Monday, May 2, 2022

A to Z Journey - My Reflections post


I actually got busy with work and Ramzan festival is around the corner, but seeing every one doing a A to Z reflections post, it perked me up to do one too. I have already done a Thank You post which is as good as reflections...which surprisingly received lot of love! While writing it I felt may be I am rambling a lot....but then some of those points seemed useful to many bloggers which made me super glad. "My long posts and wrist pain haven't gone waste"- I felt😌. A to Z woke me up from a deep non-blogging slumber. Its like I woke up startled from a nightmare and I started penning down whatever came to my mind freely and unapologetically. Some of the posts written by me - Vision - An open letter to every Indian , Bemused, Covidiots were all highlighting the current situations and challenges. Not all may find them good because we have varying opinions among the World/Country citizens, but I am glad I could pen down my unfiltered thoughts through A to Z. When I started I was quite doubtful, shy and scared as I am blogging after a long break but everyone's comments encouraged and motivated me to continue writing! I mostly wrote about covid life and my daughter diaries during A to Z.

Following list covers all my A to Z blog posts  - now that I skim through them, I feel mystified that I could pull it through (ofcourse my friend and my mother contributed guest posts) ! 😇😇

This year was quite enriching because I have read a lot. When I finished challenge in past years (2013, 2014), we did it as a very small group and had no time to read from Master list. This time I had time to experience various writings, understand various walks of life,  challenges they faced, their accomplishments, failures, poetry, fiction, reviews, technology, foods, travelogues and much more. Aaah! It was like I experienced a ocean of blogs - each wave carrying its own flavor , its own authenticity. I loved the following blogs for their honesty, passion, fun quotient, emotional values, research , presentation , detailed analysis and much more. It was like I walked in to a human library.  To me interaction is the key. Whoever could interact seamlessly, I connected well with them!

Some blogs from my A to Z reading list:

Following are Top favs. They are quite interactive in their writing, be it on their own blogs or while sharing their views on others blogs👍💓!

  1. https://fictionpies.com/ (Flash fiction based on books she read . A strong story established in very less words)
  2. https://crackerberries.wordpress.com/ (Became a fan of her spontaneity, her humor, her passion and the efforts she took to share others' blogs is commendable)
  3. www.hdhstory.net/storyblog ( MY MOST FAVORITE BLOG - UNIQUE letters written which highlight all real events both current and historical)
  4. https://liveandlearn-tossandturn.blogspot.com/  (Spontaneous posts , An interactive blog for readers)
  5. http://benchsnotebook.blogspot.com/ (Day to day anecdotes. Quite a fun blog)
  6. https://kalpanawrites.com/ (Wonderful travelogues)
  7. https://matheikal.blogspot.com/ (political satires. Something I read never before. Non-chalant writing)
  8. https://soniadogra.com/ (Beautiful and soulful poetry)
  9. https://thedreamgirlwrites.wordpress.com/ (Loved her fiction and style)
  10. https://waffle-with-wendy.blogspot.com/ (Conversations of Alice and Wendy - which you should not miss)
  11. https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/ (An interesting Starbucks Coffee story)
  12. https://moondustwriter.wordpress.com/ (A Sci-Fi account of the Ukraine war and tragic events. Must read)
  13. https://planetpailly.com/ (Quite a favorite blog. Gave me an idea to write my X post. A space blog which would make your imaginations soar)

Some more blogs which I kept reading as much as I could throughout the challenge:
  • https://momandideas.com/ (Appreciative attempt - to start every sentence of her sci fi episodes with same alphabet of the day)

I also read many more blogs whenever I got time from the master list, which are actually not in the reading list above. I tried listing whatever blogs I could remember from the top of my head! There are many who made it till the last in spite of multiple challenges and some had to dropout of the challenge mid-way. Even then Kudos to all who attempted, participated and tried their best 👏👏👊💥If I get a chance I would do an A to Z challenge again next year. Fingers crossed that timing and situation must be convenient for me! I hope to stay in touch with A to Zers' and keep reading all your flavorful and insightful posts.

