![A-to-Z Reflection [2016]](https://exampleworkpresscom.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/a-to-z-reflection-2016.jpg?w=775)
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When I saw Damyanti Biswas‘ post introducing me to the A to Z Challenge 2016, I thought ~ ‘Oh, another one of those challenges. Maybe I’ll try this one!’ One month’s commitment seemed like a doable time period to make this effort a challenging one. As time went on I began to realize the amount of organization and the scope behind this endeavor! My enthusiasm grew! This could be a very rewarding event for me! I was #100 on the Sign-Up List and I watched the number of sign-ups grow to an impressive number of 1,946 bloggers!
When the call came for us to Reveal A Theme, I had already been pre-scheduling my alphabet letters around the thought of sharing with my children and grandchildren some of the Lessons Learned through my life. This was becoming for me a moment in time where I would no longer just think about it. I was being inspired and motivated to get my thoughts on life down in writing. The Challenge provided a creative and inspiring vehicle.
Much thanks to Arlee Bird and his Ambassadors for providing this moment in time to what turned out to be the most rewarding (and intense) experience in my blogging so far. I look forward to 2017!!
My A to Z Challenge ~ Lessons Learned (Click Here)
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~ My A to Z Blogging Community ~
During the month of April, every morning was like Christmas morning! I would wake up with a sense of anticipation and log onto my laptop to see who stopped by and commented on that day’s post. I created my website/blog in September of 2015 and had met a lot of great bloggers. I was pleased with the initial reception of my blog ~ Me in the Middle ~ and was gaining confidence and experience as I went along. A to Z was something new!! The traffic to my blog shot up and I had 1,611 views, 548 visitors, 678 likes and 652 comments throughout the April A2Z Challenge. I used Facebook and Twitter to launch each day’s posts. Visitors came to my blog from Facebook, Twitter and WordPress Reader. Honestly, I’m now in A to Z Withdrawal and miss the stimulation of non-stop connecting and blogging with other bloggers. It’s nice though that my life has returned to a calmer, steady pace and, to be honest, I wouldn’t be able to maintain the effort for more than one month out of the year. So Bring It On 2017!
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~ A Dozen Brave Bloggers ~
(There are so many more bloggers who came to visit Me in the Middle and I hope to return to everyone’s blogs and read all of their AtoZ posts. I decided to share a dozen of these bloggers because I got to know them through visiting their blogs and chatting in comments. Click on their links and see the amazing blogs they’ve created! ♥ )
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What a wonderful wrap-up post! I LOVE your theme! I’m so sorry I missed you during the challenge. I will be back to read more! And I feel like you do. Even though it pert near wore me out, I sure do miss it! Already thinking about a theme for next year… May you and “Me in the Middle” be blessed in the interim! 😀
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I just found your comment, Calen! Too funny! It really was overwhelming! 😀
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Congratulations on surviving the A to Z! I too am experiencing A to Z withdrawal which explains why I decided to jump in to another challenge i.e. Blog Every Day in May LOL Only 11 months to next year’s A to Z Challenge! 😀
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AJ, I just found your comment! I’m going to check out ‘Bog Every Day in May’. Do you have a link for me? 🙂
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Hi Mary Lou – There isn’t any one blog that focuses on the Blog Every Day in May challenge, it seems very individual. I referenced several blogs in order to come up with what to write everyday 🙂
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Yes, A to Z withdrawal – know the feeling! It was quite a challenge, and quite an achievement to finish. I don’t know about you but I felt pretty exhausted when I struggled over the finishing line. I see you’re already planning next year – impressive!
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Well ….. I have good intentions to do next year’s AtoZ! I kept waking up at 3 a.m. every morning! It was pretty intense! 🙂
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3 a.m! *eyes popping* So you were basically fitting two days into one. Not a bad tactic, but difficult to sustain!
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Wow, that really sounds like you had an awesome A to Z Challenge. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Sarina! It was a wonderful experience for my first AtoZ. 🙂
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Congrats on completing your first challenge and on improving your stats so much 🙂 The challenge is so much fun and it’s definitely a come down when it’s over!
Debbie
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I really learned a lot from the AtoZ experience, Debbie. Now, to just keep blogging at least once a week!! 🙂
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Hi Mary Lou. I just nominated you for a blogging award and I do hope you will accept: https://mysilverstreaks.com/2016/05/11/what-a-fun-way-to-connect/
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So exciting, Dahlia!! Thanks so much! I’ll take a look at it and do my best to participate! ❤ 🙂
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Just passing on the excitement – glad you liked 🙂
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I too enjoyed the opportunity to connect to other bloggers during the challenge, but agree that a month is probably the max that I could have kept up that pace. Here’s to next year!
