’s to the next few years of Have Dog, Will Drive!