As a loyal reader of numerous blogs – and now as a blogger myself – it is hard to remember a time when blogs were not a part of my life.  But less than six years ago, my only understanding of a blog was that it was an online diary (which in my mind translated to “public outlet for teenage angst”).  I assumed that I had aged out of the audience for which blogs held a modicum of allure, so I kept my distance.

Then I met my (now) husband, Luke, a software engineer who is consistently ahead of the crowd when it comes to all things techie.  In getting to know Luke, I noticed that the terms “blog” and “RSS feed” came up fairly regularly in our conversations.  Surely this mature and intelligent man was not whiling away his time reading the musings of 15-year-olds. . . perhaps my concept of blogs was not quite up to date.  It was time to see what this fuss about blogs was all about!  Luke agreed to set me up with a Google Reader account, though he warned me of the rather addictive nature of blog-reading: once I made my foray into the world of blogs, there would be no turning back.

Of course he was right!  The handful of blogs to which I had initially subscribed led me deeper into the blogosphere, and soon I was a full-on blogophile. I was amazed to discover that there were blogs out there about nearly every subject imaginable, from fashion and fitness, to family and faith.  By picking and choosing the RSS feeds I wanted to follow, I could essentially create a customized magazine that would be delivered daily to my inbox.  It was a voracious reader’s dream come true!

Over the years, the specific make-up of blogs I follow has evolved (and when Google Reader went the way of the dinosaurs, even my reader changed – I now use Feedly).  There are some blogs I have been following since the beginning, while others held my interest for a time, and then I moved on.  I am constantly discovering new-to-me blogs that are so awesome, I can’t wait to tell others about them!

This passion for blogs inspired me to create a Spotlight category on my own blog where I can feature some of my favorite reads.  Basically, it will be a detailed Blogroll.  While I’m at it, I also plan to let you know about some pretty awesome podcasts.  (Surprisingly enough, my podcast fixation preceded my interest in blogs, and it was not at all lessened by my new found source of entertainment).  Some of the blogs I feature might already be familiar to you, but hopefully I will be able to introduce you to some great new reads (and listens), too.

I’d love to know about your experience with blogs: have you been reading them from the beginning, or were you a late adopter?  What are some of your favorite reads?  Let me know in the comments below.