Monday, May 9, 2016

The Passionate Foodie's 9th Anniversary

9 Years! The Ninth Anniversary of The Passionate Foodie blog. 

9 Years of Eating & Drinking. 9 Years of Food, Restaurants, Wine, Sake, & Spirits. 9 Years of Writing, Reading, & Learning. 9 Years of Making New Friends, Meeting New People, & Enjoying Life with Old Friends. 9 Years of Work & Fun. And I look forward to what the next 9 years will bring.

I've actually been blogging for 10 1/2 years as before I started The Passionate Foodie I wrote for another blog, the Real World Winers, which is now defunct. During all these past years, I've written over 3900 posts, a figure which still amazes me. My writing has improved over the years and my passion has not diminished.

I have learned so much about food & drink as I have tried to explore many different topics but I also know that I still have much more to learn. It is a never ending education, with much room for growth. That is one of my favorite aspects, learning about new things and then sharing my finds with all my readers.

My blog has provided me a myriad of wonderful opportunities and experiences, creating a vast storehouse of fantastic memories. I've sampled so much excellent and exciting food and drink, in this country and others. I've met so many interesting people, which has enhanced my experiences as I've long said that food and drink when shared is even better. 

It has been my pleasure to try to showcase and promote under-appreciated and/or lesser known wines, spirits and other drinks. From Sherry to Sake, from Franciacorta to Xynomavro, from Mezcal to Pisco. It has been my pleasure to recommend and promote the restaurants which I have enjoyed. I want those businesses to succeed, so I'll be able to dine there for years to come. I want my readers to understand why I am so passionate about the matters I recommend. 

During these nine years, what started as a hobby transformed into my profession. I am a freelance writer,  Sake educator/consultant and fiction writer. I've published three novels and a book of short stories, primarily part of my Tipsy Sensei series, supernatural thrillers, set in Boston, which tell the tales of a Sake expert who learns that the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore are real.

I owe many thanks to all of my readers, as it is their support and encouragement which has helped motivate me to continue writing year after year. I also owe thanks to my family and friends who have been so supportive for all these years. In addition, I am grateful to everyone in the food and drink community, from chefs to wine makers, who have helped contribute, in a myriad of ways, to my blog.  Life is about connections, about the relationships we make, and they all contribute to what we do.

Why have I continued writing for these nine years? It's simple for me. I'm extremely happy at what I do and that is what is most important in life. If I didn't thoroughly enjoy what I've been doing, then it would have ended years ago. I find it fulfilling and satisfying, and hope that my passion for food, drink and writing never dims. I look forward to celebrating my 10th anniversary next year, and then my 20th ten years after that. And I hope my readers keep reading me year after year.

I'll end with a question for my readers: What topics would you like to see me write about in the future?

1 comment:

vinotravels21 said...

Such fantastic accomplishments. Can't believe you have written that many articles 😀 It is great meeting people and the experiences make it all worthwhile.