Time flies. It’s been almost seven years since I started my very first blog. It was rather a childish endeavor, a pastime which I hoped would capture fleeting moments that I might forget about otherwise (even the younger me recognised my nostalgic nature). Thanks to the Spring Break, I had some time to reflect on the fundamental motives and incentives behind my blogging activities.

Some of my friends applaud how I still find some time to do non-coursework related writing, amid all the papers, exams, oral evaluations, campus organisation meetings and events. I guess that I can always find the motivation because writing is one of my favourite pastimes. It’s true that my classes have been writing intensive for many years. After all, the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program has a huge writing component to it to such an extent that I even wrote 100 pages (not exaggerated) for a tenth-grade visual art project report, and quite a few pages for my PE journals where I reflected on my experience learning kung fu and dancing. As one of my professors likes to put it, writing is a way of thinking. For me, I like documenting my streams of thoughts from time to time, and think about how I have either changed or stayed the same over the years. I mean, how cool is it that an elder you can revisit the mind of your younger version? This is a time machine!

Another reason why I love blogging through platforms such as South China Morning Post and Huffington Post is that blogging is a great experience and practical skill. It’s one of the ways through which I get to get a glimpse of how media works in real life, and how professionals including editors and contributors communicate with each other. Meeting due dates in addition to working hard to achieve my academic goals has always been challenging, but I thank all those deadlines for pushing me to juggle different aspects of life that define me. It’s an essential skill in life.

Of course, a huge factor behind my joys of blogging is you. The audience. For many people, writing, especially anecdotal writing, is personal. It’s a personal activity in that we may tend to write without the company of our friends in a quiet and cozy space, and its products may also be personal in that we may not want others to read everything. Over the years, I found that I am increasingly inclined to share my story and thoughts with the outside world. I enjoy hearing from readers who have shared similar ideas or disagree with me in any way, so by all means, leave a comment.