Goodbye Wordpress, My Old Friend

Today I say I fond farewell to my Wordpress blog, it is a bitter sweet day.
I started my journey towards healing in 2005, at my table in the dining room. It was to be a personal journal, just for me, but it grew into something so much bigger. I would write about my past only to try and recall lost memories. It grew though and through the instance of my husband and step-daughter it became a book. It took a long time to write, some memories would flood back, hit me like bricks and I would have to take some "down time' to recover. Then there were the flashbacks, I had them already but they came in droves! I persevered , thinking that it might be some way to healing and over the years I did.
Each time I thought I had conquered something, something else would pop up and further research would ensue. It was while I was doing this I thought it might be interesting to create a blog. I thought I was alone, that everyone would laugh at me. My first post was published with a shaky finger as I hit publish. It was small, very few words saying "Hello World" I waited with baited breath for people to start laughing at me. They didn't.
I carried and wrote about holidays and writing, about my book, but nothing substantial. That was until I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and posted "Confessions of... Me" I wrote about how I was raped, a domestic violent marriage, of being stalked and held hostage. It was grammatically very bad! I just wrote it, didn't read it and hit publish. I wept buckets of tears after. My followers will hate me , I thought. They will think I'm stupid and disgusting. I was wrong. What followed was a slew of comments, all totally supportive! Some came out and said they knew how I felt as they had been through it all too! I was blown away!
I loved my Wordpress blog. I posted about what made me happy, the discoveries I found when I researched PTSD, trauma, flashbacks, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, everything I discovered on my healing journey, I posted. I had called it a journey through writing my book, but it really was a journey and a journal of healing. It sadly, took a backseat though, when Hurricane Sandy came and after losing so much, I struggled to get back on my feet again. Time has passed since then and so much has happened.
I have been so fortunate. I have written three books and for See the Truimph organisation, I have been asked to be a keynote speaker several times for domestic violence. Recently on of my posts has appeared in a shelter's magazine in Florida and have been asked to be a regular contributor. I am now a Life Coach and CBT therapist to help others and consider myself very lucky.
I have found now that people are actually "Googling" to try and find me. They find me on Wordpress, but it's so long since I have written there, especially when I write here. It was a wonderful time in my life and I was fortunate enough to be honored with many blogging awards there, but the time has come to say a fond farewell.
Wordpress, I will miss you. You will remain very dear to me and I will hold all the good times in my heart. My followers were and are the best ever in the world! I had wondered for a little while whether to make it a complete website, but this is the place I now call home. It is not only mine, but yours too. You are welcome anytime to visit comment, share.
If you have a book you would like me to share, just contact me and I will share it. If you know something wonderful new or exciting we can share it. I am known to post happy music videos, just so we can have a little dance sometimes too! There is an author interview coming up soon, the lady is awesome! Also, a post on how domestic violence survivors collaborate to offer a wonderful service.
This is not just for me but for a community, a strong community of survivors who understand each other perfectly!
Goodbye Wordpress, Hello World!