Irrespective of stats, I am loving the fact that people felt connected to my posts and kept coming back! I feel so overwhelmed that I could attract readers who never read me in past. Apologies for not replying much. I will try doing it in coming months!

Thanks to A to Z creators for this unique platform which makes us stand in limelight for a month for sure and we all can garner so much love, feed back, meet like minded people, understand criticism, implement suggestions and become better bloggers and writers.

Thank you once again. Adios till I see u again! I wish to use the experience of A to Z, be more regular on blog and continue to write monthly twice at least from now. Hoping and praying I succeed...

Issue: One issue I faced during the challenge is, I lost access to the A to Z FB page. I was posting normally like everyone else till alphabet P day I believe and then I got blocked/restricted or it may be some FB glitch. I tried trouble shooting in all possible ways. Even when my ThankYou post was shared on the page, I just couldn't react to it 😞 It was upsetting. Informed the same to Arlee bird and A to Z organisers on Instagram and also their blog but they were as clueless as I am! I really hope I get my access back. Right now it looks like below. I can only view the posts/threads. Even my old posts are invisible to all!! almost feels like black magic !

Looks like this with no Like/Unlike buttons

Anyhow I am ecstatic that I finished the challenge and it feels proud to flash this on the blog :) 



42 comments:

  1. Thanks for mentioning my blog and for visiting throughout April. Congratulations on completing the challenge and sharing your stories with us.

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    1. Thanks and congrats to u too. I enjoyed ur travel episodes too

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  2. Congrats on finishing the challenge! Great reading list :-)

    Ronel visiting for A-Z Challenge Reflections 2022

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  3. Congratulations on completing the challenge!

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  4. Blogging is an interesting medium. You can pretty much write whatever, and someone will respond. Congrats on getting to the end and doing all the blog hopping. For me that was always the hardest part (and why I stopped doing the challenge officially).

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    1. Yes unless u hav ample of free time it's not easy. I had time this year so blog hopped. Enjoyed ur school episodes Liz. Would love to be connected...and congrats to u too

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  5. You did a nice reflection post. You did read a lot of blogs during the challenge. I would go on a blog and see that you had already been there leaving a comment :) Great reading lists you left here too for us to look over. I did visit a lot of blogs but some of these I don't think I visited so it will be nice to do so in the weeks ahead.

    betty

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    1. Ya i made a reading list for myself and managed to read as much as I could through out A to Z. I was on a blog hop spree in this challenge. Not very sure if i will hav that much time next year ...but would love to take up the challeng again. Thanks

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    2. Thanks for adding my blog to your list of favorites and your kind words of it being a fun blog :)

      betty

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  6. Great reflections post, Afshan and thank you for including me in your favourites! A much bigger thank you for listing out all those blogs, coz I am straightaway adding them to bookmarks to go through! Makes life so much easier! Keep blogging!

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    1. Ya the top 13 list is the list of blogs which i used to visit first thing in the day :) ya i placed them all at one place for my own convenience too. ...hope to get back to blogging soon and hope we continue the grp effort. ❣️

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  7. Congratulations, Afshanm for completing the A2Z challenge. I am glad you added a link to each of your posts so now I can come back and find each one easily. I am still in the process of my reflections post. Leave it to me to procrastinate seeing how we have until the 7th. I hope to complete in the next day (or two). Thank you for the shout out. I appreciate that. Hope to stay blogging and keep in touch through the year.
    Cheers,
    Barbie

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    1. I hope to stay in touch too. I am burned out myself and may not blog till for a while...though i hav some thing in mind to write...i wanna write atleast once or twice a month. I hope to see ya around too. Tk care

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  8. I'm so sorry you haven't been able to get back in the FB group, that's very strange.
    Congratulations, not only on completing A-Z 2022 but on visiting so many blogs, you were super busy! I recognize a few on your list. Thanks for the shout-out, too!

