A “Lucky” Blogiversary: The Accidental Genealogist Turns 13

Celebrating 13 Years as the Accidental Genealogist

Today this blog is officially a teenager!

It’s hard to believe I have been blogging as The Accidental Genealogist for 13 years!

Image by KreativeHexenkueche from Pixabay

And I would say that as a blogger “13” is a lucky number! I view my experience as a blogger as a journey down a long and winding river. For the most part, the flow of words has been easy and smooth, while at times there have been challenging currents and bends along the way.

When I started writing this blog on June 28, 2006, I had very little knowledge of blogging and was unsure if anybody would even follow me or be interested in what I had to say. My goal was to share information about my two favorite topics: writing and genealogy!

My second blog post detailed why I decided to name my blog “The Accidental Genealogist.” In it, I wrote:

“Here I’ll share my thoughts, experiences, profiles on some of my favorite ancestors, and other useful information for genealogists who like to write, as well as tips on writing and publishing for writers who happen to be genealogists.”

Very soon after my first post, I received welcome messages from blogging pioneers such as DearMyrtle and Randy Seaver of Genea-musings.

As I sat down to write this “Baker’s Dozen Blogiversary” post, two concepts kept showing up over and over again: Community and Connection.

The Blogging Community

As the years went by I connected with fellow genealogy bloggers, many of whom I have met in person at conferences and now count among my closest friends.

As a solopreneur/creative most of my work days are spent in my home office (aka The Writer’s Cave) without much interaction with the outside world unless I am on a virtual meeting or presenting a webinar. When I travel to speak at genealogy conferences, I know that I will get to visit with many of my friends/fellow bloggers often over lunch or dinner, and I usually meet many readers who follow my blog.

Connection

Many genealogy bloggers use the term “cousin bait” to describe one of the benefits of blogging. While I certainly have connected with my share of cousins from writing a blog, I have also attracted followers from the genealogy community and other fields.

The most important connection I have made thanks to this blog came in 2008, I received an email from a cousin who reached out to tell me about her family in Kučín, Slovakia. I eventually had the opportunity to meet this cousin and other relatives when I visited Kučín in 2010. I chronicled my heritage travel experiences in my popular series of posts, Sojourn in Slovakia and Sojourn in Slovakia: The Sequel.

I am looking forward to a reunion with this cousin in the fall when I travel to the UK to present at RootsTech London!

I also appreciate those family historians who have participated in my Fearless Female Blogging Prompts series (started on this blog in 2010) to share the stories of their female ancestors.

If You Write It, They Will Follow

So, if you are thinking of starting a blog but have reservations about what you will write about or who will read it, push them to one side and just start writing! Your blog can be whatever you want it to be. As long as you have a passion for your topic, you will find others who can relate to your posts. And if you hit those rough bends and currents, just keep writing and you will soon be back on course!

A Word of Thanks

Thank you to everyone who has commented on this blog over the years, contacted me via email, or approached me at a conference or speaking engagement to tell me how much they have enjoyed reading my posts. I appreciate your encouragement and support.

[While I have turned off the comments function of this blog for now, readers are welcome to contact me through the contact form at the top of this page.]

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