Leaving the Meadow (Sort Of): Why I’m Moving from Blogger to Ghost

Leaving Step — Rendered by the author in Midjourney

Believe me, I'm all too aware that there’s a certain irony to writing an almost-goodbye post for a blogging platform on… well, that very same blogging platform. It’s like breaking up with someone over dinner at their favorite restaurant. “The breadsticks are great, but I really think we should see other people.”

So, friends, here we are. This is me letting you know that Of Wanderings and Words will be moving soon. Don't worry. It’s not a dramatic eviction or a panicked midnight suitcase situation or anything like that. More like a bittersweet graduation — a natural step forward, even if I still feel the tug of the old meadow I’ve been tending for so many years running now.

The Blogger Meadow

I’ve always thought of Blogger as something of a meadow, especially in recent years. A little wild, a little neglected, but still alive in its own way. The grass grows high here, flowers pop up unannounced, and nobody’s really trimming the hedges with any regularity. It’s not pristine or perfect, but it’s always felt like a place where you can wander in, kick off your shoes, and just… be.

That was the appeal for me when I restarted this blog earlier this year. I didn’t have to worry about algorithms, subscriber counts, or even whether anyone would find what I wrote. And because of that, I wrote differently.

Some of my favorite posts happened here precisely because there wasn’t pressure. Take my recent Slacker essay, for example. That piece sprouted in the meadow without me even trying for anything specific, and it ended up resonating more than I expected. It was a welcome reminder that sometimes my best writing happens when I stop aiming for “important” all the time and just write like nobody’s watching.

Blogger gave me that. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

Why Move at All, Then?

So, if Blogger is my beloved meadow, why am I leaving it?

Well, the short version is it’s 2025, and Google has more or less forgotten Blogger exists. They’re not watering the meadow anymore. No updates, no love, no real visibility or support as far as even their own search engine goes. So, if you write something here, it’s like whispering into a well. Unless you personally install a rope and talk people into climbing down, nobody hears it.

And while Blogger worked perfectly as a low-pressure sandbox while I was busy getting my bearings and turning blogging back into a habit, it does sting to know that good writing posted here likely won't ever be discovered organically. If someone wanted to Google their way into my Slacker essay or one of my tarot musings, they wouldn’t find it.

I've known I'd eventually need to pick a replacement for a while now, but God help me, I just really don't like WordPress. But then Ghost came along, standing there with its sleek black turtleneck and minimalist design like the cooler older sibling I never had. I couldn’t help but look over and think, "Hrm. This could actually work without driving me insane."

First Impressions of Ghost

Ghost feels like a meadow too, except this one has paths leading back to it. People who are looking for a cool place to hang out can actually find the clearing. There are signposts, lanterns, and even a mailbox where they can leave their names if they want to hear from me again.

Some things I especially liked right away:

• It’s clean and modern, without feeling corporate or cold.

• People can subscribe directly, which I love (and which Blogger hasn’t offered for ages).

• The design just feels like it belongs in 2025 instead of 2005.

Do I miss my Blogger sidebar and my quirky old graphics? Sure. Do I feel a little intimidated by how polished Ghost looks? Absolutely. It’s like going from wearing pajama pants in the meadow to putting on new slacks for brunch downtown. But sometimes, a fresh pair of slacks is exactly what you need, neurodivergent clothing issues and all.

What Stays the Same

Now, pay attention to this, because it's important. None of this means Of Wanderings and Words is about to get buttoned up and serious — probably a gimme if you actually do know me, but worth stating out loud for those who don't.

This blog will still be where I share personal essays, reflections, meta-thoughts, behind-the-scenes rambles, and odd little tangents. It will still be full of humor, melancholy, and occasional chaos. I’m definitely not preparing to put on a blazer and call myself a “thought leader” or anything. (If I ever use the phrase “thought leader” seriously, assume I’ve been replaced by an alien wearing my skin.)

The writing won’t change. The voice won’t change. The only real difference is that it’ll be easier for you to follow along if you want to, as well as easier for strangers to stumble across what I'm doing if they’re looking for something like what I write.

What Changes

The most obvious difference? Ghost actually has a subscription option. You can sign up, and my posts will land in your inbox like letters. No more trying to remember to check back here, and no more old-school bookmarking.

And for now, everything there will remain free to read and subscribe to. This move isn’t about monetization for me (though Ghost makes that possible down the line). This is about discoverability and connection.

Another change is purely practical. I am currently in the process of migrating my existing Blogger posts over to Ghost. Not all of them, as some are relics of long bygone eras from my writing life, and they can stay lovingly buried in the meadow. But the treasured ones from the last several months, the ones that still feel like “me,” will come along for the ride.

This site will stay up for a while, with a final note pointing to Ghost. Eventually, once I feel confident that no one’s still showing up here looking for me, I’ll let it go entirely. But that day isn’t today.

Why This Matters (to Me, Anyway)

Leaving a platform always feels heavier than it probably looks from the outside. I've never really been the type of person who's always running toward the shiniest, newest things. 

For example, when I left LiveJournal years ago, it wasn’t just about moving on to something more functional. It was about letting go of an entire chapter of my life, and an important one at that. LiveJournal was where I met Seth, where I first shared my writing online, and where I finally found a voice that was truly my own. It hurt to leave it behind, even though I knew it was the right choice.

Blogger doesn’t have quite the same mythology for me, but it has been important in its own way. It was where I remembered how much I love this kind of writing. It was where I rebuilt my personal voice after years of prioritizing professional copywriting and content work. And it was the meadow where I wandered back into myself.

So, yes, it stings to walk away. But it also feels right.

The Invitation

If you’ve enjoyed wandering this meadow with me, I’d truly love it if you’d follow me to the new space. Ghost really feels like the right next step and an appropriate new home for my work  — a meadow that hasn’t been abandoned, a place where words can grow wild and still be seen.

You can find the Ghost version of this blog right here. Go there when you're ready, subscribe if you like, and the wanderings will keep coming. Blogger has been lovely for what it is, even now, but it’s time to give these words a new home, one with lanterns along the path, so more people can actually find their way in.

This Isn’t a Goodbye in the Sad, Door-Slamming Sense 

It’s more like a transition. The Blogger version of Of Wanderings and Words will linger a while longer, and I’ll always think fondly of it, the way you wax nostalgic about an old café where you used to write in college. However, it’s no longer the café that serves the kind of coffee I need.

Ghost is where this part of my writing presence will be, starting very soon. (I'll post a final post here to confirm that the transition is complete when that's indeed the case.) Same voice, same wanderings, same words. Just with a new roof and better lighting. 

So, goodbye, old meadow. Hello, new meadow with lovely cobblestone pathways. And as always, thank you for walking with me.