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I’m just coming out of ‘blogger’s block’. I hope to blog at least once a week! 🙂
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Hi Mary Lou! I’m one of the 100s suffering withdrawal symptoms from AtoZ but obviously I’m in good company! It was great to link up with you and hope we can keep the connection going. You are well organised already planning for next year!
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I think I’m just about fully recovered. From what I experience this time, having a theme and having an interesting one is very important. This first experience has encouraged me to try again!! 🙂
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We are all suffering with withdrawal symptoms by the sound of it. I am now concentrating on my other blog, which is a more personal reflective one This Pilgrims Progress https://thispilgrimsdailyprogress.wordpress.com/ Would appreciate any visits and comments. Blessings Joy
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Sounds like a worthwhile blog to check out, Joy! I believe I read the book ‘Pilgrims Progress’ awhile back. 🙂
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Thanks Mary, i started it a while back, but have changed the focus of it in the past few days. it is still about my progress, but not on the topic that i wrote on the About page. I will need to go back and change that. Blessings Joy
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Watching my stats go up was a highlight for me also 🙂 Congratulations on completing the challenge!
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Thanks, Natalie! Life is settling down and I’m thinking of possibilities for next AtoZ. 🙂
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Thanks for including me in your special mentions Mary Lou – it has been such a pleasure meeting you and I’m looking forward to seeing what you write about now that you’re not challenging any more. I’m loving being back to my normal posting routine of three a week instead of six! It’s been a great journey 🙂
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Three a week!! My goal is one a week for now. AtoZ has definitely helped to give me a kick start. I’m still in AtoZ withdrawal so I’m coasting along and not thinking about another post. 🙂
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Congratulations on making it all the way through! It really was rewarding, wasn’t it, more than I thought it would be. 🙂 I’m looking forward to next year too, and it will be nice to see you there again. 🙂
Thank you for the linky-love! 🙂
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Yes, it was rewarding and being this was my first AtoZ I’m really impressed with everything! Glad to have my life back and to be enjoying Spring. I’ll be ready next year to have a go at it again! 🙂
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Congrats on completing the challenge. It was good to meet you and I’m glad we are now connected 🙂
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Thanks, Parul! Congrats to you too! I want to make my rounds and get to all of the great AtoZ posts that I didn’t have time to cover. I’ll be visiting! 🙂
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Thanks for including me in your list. I enjoyed your alphabet, and agree with you that the effort it took to do this challenge is a once-a-year thing. Also, jealous of your badge up there with “reflection” on it. Very snazzy.
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You can get the badge off of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge website, Ally! Here’s the link http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2016/05/time-for-reflection-on-2016-challenge.html
I’ll be visiting to catch up on your other posts! 🙂
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Thanks for link.
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This was my 3rd year participating in the A to Z Challenge and you summarized the experience so well. It is a month long adrenaline rush and I always have mixed feelings at the end – a combination of relief to go back to a calmer blogging pace, and missing the stimulation of that interaction every day.
Congratulations on completely the A to Z. It is a lot harder than it sounds and you came through it with flying colours 🙂
Thank you so much for the mention! It was really nice to connect with you through this Challenge and I’m looking forward to more!
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There’s so many great themes we can come up with so I’m already thinking about 2017. I want to read more of your posts about your travels, Joanne! 🙂
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haha! In spite of myself, I’m already thinking forward too 😉
Having said that, life is so busy right now, I’ll be lucky to have any presence at all on my blog over the next couple of months.
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Right now I’m feeling the same way, Joanne! And it’s Spring out there and I want to get outdoors more. 🙂
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SO. MUCH. TO. DO!! Sometimes I have mixed feelings about spring and summer. My workload seems to increase exponentially 😉
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Had a beautiful journey with you 😘
Thank you for warm words .
Congrats and let’s stay connected !
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You have so much talent, Dixita! I’ll be sure to follow your posts! 🙂
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Thank you so much.
Yes the challenge builds relations 😘
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Thank you for the mention! It was such a joy to follow your posts. I resonated a lot.
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I loved your idea for a theme, Gulara! Already I’m beginning to think of something interesting for next year’s theme. 🙂
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