About

Thursday Pass is a rather eclectic blog written by a rather eclectic person named Erin. The blog encompasses a number of topics, but the most common are as follows: photography; WordPress, the internet, and blogging; tips for college students; poetry; travel and entertainment; and sometimes news or politics.

The author is about to embark upon the journey called the Master’s Degree, upon graduation she will promptly run away to Paris and do absolutely nothing for the rest of her life.

Erin’s interests include photography, horses, the outdoors, literature, the internet, music, writing, and a hundred other things that will probably surface as you get to know her.

Erin has an unparalleled skill at finding four leaf clovers, and her father is listed as her mother on her birth certificate.

The name “Thursday Pass” came about when Erin was told by a sleeping person that “You need to get a thursday pass.”

A Mission Statement of Sorts: June 3, 2008

I’ve been writing this blog seriously for about a week now. I’ve written blogs before, but never with the idea of gaining and informing readers. My goal before was just to write about my life, in such a way that people who knew me might be interested in reading. But, having the writing bug, sometimes I’m after more than that. Now, in the middle of those lazy summer days, I’m ready for something to challenge me. This blog is doing that.

I’m writing on a lot of topics. Some are for my use, to improve my writing and to keep track of things in my life. Others, I’m writing because while wandering around this place called the internet, I saw a need or a desire for something. I keep track of top google searches, WordPress and Stumble tags and categories, and what is doing well on Digg, as well as watching the news and talking to people. Through this, I think I get some sense of what people are talking and asking about. Some of the posts that I write because of reader interests are the most challenging, because I have to research and study something that I may not be terribly interested in or knowledgable about. Rest assured, though, I will never willingly lead you astray by talking about things I know nothing about. I’m learning constantly in the process of writing this blog. I’d be lying if I told you that, at age 22, I know enough about any one subject to teach all that it encompasses to you. I know a lot about a lot of different things, and I am learning more every day. That’s what I offer here, not the wisdom of, for example, forty years in stockbroking, or two degrees in Marine Biology.

I’m pretty proud of where this is going so far. After an initial spike of viewers which I believe was caused by some lucky Stumble placement, I’ve settled at a modest number of viewers a day, and that number goes up by 3-10 per day. I wish there was a way to know if any of those were repeat viewers. I hope they are. Also, I posted a link to my friend Mike’s blog on my page, and I’m sending him about one click a day. He seems to be doing the same for me. That feels nice.

As far as why this bout of blogging is working so much better than others, I blame it entirely on three things. The first is that in the summer, I have a lot less to do that during the semester, and I begin to look for creative things to do. The second is that I’m interested (fittingly enough, for a future teacher) in informing people, as well as in having others see my work (written or visual). The third is wordpress. WordPress has so much flexibility and so many options, all tied up in an inuitive little package (and all for free, as I haven’t yet purchased a domain name or any of the other extras. Maybe soon!), that I almost can’t help from blogging. It’s as though I have a well of creativity and ideas, and those ideas are falling over a waterfall with WordPress at the bottom. I have only to open the floodgates, it seems, and WordPress takes my ideas and sends them out to the world.

/End cheesy image.

As to how long I’m going to stay this dedicated to blogging, I can’t say. I would imagine that, with understandable gaps for travel and such, I will be updating something here about three times a week for the rest of the summer. As we transition back into my final semester of real undergraduate classes (only observation in the spring, and then I’m on to my Masters), that number may drop. I hope it doesn’t. I’ve also noticed that I tend to write several blogs in one day, and then not feel like writing for a day or two. I may ration blogs and release them one at a time, instead of just publishing everything as I write it. That might help with continuity.

Stick with me for a while, friends, for I feel that I have something to offer. It may be strange, and it may be nothing like what I had to offer last week, or next, but I assure you that I will do my best to keep it interesting. I’ll also do my best to write about what you are interested in. On that note, any input, feedback, questions or suggestions should be left as comments. Rest assured that they WILL be taken seriously.

Until then, friend.