Pampers and Pakhlava: 6th Anniversary!

April 17, 2015 by Beth Shepherd

How did I manage to miss my blog anniversary?! Six years ago, I decided to BE BOLD and launched myself into the blogosphere with Pampers and Pakhlava. On April 13, 2009, in my first post, From here to there, I talked about the decision process my husband and I went through when we chose to pursue international adoption, from Armenia.

My second post, Where the heck is Armenia, tells the story of finding myself in Elliott Bay Book Company, trying to get my hands on a book about Armenia. I wanted to learn more about the country, its people and culture, but the salesperson had no clue where Armenia was.

Here I am six years later, still blogging and–lucky me–people are still reading. Lots of people, in fact, because my blog has consistently been one of the top five for traffic on Wanderlust and Lipstick, a hugely successful travel website. So a big shout out to my readers: Thank you!

Since those initial posts, I have traveled. Oh have I traveled, in the literal and metaphorical sense. I’ve now visited Armenia five times, along with trips to France, England, Netherlands, China, Tibet, Kauai, Colorado, Baja California. I love to travel and only wish I could do more.

And I’m a mom! When I started Pampers and Pakhlava, not only did I have a lot to learn about Armenia, I had a lot to learn about ‘pampers.’ Changing that first diaper, in a Yerevan apartment is an experience Big Papa and I will never forget.

Aside from travel and parenthood, two reasons I started my blog were to have the opportunity–and inspiration–to write more and take more photographs. This post is number 590! So a second shout out to Beth Whitman who believed in the power of my story and took a chance on me.

Happy Sixth Anniversary Pampers and Pakhlava!

May there be more stories and more photos to share. And may there be more travel!

If you want to read more about all things Pampers, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or RSS/email.

Take the road less traveled, Beth

400 posts–140,000 words

November 20, 2013 by Beth Shepherd

Last Friday, I published my 400th Pampers and Pakhlava post (truth be told, my total post count is at 430, but two years ago, I made 30 posts private). Assuming an average of 350 words per post (many are longer, but I also have posts with photographs and few words), I have written over 140,000 words. The average novel is between 100,000 and 175,000 words. I have blogged the equivalent of a novel.

Coincidentally, this November is NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month) where, beginning November 1, participants work towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. Granted, I achieved my 140K word count over the course of 4-1/2 years (my first post was launched in April 2009), not one month. Nonetheless, I feel a certain sense of wonder when I see I’ve written that much.

Writing more was one of the goals I set for myself five years ago, although “more” was an easy accomplishment because, at that time, I wasn’t writing much at all. When I joined my fellow bloggers on the Wanderlust and Lipstick website, I hoped blogging–and the expectation to post twice weekly–would help make writing a habit. And it has.

Blogging has also inspired me to write more outside the blogosphere. I’ve compiled a small collection of short stories and, for a couple years, I participated in a writing group. I have ideas in my head about pieces I’d like to write and, like many writers, dreams of getting my writing published.

And while I can’t say for sure how long I’ll continue to blog, or predict whether I’ll ever publish a novel, a memoir, or a magazine article, one thing I am certain of is that I will keep on writing.

Take the road less traveled,

Beth

Pampers turns one!

April 13, 2010 by Beth Shepherd

Happy Birthday Pampers and Pakhlava! Today my blog turns one.

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in front of my computer screen, forefinger shaking as it hovered over the ‘publish’ button. I’d never written about something so personal in such a public venue. This was a big leap. I was full of nervous excitement, like a kindergartener on her first day of school.

What a difference a year makes. I’ve hit ‘publish’ countless times now (89 posts for Pampers and Pakhlava blog and 56 posts for the Urban Cabin). I still get a little nervous before I send my missives into the ether, but blogging has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.

I’ve met (both in-person and online) awesome people I might not have otherwise known and rekindled friendships from years gone by. My soul has been warmed by the heartfelt comments I’ve received from readers. Having a ‘community’ online and behind the scenes has made the difficult moments in our journey easier to bear.

And “what a long strange trip it’s been!” I’ve felt guilty at times that I blog on a women’s travel website, but all too rarely find myself outside the city limits. Yet my journey to become a mom has been, without question, the mother of all trips. It has taken me literally, figuratively, physically and emotionally to places I’d never imagined.

Last April when I published my first post, I wondered if I would find enough to write about, whether people would read my blog and, if so, what they would think about my musings. As it turns out, I never find myself short on words, it’s cathartic to give my thoughts solid ground, and hearing that some of my posts strike a chord with others is immensely satisfying.

Blogging about our adoption has helped me keep my sanity, through I-800 applications and updates, lost referrals, failed trips, and the sweet highs of hopeful expectations. For Big Papa and I our journey to adopt from Armenia has been the road less traveled. What lies around the next bend? I can hardly wait to find out and share it with all of you.

So thank you friends and family who faithfully read what I write. Thank you Beth W.: Wanderlust and Lipstick is a warm nest for my words. My heart swells with pride as I hit ‘publish’ today. ONE YEAR, Pampers and Pakhalva! Here’s to looking at you, kiddo.