Final blog post – saying goodbye to begin a new chapter

Well, readers, by now you’ve probably begun to wonder if I’ve dropped off the face of the earth. I have not been posting or updating the blog’s Facebook page in several weeks now. Have no fear, it’s all been for a good reason.

Let me tell you a story.

A little over two years ago, I met a fella… By all accounts, it was an unlikely pairing – gregarious, 6’2” older man, introverted, barely five-feet-tall young woman. But the more we talked and spent time together, the more we realized we had something very important in common – a deep love for books.

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Over time, we began to dream of our ideal library– how we would arrange the bookshelves, what color we would paint the walls, what type of furniture we would require in our reading room. But it was just that – only talk.

Until a little over a month ago, when we went and toured a house.

It came as a bit of a shock to both of us that, for reasons we still can’t quite justify, the house felt like “home” as soon as we pulled into the driveway. Built in 1850, we both knew it would be a massive undertaking. After the tour, we went to lunch. At the beginning of the conversation, we both agreed the house was too much work, too much hassle. By the post-lunch coffee, he had notified our realtor with an offer. One month later, and we are closing on the house in less than a week.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.” We’ve decided to take a huge leap of faith. Sure, it may end in some kind of fiasco, but life is too short not to go for the adventure.

10155684_10201985196167640_1717934006652239054_nI often look to the lessons of books when confronting a new challenge in my life. This is no exception. And what I’ve decided, after much deliberation, is that I’ve reached the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Blogging for the Bangor Daily News has been absolutely wonderful. I was able to share my love of bookshops, reading, and writing with a responsive, positive, supportive audience. My experience as a blogger has made me a better writer, and my confidence in myself and my writing has grown exponentially.

But now it’s time for something else, time to settle into this next phase of my life. Maybe I’m not ready for all this house has to throw at me (knob and tube wiring, anyone?), but I’m sure as hell going to give it a shot. And, when I’m not removing wallpaper or researching the best way to repaint old St. Charles steel cabinetry from the 1960s, you can bet that I’ll still be curled up with a good book.

It’s who I am, after all.

So now, onto a new chapter. Who knows? Someday I may return to this blog, because I’m a sucker for a good sequel. Until then, dear readers, keep visiting old bookshops, keep faith in the possibility of happily-ever-afters, and, above all else, keep reading everything and anything you can. Because words are how we change the world.

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Shannon Bowring

About Shannon Bowring

I am 26 years old. I was raised up in the County, in the tiny town of Ashland. I attended the University of Maine in Orono and graduated in 2012 with a BA in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing. Reading and writing have always been the greatest loves of my life. I am most at home in the dusty corners of used bookstores, surrounded by forgotten books. One day, inspiration struck when I decided I wanted to combine all my loves – writing, reading, traveling, exploring these beloved shops – to create an outlet in which I can share my bookish adventures with an audience of like-minded readers who could appreciate my love of words and stories.