Two years ago, I was a ball of nerves. I paced my home office in pajamas, eyes flicking to the digital clock on my desktop. Each second that passed brought me closer to one o’clock, closer to the first official post on my new blog. A nauseating concoction of fear and excitement congealed in my stomach. It was exhilarating. It was terrifying. Putting myself out there was not something I was accustomed to, and regardless of how few people would read my first few posts, it was not something I was comfortable doing. But that was the entire point. 

As mentioned in my first-anniversary reflection, I started Tea Reads to kickstart my creative and professional growth. I knew that, if I wanted to ever get published, I needed to learn to write consistently and get used to my words being public. That initial panic-inducing post was the first step in a long journey. Now when I post, there’s no pacing, no gut-churning worry about how it will be received. Instead, two years on, I feel relatively confident in my work. Clicking the “Schedule Post” button has become a routine part of my life, one that brings a sense of accomplishment that accompanies a job well done. 

Or. Well. It used to. 

I can’t pinpoint when writing for the blog began feeling less like a fun challenge and more like a chore. Past Me clearly knew something was up when I changed the schedule last year, but I attributed my exhaustion to juggling a new job and navigating the end-of-year holiday season. However, even as the new year began and I found myself with more free time, the overwhelming sense of fatigue that had crept into my life never quite left. I tried to compensate by writing new, niche posts that brought a spark of excitement back to my writing process (like my History of Fanfiction series), but that enthusiasm could only hold up so long under the pressure of constant creation. Taking photos became a chore. Drinking tea to relax felt like a missed social media opportunity. Sitting down to read took more and more effort. And, worst of all, I began dreading my writing sessions. 

Which is not what I want to happen. 

Tea Reads started from a genuine love of writing, reading, and drinking tea. That’s the only way it should continue. I still love writing when I have a chance to write for fun. I still drink ungodly amounts of tea. I have a long TBR list that I’m interested in getting through. But I refuse to continue blogging at my passion’s expense. Blogging with no heart or enthusiasm will only end with subpar content and a deteriorating relationship with my hobbies. So, instead, I’ll be following my own advice and the strong hints I’ve been getting from family and friends all year: I’m taking a break. 

That’s not to say Tea Reads is going away– I’m not jumping ship. I just expect the blog to be quieter this year. I won’t be running a Book of the Month Club, and there will be no scheduled posts. I do have some long-form, research-intensive ideas, which may appear on the blog sometime this year, and I’ll still be active on Instagram. But for 2024, I’d like to prioritize reconnecting with my hobbies in a way that doesn’t hinge on constant content creation. In taking this time for myself, I hope to return to my passions with renewed interest and creativity, ensuring even more fun posts and content going forward. You can stay updated with my reading, writing, and tea-drinking adventures by subscribing to my newsletter (which will go from a monthly to an as-needed basis) or following my Instagram. Either way, I’ll keep you all in the loop as the year goes on and I reevaluate my blogging goals for 2025. 

Before I sign off, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have followed along with the Book of the Month Club, liked my posts, and interacted with me both on- and offline. This blog has granted me an amazing amount of opportunities to get to know new tea friends and have wonderful book discussions with fellow readers. Running Tea Reads has been an immense privilege for the last two years, and I hope it will continue to bring me the same joy in the future. 

Remember, this isn’t goodbye– just “So long for now!”– and my inbox is always open. Until next time, friends, happy reading and happy sipping!