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    1. Ya that FB thing is really like it's a jinx...the day my post was featured by a to z folks, i lost my access. I couldn't acknowledge or even like it. I am not able to post mortem the issue. Not sure if i will get my access again. Anyhow it's a fun month. I enjoyed it like never before

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  9. Congratulations on completing the AtoZ! And your regular comments on my posts! :-) I have answered the query about identifying the Yellow flowers! Eid Mubarak!

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    1. I saw that and responded :) thanks for Eid wishes

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  10. I think it is the comments that keep us bloggers going.

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  11. Congratulations on completing this year! I like all the lists you have here. I want to visit more of the blogs in this challenge for the rest of the year and lists like this help me focus and break up the order I go in.
    --
    Tim Brannan
    The Other Side | A to Z of Conspiracy Theories

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  12. You did a lot of visiting, which is fantastic, and you wrote good entries. Thanks for being part of this!

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  13. Wow you did get to visit a lot of other blogs! Thanks for the mention above. I've enjoyed my visits to your blog (when I've managed them). I hope you keep on blogging. Well done on reaching the end!

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  14. Congratulations on finishing the challenge! Your posts were very interesting to follow throughout the month. Also, thank you for the mention!

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    1. @Wendy, John, Timothy and Enchanted words: Thanks a lot for all your wishes...yes this time I did it little more fervently than before.....I hope to drop by ur blogs now and then and keep in touch. Thanks for ur time❤️

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  15. Congrats, Afshan, on completing the challenge.
    I got busy right after April 30. I think it's late to put up a Reflections Post.
    I enjoyed writing the posts, as much as I did reading the posts of others.
    Yours is one of the blogs I discovered, and I kept coming back to through April.
    You did well to write some beautiful and engaging posts, that I loved reading.
    I have bookmarked your blog, and I hope to read your posts in future too.
    My latest post: Post-book blues and All my A to Z Challenge blogposts

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  16. My comment hasn't appeared ... Testing with this comment ..

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    1. Pradeep i activated comment moderation on my blog due to lot of spam and trolls hence i hav to approve to publish the comment!!! Am also using it for first time! Sorry for trouble :) thanks for liking my posts....its fun knowing u ....ur write-ups are though provoking yet so breezy!! I would love to stay connected. Good luck

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  17. You have done the A to Z Challenge thoroughly, in letter and spirit. I’ll try to emulate your example next year. This year was my first and I was totally overwhelmed. So could not manage to return my fellow bloggers’ visits in the rush to meet the post deadlines. Thank you for your visits and comments! ~Ria

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    1. Its not easy at all....i also visited so many blogs for the first time in my life :) wish u good luck with blogging.

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    2. Afshan, was looking for you this time around at the A to Z Challenge. I know you must be busy elsewhere but disappointed not to see you participating!

      ~Ria

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    3. Wished to. But life and happenings stopped me. Feels so good that u checked on me.
      Would visit to read ur a to z posts soon!

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  18. Wow, I'm amazed you read so many. I read many too, but that made it so it was hard to return often. Congrats on making it through, and I'm glad you became less shy of writing freely - a wonderful thing!

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    1. Sheri I missed reading u. Your posts seem so creative. ..will find time and drop by soon. Thanks for being here

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  19. Hi Afshan - I have posted a review of you and each of your WhatsApp group as part of my Road Trip - what a good idea that seems to have been for you all! https://how-would-you-know.com/2022/05/a2z-2022-challenge-road-trip-reviews-1.html

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    1. I shared ur post with everyone in my close circles. They enjoyed it as much as I did :) thank u

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  20. I am delighted to have met you through AtoZ, and intend to visit your blog regularly. Thanks for the shout out!

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    1. Likewise! Same here. I hope I find time to read often.....good luck with ur blogging!

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  21. I really enjoyed reading your posts and the one that your mom wrote. I need to catch up with a few though and am still lagging behind with my detailed reflections post. Thank you so much for reading my blog throughout the challenge and sharing about it. See you around!
    https://momandideas.com

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What do you think about this ? I always love to hear back. A comment or a brickbat boosts me to write more but the mud slinging shall be promptly vacuumed.

Thanks for your time :)

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