22 Years of WordPress, 16 Years With Me

Dear WordPress,

There are very few things in life I get absolutely hooked on, and you’re one of them.

Blogging was such a big part of my life growing up, and you were there for most of it.

Sixteen years ago, I stumbled into your world. Back then, social media was barely a thing and blogging was the OG way to share thoughts online.

My very first platform was Multiply. But when it shut down, I found you. I also explored Blogger (aka Blogspot) and bounced between the two for a while. My posts are kind of scattered because of that. I liked Blogspot too, but you felt like home. I loved how I could customize and tinker with the backend even when there were no tutorials, no YouTube walkthroughs, and no one guiding me. I wasn’t a custom coder or anything, but it felt like discovering this hidden creative playground. Every tweak felt like a little win, and I just kept following my curiosity.

In 2012, my then-boyfriend (now husband) TJ gifted me my very first domain. It’s not active anymore, but it’s something I’ll always be grateful for. I couldn’t think of a good blog name at the time even though I had always wanted one. So I stuck with it for a few years and even handwrote the name to upload as a logo. DIY forever!

Throwback to my blog’s sidebar widgets! Customizing every little detail, adding badges, blogger love links, and whatever else we could fit in that tiny space. So glad I found this screenshot in my archives folder.

When I finally had my own domain, things started to feel more “official” so I would start collaborating with OG bloggers I used to admire from afar. We’d do “blog giveaways” (that’s what we used to call them!) where we’d team up, share each other’s posts, and give out little prizes. It was such a fun and supportive time to be part of the blogging world.

Thanks again to TJ for the unforgettable experience, I got to meet one of my top blogging idols, Saab Magalona!!! It was one of the happiest days of my life. I loved how she blogged with that unfiltered, take-it-or-leave-it energy… like, “I don’t give a f*ck, this is me.”

In 2014, I unexpectedly won a Best Personal Blog award. I’ll never forget that moment!! Joining the Davao Bloggers Society was so much fun. I got to meet people who really loved blogging just as much as I did.

 

Yes, I even met two of my blogging idols, Cheyser Pedregosa and Kiana Valenciano.

I forgot the exact year, and I’ll look for the photo and share it here once I find it, but I also got to meet Bianca Gonzalez!!! during the pool opening at Ateneo de Davao. Forever grateful to Sir Bong Eliab for making that happen!

And while I didn’t get a photo, I actually spotted Andi Eigenmann during our trip to Siargao last May! So that’s basically my blogger fangirl checklist complete?! OMG I just realized it while writing this.

Oh, no… wait….. how could I forget KC Concepcion?! She was actually the first person who introduced me to the world of blogging… at least from afar. I’ve been such a fan ever since her Multiply days (hello, Kookiberks!). Her posts really stuck with me. I’m still waiting (and hoping!) for the day I finally get to meet her in person.

In 2019, I attended my first ever WordCamp, and I remember I was sooo excited about it! Being surrounded by fellow WordPress enthusiasts felt surreal, like, finally, people who get the thrill of theme changes and plugin discoveries. It was one of those full-circle moments where I thought, “Wow, I really grew up with WordPress.”

TJ noticed how much I enjoyed working on WordPress. He’s a total web geek too, but he’s more into custom coding and building websites from scratch (hardcore stuff, lol). One day, he casually said, “You know, you could actually get paid to do this (WordPress).” That opened my eyes… this little passion of mine could actually turn into something more.

And yeah, not gonna lie, you’re pretty much what I use for most of my client work. But not because I’m trying to push you on anyone… I’m just glad you work… like, really work!!! … for the kind of stuff they need.

I always try to be fair and recommend whatever makes the most sense for my clients and their business, but honestly, most of the time, it just ends up being you.

Thank you for being flexible, reliable, and for helping both me and my clients look good.

Thank you for being there through every theme change, every first post, every late-night tweak, and every “Aha!” moment

Even now, while most people are into social media and trendy short-form content, I know I’ll always enjoy blogging with you. It just feels like home.

Happy 22nd birthday! My favorite platform on the world wide web <3 This blog will always be Proudly Powered by WordPress 😉

Always,

Arianne