2018 has been a breakthrough year for the blog.
After my creative lull in 2016 and 2017 where I would only post on the blog a few times a year, I went back to regularly writing on my blog after my Mexico vacation in June. The Mexico vacation served as a timely reminder that I have created a platform to share my experiences, and oiled my creative juices. I posted routinely from June to now, and I would like to use this post to revisit some of the posts I wrote this year in order to discuss the post's reception and to offer additional thoughts.
Two of my most viewed and talked-about posts this year were about the flare-throwing incident in Ottawa involving travelling Toronto FC supporters, as well as my profile on the Inebriatti TFC supporters group. I created these posts in order to highlight the changing dynamic between Toronto FC management and the supporters, which has become more authoritarian than usual. These posts, and in particular the Inebriatti post, generated much discussion on my Twitter feed from Toronto FC fans, Montreal Impact fans, and other soccer fans alike, and it was interesting to hear their perspectives as well. To this day, I still occasionally think about TFC supporters shut out of going to matches at BMO Field, either due to the Inebriatti sanctions, or due to repressive rules and regulations instituted by the club. For many of these supporters, Toronto FC is the only thing they have in their lives, and I cannot imagine how damaging this can be to their mental health. There needs to be a healthy outlet, and I hope that these supporters are not engaging in destructive behaviour because of their lack of outlet now. Another Toronto FC-related post you should definitely read is my 'Come On You Reds' book review.
My most viewed post this year was my re-framing of my relationship with Toronto FC, where I was able to detail all my issues with the club in one paragraph. I did not think I would have able to list my issues so concisely, but I managed to do it. In addition, in this post and in my post about the 2018 Campeones Cup, I detailed my struggles and anxiety with going to a Toronto FC match with co-workers for the first time in my life. The days before the match, I lost a lot of sleep because I was so anxious about going to a TFC match where I would be loud, drunk, and boisterous, and the contrast with hanging out with my co-workers, where I can't act like that for obvious reasons. I was incredibly fearful that I would show my co-workers another side of my life and my personality that they should not be seeing. When I actually went to the match with my co-workers, I realized that my fears were nothing more than just fears, and they did not mean anything. I still drank a lot of alcohol in order to survive the night.
There were also my Mexico vacation posts, the first of which being my review of the Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal resort, which was an outstanding place to spend my vacation. I also had posts on certain things I did while on vacation, such as my visit to the Tulum Ruins, participating in tequila tasting, and experiencing a Mexican fiesta.
I also created a couple of posts explaining my internal feelings that I thought was important to share for anyone experiencing the same thoughts I was experiencing, with one such post being my meaning of value.
Other memorable posts I had written on the blog include my hilarious story of how I became inebriated and crashed a university event. If you ever wanted to know where my head was at during university, this post was a great summary of that. My post about why carnival games are not a waste of money, as well as my review of the Aurora Winter Festival are interesting reads as well.
I have some plans for 2019 that will result in some fruitful blog posts on here. I may possibly have two vacations this year, and from that, I may post my very first cruise ship review on here. Whatever vacations I go on next year, I will definitely post some content from that on here. I am also hoping to go to more events around Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area and review them in a similar vein to the Aurora Winter Festival, which will also be a great jump-off point for blog posts. Finally, I hope to continue posting Toronto FC-related content on my blog, as I know there are people who are interested about what I have to say about the club and the upcoming 2019 season.
Therefore, with all that, I will see you in 2019!
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