"Maybe if you don't spend time journaling (or blogging?) you have more time to gain experience."

So says Richard Lawrence Cohen, in the comments section of a post on reading old journals, and starting new ones.

When I travel, I take a lot of notes (over 90 pages on my first trip to Europe and 80 pages on my honeymoon). I'm a note-taker, though, and I've never felt like my experience was limited or diminished because of the notes I took. In fact, for me, it's just the opposite. I remember SO much more of my honeymoon because I wrote it all down. And since I took notes during Cooper's nap times, I don't think I missed out on any experience-having.

I also love reading old journals, though. I'm sure I've mentioned here before that a few years ago, I spent a very emotional and embarrassed few weeks rereading my high school diaries (I was writing a book proposal - that went nowhere - based on them).

Anyway. This navel-gazing is a long-winded way of announcing what is sure to be a very navel-gazey week. This Wednesday happens to be this blog's first birthday.

I'm pretty into birthdays and anniversaries, and this one is no different. So I'll apologize in advance for all of the self-involved blathering that is likely to go on here for the next few days. A year's a long time, though, so I feel a little entitled.

And I promise I'll go back to not really posting, or only posting about Laguna (FINALE TONIGHT!) as soon as the week is over.