It All Began a Year Ago...

...When I logged onto Blogger on a chilly, very dark October night, slowly dying from boredom as cheap horror films dominated the TV. Halloween - and its spookiness - was hanging heavily in the air but, unlike the year before, it didn't thrill me; by then, my love of plastic bats, black clothing and gothically plum lipstick had ended its decade-long phase.

Desperate to escape the constant re-runs of Treehouse of Horror, an idea popped into my head, presenting itself like a bright and chirpy pitch on Dragons Den minus the cash-rich human dragons. A few years before, I used to run a blog which was solely dedicated to my old cats, the wannabe supermodel Tom and mother hen Jerry. As an imaginative eleven year old, I would spend my free time by writing about their adventures (which rarely travelled beyond the garden) and amusing habits (a cat eating a banana, anyone?). Then, once I was absorbed into the world of high-end fashion, I forgot about it, hence a halt to my blogging activities.

Why blogging entered my thoughts at that particular moment still baffles me as much as the weirdness surrounding Twin Peaks; some things, even those completely unrelated to red curtains and creepy dancing, never make sense. Anyway, desperation got the better of me: blogging was obviously more appealing than paying attention to hungry trick-or-treaters or glancing out the rain-streaked window.

Within minutes, an account - this one in the name of LikeATeen, in reference to Madonna's virginal 80s' hit which I couldn't stop singing along to - was created, before I got down to business. Though I did not realise it at the time, that business was destined to form part of a landmark moment that, a year on, would find itself being spoken about and fondly remembered. And, to recycle a heavily over-used cliche, the rest was history. Need I say more?

Today marks 365 days since I launched Life as a Modern Teen, a year of which has moved at such rapid speed that one foot is still standing in Halloween 2013. I've had my fair share of ups and downs within this time, yet I've gotten through it and become a stronger person because of it. Does it not strike you as amazing that we possess the ability to progress over such a period of time? I'm a year older (albeit unfortunately not even an inch taller!), bursting with more wisdom that I've borrowed and gained from my travels, yet one thing has remained the same: running this blog.

Since LAAMT came into existence, I've faced up to plenty of changes which, as documented in previous entries, have not necessarily guaranteed a simple transition. Of course, life is about change and age grants us the maturity to deal with it effectively, yet certain things did surprise me - as if I could have contained my shock!

For example, I counted down the days to The Big Move at the end of March, which left me no internet connection for three days. As you would have expected, writing about the events surrounding the move was my number one priority as soon as I had access to the internet - I never felt happier when I managed to blog once again!

Several weeks after I settled into a normal routine, I had to acknowledge the fact that, after being educated at home for seven years, it was time to return to school. Making that decision wasn't easy at all because, deep down, I didn't want to give up home-schooling, but there was little choice because of my approaching GCSEs.

At the beginning of June, I found myself attending the local village secondary school, walking into a new, very strange environment for the first time. And well... You know the rest. Recent entries describe how I really feel about the situation, some issues of which are currently on-going. Yet writing about it is my form of therapy: I calm down, look at the problems with a different perspective, and am able to release the stress that would otherwise eat me up if I bottled it up.

In all honesty, I treat this blog like a diary because it is one of those places where I can let my hair down, have a good time and be myself. Whilst stuck in a restrictive environment such as school, I feel so out of place that, by the time that I get home, I undergo a massive personality transformation. Words are my shields and keep me safe from harm whenever I open my mouth - or, whilst online, I type on a keyboard!

Therefore, all that I want to say is that I hope to still be reminiscing over the good times on this day next year, and the anniversaries keep on coming. Blogging is a passion, which I must constantly feed - there shall definitely be more of it!