Guess who's back, back again...with some changes!

No, it's not the infamous Slim Shady...it's yours truly!

Okay, I suppose I never really left. Just took a bit of a hiatus from blogging, and truthfully, showing up online in any capacity. And I wish I had like...a REALLY good reason to give you, but really it boils down to this: I haven't been feeling like myself, which then makes me feel like I have nothing to offer the world. (Thanks depression).

Now, before everyone gets into the comments with things like "Oh, but Chels you have SO much to offer!" and the ever popular "No way girl! You're so great!" I appreciate the kindness, I do. But honestly, I probably know and feel, deep down, all of the things that you're going to say to me.

Because the truth of the matter is, I do believe I have something to offer the world. I won't ever claim to be the world's most extraordinary or innovative person, but I do think I offer a unique perspective to give the world.

But the thing about depression, is that it doesn't care what you intuitively know deep down. It doesn't care to listen to the truth when it is competing to be the one thing dominating your thoughts. Depression, for me, takes all of those "truths" and distorts them so fully that I feel like I can't breathe. All of those happy little voices in my head that invited me to start this endeavor in the first place, are so irrevocably warped that they become nasty and convince me that I never should have done it in the first place.

And I wish I could say that it is solely in regards to my blogging, but that would simply be untrue. When that ugly D-Beast roars it's head, it takes it's sweet time convincing me that ALL of my chosen endeavors are just inevitable failures.

Yeah...it's about as fun as it sounds. And if you're someone that struggles with depression like I do, perhaps this is something you can relate to, which is why I am going to pivot my mission moving forward.

Which leads us to today...

Why decide, today of all days, to start writing again? Well, because I truly want this to be a space where I can not only share pieces of myself and my life, but also a place where you, as the reader, can come and feel like you belong. A place where you can come and realize that you are not alone in the world. A place where, by sharing the things that I love, you can find joy in the things that you do too.

So with all of that being said, I recognize that I started this project to be, primarily, a book blog. A place where I am able to share the stories I read and whether or not I think you should read them too. But, like I said before, I think it's time to make a pivot and turn this into something just a little different than what it started as.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Okay, but what does that mean, and why are you shifting in this way?" Good question.

Well, to answer that, the first thing I want you to know is that I am still going to be reviewing books and sharing them to you, just on a different platform. I have realized that my original vision for this blog (book reviews and recommendations) can 100% be better accomplished using Goodreads instead. I had previously thought that this blog would be an easier undertaking than using Goodreads to review everything I read...Boy was I wrong! I sent up my account and found that it is LOADS easier than trying to create my own system! Not only that, but it will keep all of my reviews and recommendations in one succinct spot, which will make it easier for YOU to access and decide what books you want to read. Win/Win right?

The second thing I want you to know is that I am still going to be blogging about bookish things, just in a little bit of a different way. I want this blog to really act like a digital journal, of sorts, that I get to share with you in hopes that you can find something to relate to. While that might sound like I am TOTALLY changing up the direction of this site, I'm really not. Because guess what still occupies 90% of my free time? Reading. It is truly woven into the fabric of who I am as a person, and that is something that won't ever change. By making the changes to the pieces I am choosing to put out into the world, I am giving myself a little bit more freedom to write what I truly WANT, rather than what I think I SHOULD. And I hope you continue to support me in this endeavor. If not, I wish you all the best! Because at the end of the day, this passion project is for me before anyone else.

So with all of that being said, I am excited to fall in love with writing again and remind myself just how valuable my voice is! And I can't wait to share my life with you again! Now...off to start on my TBR, which somehow ballooned up to 60 something books in the last few weeks...

P.S. Go follow me on Goodreads! Chels Yotter <3

Love always,

Chels