Oh, the places you'll go when you blog

I'm writing from Club Med Punta Cana*, turning from my monitor now and then to take a peek outside at the bright sun reflecting off the rippling surface of the ocean. Every now and again a small fishing boat or a pelican floats through the scene. How the heck did I wind up here?

Blogging.

Five years ago, when my boys were preschoolers, I often reflected on how small my world had become. In my younger days I traveled around the US and abroad. Even in my early married life, my husband and I made the most of our time in the Double Income, No Kids club. We took several trips and made the most of our vacation days. "Just one more adventure before we settle down and start a family," we told each other year after year.

When we became parents, we realized how much more complicated travel had become with all the baggage- physical and emotional- that comes with a small child. Not to mention the fact that our travel budget was nonexistent.

For years after having kids I never left the Chicago Metro area. At times, it felt like the small world in which my family cocooned didn't even stretch beyond the boundaries set by our area code.

Back in those days, the Internet became my savior. At first that meant staying up late pouring over the archives at Salon.com's (now defunct) Mothers Who Think column. Granted, I never met the authors whose words I devoured, but I felt a connection to these women nonetheless.

Next, I reached out to the Internets, searching for contributors to a print zine about women in martial arts. I found nearly a dozen contributors from around the world. I spent an insane and embarrassing number of hours writing, editing, assembling and distributing 150 copies of my zine.

And then came blogging, thank goodness, because my family would not have tolerated another zine cycle. At first I blogged in obscurity, barely telling anyone about new pet project, but eventually I came out.

I connected with a few bloggers, then a few more. I joined other blogs, like this one, and eventually landed a paid blogging position. I later started consulting to help companies connect with mombloggers. Along the way, I've met so many fabulous people. I have had so many interesting experiences.

Which brings me to Club Med, literally. Just how did I wind up on this press trip? A post I wrote at Chicago Moms Blog.

In the midst of a summer of one family medical issue after another, I wrote a post about my family's summer at Club Med, as in medicine. An eagle-eyed PR pro not only left a nice comment on the blog, but even tracked me down to share her good wishes with my family.

I thanked her for her kind thoughts and offered to discuss momblog outreach with her. A few emails and phone calls later I was invited to check out the suites and amenities in Punta Cana, which I'll be reviewing at Traveling Mom.

Like many moms, I started my blog as a creative outlet, but it's become so much more.

Where has blogging taken you? And where do you hope it leads you in the new year?

*I began this post on a sunny day in Dominican Republic. Careful not to waste the beautiful weather, I finished it up on a cold, dark, snowy day in Chicago.

Kim also blogs at Hormone-colored Days, Scrambled CAKE and MOMformation.