Today is September 1st, which means that it’s exactly four years ago that I hopped on a plane filled with excitement and nerves, and headed to New York City to start the adventure of a lifetime. Without knowing anyone there, I still felt 100% confident about moving to the city of my dreams for two months, just to explore and get to know the city that was on my mind every awake minute.  With the big move to New York, my blog was born, and the name ‘Cath In The City‘ seemed fitting. My blog was created with the sole purpose to keep my friends and family updated on what I was doing, but after a while I was in stead updating thousands of people on what I was wearing. After two months of blogging I could not only see myself in my favorite Norwegian fashion magazine with a recommendation to read my blog, I was also nominated for having the most inspiring blog of the year, even though I had just started! It’s so crazy to think about it all, and it just goes to show how amazing opportunities can come from chasing your dreams, like I did when I moved to NY. When I first started the blog, I wasn’t planning on continuing when I came back home to Norway, I just wanted a diary of my stay in the city so that I could go back and look at it when I’m old and grey. Now I have a diary of four whole years in my life! Again, this is all so crazy, and it’s all thanks to you guys, who read my blog and follow my journey every day. I can’t express with words how grateful I am!! Let’s take a little walk down memory lane, shall we? 

2010 was the year it all started. As you know I moved to New York all by myself, and I quickly made friends and had the time of my life. I was walking around exploring new areas and neighborhoods every day, talking to people I met, going to amazing parties and pretend I wasn’t starstruck by all the celebs, and of course exploring the art of blogging, which was so new to me.  My blogging skills has definitely improved since then, it’s so funny to look back at my old post. 

2011 was an amazing year, where I continued to blog and I got amazing opportunities. I started blogging for Modette, and the summer of 2011 I got to go back to New York for two months, to work as a freelance journalist writing New York tips for them. I still have to pinch my arm to realize this all isn’t just a dream. I took a chance and quit a job I really didn’t like to become a full-time blogger, and I’ve never looked back. 

In 2012 I got more into the game, and I started making good money on my blog which gave me the opportunity to travel, which is a huge passion of mine. In September I visited my bestie Tonje in South Africa, and had one of the best weeks of my life. In October I chased another dream of mine; Learning to make my own clothes. I headed to New York again and attended a sewing class, and learned so much! I also got lots of fun work opportunities, like doing more freelance work for Modette, and not to mention my very own monthly fashion column in the Norwegian newspaper BA. At the end of the year I moved my blog from Modette to Nettavisen, and a new chapter in my blog history started. 

2013 was also an absolutely amazing year for me. I got to travel so much, like to New York with my cousin Fride, London with my friend Helene, La Gacilly/France with amazing bloggers, Greece with my boyfriend and sister, Tokyo with my man++. More career opportunities opened up, and I got the dream job as a guest designer for the Norwegian bag brand MOO. Designing has always been a huge dream of mine, so getting to sit down with their amazing team and design my own bags was a huge dream come true. The fall was spent working my ass off with another great project, as a fashion show director for the United Nations Association. For two months I ran around planning the whole show, finding models, finding tons of different outfits for all the models, fittings, rehearsals, and I was also the host on the whole fashion show which took place in the middle of the center of Bergen, with lots of audience. I got the most amazing letter of recommendation from them, which is gold to take with me in the future. I haven’t seen so much praise on one piece of paper ever, and all the hard work was worth it. 

Now we’re suddenly in 2014, and I’ve been a fashion blogger for four whole years. It’s so crazy to think about! The everyday life as a blogger is just so… Weird!! Haha. I mean, taking tons of pictures of myself, day in and day out, then sharing them with thousands of girls from around the world. I don’t think it has affected me personally very much though, but I definitely think that if I was a more insecure person, this whole thing could be really unhealthy. When you take pictures of yourself every day you get so self conscious, and while I’ve definitely had my ups and downs, this whole thing has been an adventure of a lifetime, and I still can’t believe how lucky I am to get to do this! As you know, 2014 is a year where a lot of things are changing for me, mainly my new life as a marketing student. I can’t wait to finish my bachelor, and with my blog as my CV see what the future holds for me.

Now I’m so curios on you guys. Yes, you, who is reading my blog right now!! When did you start reading my blog? Do you have a moment that you remember extra well in my blog journey? Where are you from? I’d love to hear from you!!

I’ll finish by giving my blog and I a huge !H A P P Y  B I R TH D A Y!. It’s been a good run so fur, and it’s definitely not over yet♥