Deciding to email Bekah and Nikki to ask them to join the team as a writer back in 2013 is one of the biggest leaps of faith I’ve ever taken. I had always wanted to write about entertainment and fandom, but was always too shy and too insecure to actually attempt it. But something told me that this site, and this group, was the place for me to get my start and now it’s now been almost six and a half years. Not only have I written literally hundreds of posts, I’ve collaborated with other writers (coming up with the name The T Hiddy Committee for my Time for Tom posts with Lorena may be my finest hour), I’ve become a TN editor as well and have gained an entirely new skill set, I’ve had a post of mine shared on Twitter by one of my favorite shows, I’ve done live Hangouts with the team, and have been able to go to events that without TN wouldn’t have been possible for me. (Yes, that last one is mostly about the day this photo was taken. You KNOW I’m going to share it this one last time.)
To lose something that’s been such a constant for me for so many years is going to be a difficult adjustment. But I’ll still have the changes that TN has brought to my life. There are close friends I’ve made who I talk to every single day who I would have never met if not for this site. I now work for Bekah and Nikki at their business, doing things that I never would have attempted or thought myself capable of otherwise. And of course there’s the incredible sense of community that our readers have fostered. I feel so fortunate to have been able to write like this for the first time for such a smart, witty, and passionate audience. It’s something I don’t know that I’ll find again, at least not to this extent, and it’s something that I will never take for granted. I’ve grown and changed so much in my time at That’s Normal, and I’m so happy that it was this bunch who got to go along on that journey with me.
Everyone involved will look back on That’s Normal with fondness and love, but will continue on. I’m not sure where my writing will end up after this, and while that makes me nervous it’s also something I’m excited to figure out. In the meantime, I’m on Twitter and even finally started an Instagram. Look at me, keeping my finger right on the pulse of social media! My time at this site has meant the world to me, I hope my contribution to it has meant at least a little something to some of you too. If I can leave you with one very last thought, it should probably be something cheesy about believing in yourself, but actually it’s this: please, for the love of God, watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. if you haven’t already.
