4 words:

Blogging: I started this blog in September 2005, when I joined AFC. It was called "Flying High... with both feet on the ground". At the time I was also a forum moderator on ATCbox.com. The creator of ATCbox.com Daan de Meester... also known as Captain Didimon (DDM), suggested I start a weblog because I would be travelling a lot. It was a good way to keep your friends and family updated on what you were doing and where you were. He even suggested I link it with ATCbox, but I declined. It was something private and not public. So Daan showed me how to work with HTML codes, how to use Photobucket and how to create a nice looking blog page. And so I started.

Slowly but surely more and more people started visiting my weblog. They were searching for something on Yahoo!, MSN Search, Lycos or Google and they came across my page. I started getting lots of emails, MSN friends and more comments. People from Holland, but also from Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Australia, Norway, Denmark and many more countries! It was nice and I re-designed my page and really did my best to put on some good post, that I think people will enjoy.

Blogging isn't easy... I always have to be walking with a camera, have to ask permission to use someone else's picture or ask if someone minds that their face appears on my blog. I travelled the world and a lot of things don't impress me anymore, but I still took the time and effort to take the pictures for my blog. I spent loads of time and money in internet cafés and hotel business centers trying to post a blog in a foreign country. I brought you into my parents home, my grandparents home in Aruba, my home, Robin's home, my friends home... I gave everyone access to a lot of personal stuff, I took you with me to my job, on my vacations and with my friends. I introduced you to my boyfriend, parents, brother, nephew, best friends, buddies, cousin, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more. After I got my accident, I got so much encouraging words from people that I didn't even know!

Blogging is a hobby nothing more, so I believe it should remain fun. Robin told me countless times... "Ryan, als je het niet leuk vind, stop er gewoon mee". (Stop, if you don't find it fun anymore). Everyone has a opinion... I get that. Even if it is a negative one, I don't mind. I'm not going to get mad. But what I can't stand is when someone is just plain out insulting. To me or my friends and family. That I won't tolerate. I'm too old for that shit. I had great times as well. Lots of funny emails from readers and funny comments as well. So it wasn't all bad.

What am I trying to say? Well... 4 words... I quit this bitch!