Well, we’ve seen it happen across the blogosphere, and now it’s happening here: after six years online, this blog has finally run out of steam. It’s time to stop.
This decision has been a long time coming and has certainly not been easy. I’ve put a lot into this little project, and over these past six years it has been a significant part of my life. It has put me into contact with some amazing people. It has also opened various doors, and for that I am enormously grateful.
Yet there have also been many disappointments, many false starts and difficulties – things that go on behind the scenes that regular readers don’t get to see. Running a project like this is very time consuming and can be enormously taxing – especially given the complicated subject matter that has been the main focus of this site over the last couple of years, and the heaps of shit that have been directed at the Icelanders during that time. And while I have enjoyed my interactions with the overwhelming majority of the people who visit this site, there are some people I would give a very wide berth in real life – but who, in my role as site moderator, I have nonetheless been forced to deal with.
Anyway, I have written plenty about my reasons before; no need to re-hash them. The bottom line is that this blog has in most respects been a wonderful experience and I have enjoyed sharing even if just a fraction of what is going on here in Iceland [I do think it is important that the ‘outside world’ has some insight into what goes on here, and I have found it intensely frustrating not to be able to do more] … however, I now need to turn my attention to things that are more rewarding for me – personally, professionally and financially.
I will still keep writing – in fact I have another e-book almost ready to launch, this one about the quirks and foibles of the Icelanders, and what it is like to live in their midst. Depending on how that works out, I’ve also got another about the socio-cultural aspects of the Icelandic language in the works. And who knows – I may even do something else web-related down the line.
So while this is “the last proper blog post” on this site, the site itself will stay up and I will use it to post any new announcements, such as e-book launches and whatever else may see the light of day. I will also continue posting on Facebook and Twitter [though I confess that I am crap at Twittering]. The forums will also stay up for the foreseeable future, so feel free to use them.
If you want to be absolutely sure you don’t miss anything new and would like to be added to a mailing list, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to add you to a list. However, please understand that I can’t get into discussions about my reasons for ending this blog via email.
Finally, my deep gratitude goes out to all of you who have supported The Iceland Weather Report, in words and in deeds, throughout the years. You know who you are.
Thanks for reading.
Alda
