Just a Trace

I'm so pumped to introduce you guys to my new friend Tracey who writes a smart, funny, and beautiful blog by the name of Just a Trace! Tracey is based in Ottawa, Canada, and she has just absolutely wonderful bits of wisdom to offer about the world she lives in (such as this inspiring post about saying "yes"). Today she's answering some of my questions about life & blogging. Stick around. You'll be glad you did. 

1. What compelled you to start blogging?

In November 2012, I moved from Toronto to Ottawa (about five hours away by car) when my boyfriend of eight months got a job transfer. It was a bit of a risk on my part - leaving my family, friends and a job I loved. It ended up working out because we got engaged six months later, but at the time I was trying to process a lot of emotions and blogging was a great outlet for that. I've always loved writing, but never really considered blogging. Initially, my posts were about moving and adjusting to a new city. I used the blog as a way to keep my friends and family up-to-date with my life, but as more people starting reading it just took on a life of its own. 

2. I'm totally pumped for your Adventures in Dating series. Can you elaborate on the reasons you decided to dive into the subject of dating?

When I ended a three year relationship in December 2010, I had no idea how to date. I hadn't been on a date in over three years. Plus, when I was dating previously, I was in university and it was really easy to meet guys. When I re-entered the dating world, I was no longer in school and had no idea where to meet men so I turned to online dating. At that time, it still had a stigma attached to it so I didn't tell many people about it. I found the experience a bit isolating and it wasn't until I met my friend Catherine (the co-blogger of this series) that I finally had someone to talk to about all the highs and lows of dating. 

Catherine and I decided to start this series so that girls in the dating world could read stories about situations similar to ones they have experienced. We also felt we were at a good place in our lives to reflect on how we got where we are today. I personally think it is always good to take something difficult and try to find some humour in it.  

We also really meant for this series to be collaborative. We are always looking for other bloggers or readers to share their stories (they can even remain anonymous!).

3. Who are your biggest inspirations?

Hands down my biggest inspirations are my mom and my maternal grandmother. They are both such strong, positive women. They always see the good in everyone and every situation, which is a trait I could work on for sure. My mom, specifically, inspires me to write. She was a high school English teacher in South Africa (before she met my dad, got married, moved to Canada and had me!). She always encourages my creative side and is my biggest fan.

On the not-so-serious side, Sweet Brown inspires me. That woman's got it right. "Ain't nobody got time for that" is one of my life mantras. 

4. What are two recent posts on your blog that you are particularly excited about?

Earlier this week I shared a post called What's Stopping You?  about the unhealthy thoughts that lead us to hold ourselves back from achieving what we want. I think it's so easy to put limitations on ourselves rather than stepping out of our comfort zones and trying something new or hard. I stepped out of my comfort zone and ran 5 km, something I never thought I could do, and it was such an empowering experience for me.

I'm also really excited about the introductory post to the Adventures in Dating series. It's a series that was in the making for a while and I was so thrilled to have it launch. In this post I share how my co-blogger Catherine and I met (Spoiler alert: we were dating the same guy and both working in the same office!).  It's fun to take things that seemed like a big deal at the time and make light of them (that's something I do a lot on the blog). 

5. You're getting married in May! How fantastic. How is the planning going?

The planning is going pretty well. I kept thinking I had so much time and was slowly making my way through my list of things to do. Now I'm in the four month stretch and it seems like it will be race to the finish to get everything done. Since I only plan on doing this once, I'm trying to enjoy it and not see it as a stress or burden.

I have loved that it has opened me up to new blog topics and has also led me to stumble upon great bloggers (like you!). I've also discovered Etsy is a great resource for wedding ideas and it has everything you could ever want for your wedding. I'm currently working on blog post about how I pretty much bought everything for my wedding through Etsy vendors.


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