So, the blog is back
So, the blog is back. If you are new here, let me introduce myself (not that I have an entire page devoted to myself here 😉). As you may have guessed, I’m called Albert Azemar i Rovira, and I’m the proud owner of this corner of the internet. This blog is, more or less, a little fun personal, and experimental project that I’ve been on and off since 2020. Now you’ll find a mashup of ideas, hobbies, experiences, reviews, and other content I feel might be insightful or that I enjoy writing about. But it wasn’t always like this. The blog is in its second (and hopefully final) reboot. As I said, albertazemar.com started amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a sort of Proof-of-Concept of the Django framework (the Python one), and it evolved into my personal blog. At that time, I did not post a lot, to be honest, and I soon received hefty AWS bills that I was not willing to pay. So, it went dark. I kept the domain just for the sake of it. Later, in 2022, I made the second attempt to stick to the habit (the inaugural post here), but it also failed. I posted more content than in the first wave, or so I remember, but I felt blogging was more of an obligation rather than an activity I enjoyed.
After almost a year and a half after I published the last article titled “Name” my blog is back. Not only with new content, but the website has gotten a glow-up with a new look and feel. The new template has a more classy design and novel features that I will explore in the future. For the time being, I’m keeping it simple. This is the third time I have tried to stick to this project and, as ABBA said in their 1974 hit “Waterloo”:
‘The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself. Waterloo, Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war’
Let’s hope I succeed this time. But disco hits aside, yes, I’m back at the blogging gig. Not that I plan to make a living out of it, but for fun. This time, just for fun. Other attempts to keep a consistent stream of content flowing to this page were frustrated by the obligation I put to myself to blog about particular topics. This time it’s different. It will not have any directions or strings attached. The idea is to pour here whatever I feel like mixing at any given moment. The only rule is to post once a week, 52 posts this year. This is my pledge for 2024. It might seem a bit ambitious, but I have been optimizing the post-supply chain and focussing on how I can engage with this hobby constructively and positively.
What to expect in this new chapter
So, 52 posts, what can you expect from that? I really don’t know. The cornerstones of my writing have been (and will be) my passions, hobbies, and experiences. This year, I’m picking up reading more seriously, and I plan to review the books I go through. Moreover, I’ll be reading mostly nonfiction self-development, self-help, productivity, and economy/financial-related books. The idea is to extract actionable advice from each one (if it can be), post it alongside the review, and make myself accountable via this blog to take action. Much like Matt d’Avella does with his extraordinary series “I tried XYZ for 30 days”, I will also post about the little changes and experiments I conduct related to the action plans I make, the results I get, and the conclusions I extract.
Aside from that, the opera examinations will come back, as well as reviews about tools and objects that I enjoy and give value to my life. For example, I have been using the same Parker Jotter pen for the past seven almost eight years so I’m writing an in-depth review of this magnificent writing instrument that will be out soon.
Another format I want to explore is to review my record collection. I’ve been collecting vinyl for a substantial time now, and I feel like it’s time to share my passion for music through this format. This is more of a gray area of commitment since I literally don’t know where to start with this subject, but I’ll figure it out along the way.
Finally, this time also, I want to break the barrier of only posting “intellectual” content. During 2023 and 2024, I started to take care of my body. I began to go to the gym 5 times a week (3-4 times in practice) and noticed substantial changes and progress. And during the ski season, I plan to go to the mountains every weekend. This shift of perspective to care about my physical health has also been insightful and transformative, so I’ll post about this journey.
What about the old content
All the posts from version 2 of the blog are already posted and time-stamped with their original release date. I will add a disclaimer like Tom Scott does as a cringe/outdated content warning to ensure no one gets mad or confused. Regarding version 1 posts and the famous Moleskine open letter, I’ll try to recover them and repost them as an archive.
Features like the gallery, the song of the day, or the analog watch I’ll try to bring them back. But as I said, I’m focussing on enjoying so, no deadlines on that.
Next steps
I would say, sit back, relax, and expect an annoying WhatsApp message from me every time I post (I’m assuming that I know all my readers, and I’m probably right). I quit Instagram many moons ago, and I won’t go back to promote this blog, so if you are not on my texting list, I’m planning on setting up a mailing list to notify you whenever new posts go live and an RSS feed (more on this in a future post). But for the time being, F5 is your best friend.
Best wishes for 2024, and I hope you also achieve all your goals!
