TwoDC Turns One!

Happy Blogoversary to us! One year ago today we threw caution (and dietary common sense) to the wind and embarked on a great blog adventure. Along the way we've picked up a steady group of readers that, amazingly, includes people that aren't related to us! To celebrate our first year, we wanted to take a look back at where we started and where we've been.

The Beginning

TwoDC was born from a love of eating and a desire to explore our new city. I wanted to write a food blog but feared that I wouldn't have time to keep it up because I work too much. B suggested that we enter blogland together and focus on all of our adventures as a couple in DC. We decided to try it out and see if we liked it, and TwoDC was born.

Our first post was on February 10, 2009, an awesome day (and the birthday of my sister and two great friends). Since then, we've posted 146 times and what an adventure it has been! We've seen and eaten some amazing things, were quoted in the Washington Post Express, and are the number 2 D.C. blog on UrbanSpoon.

"If you keep your eyes open enough, oh, the stuff you will learn! The most wonderful stuff!" Dr. Seuss

Our Two Do list keeps on growing but before we move forward we wanted to share some of our favorite stats from Year 1 (special thanks to Google Analytics):

• We've explored over 100 different restaurants (and thanks to exercise, we can proudly say that we haven't gained a pound)

• TwoDC has been visited by readers from 93 different countries and every U.S. state except Montana (where's the love, Montana?) We're most popular in DC and the surrounding area (VA, MD), but also get a lot of love from CA, NY, and TX.

• Had approximately 16,500 hits (not including the sneaky readers using Google Reader)
  

• The most popular posts: L'Academie de Cuisine - Couples Cooking Class, Market Lunch at Eastern Market, The Great DC Cupcake Taste Test

• Most common search terms leading people to TwoDC: "Larry's Ice Cream DC," "Couples Cooking Classes DC," "Full Kee," "Teaism DC"
  

• People most disappointed to end up on TwoDC (a.k.a. quirky search terms that led people to our blog):

"why should I do with two second engagement rings?"
"what can empanada helps us in our daily living"
"the weather here is icy but i fancy something spicy..let it snow"
"the 'men who built the stonewalls' feature in caramel wafers what feature in willy wonka"
"mr. nathanson, do you like guacamole?"
"lychee nut scrooge mcduck"
"how to cook the budak dish of korean"
"hot japanese sexy"
"fun 4 two gouda"
"free blog comments posting in djibouti"
"double wide homes"
"cut i ride my bicycle in great swamp"

We hope you've enjoyed following our adventures during the year and we welcome your suggestions for where we should go next! I want to give a special shoutout to our most loyal commenters: Budak (and his many alter egos), Alix, Karena, and blunoz. Your encouragement reminds us that people actually read this thing. Thank you!

Second Thoughts From B

Blogging has been a wonderful new hobby for the two of us. We knew it would be a fun and creative outlet that would help our non-DC friends and family up-to-date with our lives out East. But what we didn't realize was how much it has helped us adjust from reluctant California transplants into people who couldn't be more proud of our new home. Seeking out DC's highlights and hidden gems has been a blessing for our relationship with each other and with the city. We eagerly look forward to year two of TwoDC and hope you'll join us for the ride.