Six years and five months later, here I am writing my final blog post. I did not see this one coming. But if the sparse updating and the mostly impersonal posts I’ve written recently were any indication, this blog was headed to its decease. In the months that have gone by, I have lost inspiration and the drive to keep this blog going. I have mentioned to Knut and to a friend some time ago that I had been thinking of shutting all my presence online and taking a one year sabbatical – to give myself a new perspective and see what I would learn about life.
But then something happened. Death shakes you to the core and with it comes a realization that time goes by quickly and that time is best spent making memories with your loved ones. It made me realize that there are more important things in life than Prada and shopping wish lists. Or the silly fact that I wrote about them. I was sitting at a coffee shop yesterday and found this line written on a glass wall, “The days went by. Nobody told me that was life.” I thought it was profound and silently made a reassurance of the idea of ending my blog. I have spent much time focused on being present online, when the only ones I need to focus on are just an arm’s length away. My life should not be the one that I live on broadband, but the one that I live with the people who matter the most to me.
I have had a great six years and five months blogging. I will never regret the time that I spent building and enjoying my presence online, writing about my thoughts, wishes and silly purchases or gaining even just a modest following from loyal readers. God I will definitely miss those! It was through this blog that I got the chance to write a column for a magazine, something that I have always wanted to do ever since I started writing press releases in the Philippines almost a decade ago. It was also through this blog that I have made and met good friends, something I thought was remote from reality and for that I will always be grateful. It’s actually amazing this blogging thing. They say that all good things come to an end and I would like to think that my blog was one of the good things that have happened in my life. But now this is the end.
As I close this blog, I am also closing my Twitter account. I am keeping the blog online until I have archived all 980 posts and turned them into an actual journal I can keep in my bookshelf. I will be posting my last tweet not too far from now, but I am keeping the account open until I’ve finally accepted that my time there is also over. You can read my recent tweets, but you won’t find me there anymore.
I am looking forward to this new stage in my life – 30 and blogless. I know there will be new things to learn, new places to discover and new memories to make. I wish I could share them all with you but that will have to wait until we meet again sometime, somewhere.
Thank you for following me thus far. I wish you a good life.
Love, Mark
I’ll miss you
I wish you all the best!
We’ll miss you but I understand your reasons
Bye Mark!
Har fulgt bloggen din i noen år av og på, men må si at den både har vært veldig inspirerende rent matrielt, men også når det gjelder opplevelser og livsreise. Alt godt videre på alle måter!
Has been a pleasure reading your blog over the years. Best of luck.
Dear Mark,
This is so sad
Will miss a lots one of my favourite daily reads.
But totally understand and support your reasons and decision.
Let’s hope it’s just goodbye for now.
Best wishes
All the best for your new beginnings. I will miss reading your blogs from the other side of the world. Take care.
Mark, i shall miss your blog, tweets and you. I wish you nothing but the best and the brightest. I hope to hear from you from time-to-time. OK? – J.
I will miss this site. Cheers and all the best! -Singapore reader
Thank you for your blog – it was an extreme pleasure to read and thank you for introducing me to so many things. Best of luck to you!
Stacey, from Canada
your blog entries had made me aspire for fine and lovely things. i admired your photography, your writing, your undeniable zest for life. all the best in your future endeavors. — enzoHKG
see you mark in Paris for another aventures !
GREAT SHOT for this entry !!!!!
pascal
Hi Mark,
I totally understand what you’re going through. I haven’t closed my blog yet but I don’t update it as often as I did. I have decided instead to spend more time with loved ones — family and friends who are around me. Something profound has happened to me too and I realized blogging is just something I like to do, not my livelihood. I knew then I shouldn’t be spending more time on my blog, on Twitter or even on Facebook.
Anyway, take care Mark. Best of luck to you and I hope to hear from you from time to time.
- Ernie
I’ve followed your blog for the past 2-3 years and never commented. I loved the posts and insights from fashion to traveling. Sad it won’t be around anymore, but best of luck to you!
I’m exactly the same as Canh. I’ve followed your blog for a long time though, although I’ve never left any comments. This is so sad! Best of luck to you in the future… Maybe you’ll return one day to talk about life or your travels, if not the more superficial things in life!
Thanks for all the inspirations. You will be missed.
it was a pleasure meeting you through your blog. you will surely be missed. anyway, best of luck to you mark!
xoxo
jp
it always sucks to discover something awesome…after its over
We only part to meet again.
It has been a pleasure. Have a good life!
Please don’t publish.
Hi there,
I just wanted to say thanks for your blogging. Through your exquisite pictures and spot on commentary, your refined taste and fun personality shine through in your posts. I’m not a blogger myself but I completely understand the wasting time on things that, in the big scheme of things, aren’t all that important.
I’ve read your blog for a while and although I don’t comment, I imagine that we have a lot in common. I like to travel and some way or another found myself loving to buy and find fun little luxuries. I love the Louis along with a bunch of other Italian and French brands. After buying way too many bags, more than I could probably use in any particular month, I realized that I was compensating for something else. I think that the coming out process helped some of my insecurities but I still have lots more work to do.
At any rate, this is sounding likes therapy session now so I’ll say that you have an admirer here in Washington, DC and I wish you well wherever life takes you. If you’re ever in town, send me an email–I’d love to buy you a coffee.
Best wishes,
Antonio