Happy Birthday EATANDTREATS!

Before I start writing this post, it took me a while to remember all things that has been happening to this blog: from the bad ones, to the good, the adorable, the unforgettable ones. The intermezzo included a little smiling, butterflies in the stomach, and some almost teared me up. To kick things off, I wanna say that I am a blessed kid, Thank you, God.

I have always been this kid who loves to take pictures of food. I don't know why, maybe I am mentally ill, but I do love food. My friend called me the "food-douche" because I always prohibit them from eating their food before I finished taking photos of the food. Selfish right? Hahaha I know! This hobby even got more intense when I finally bought my first DSLR from the money that I saved up myself and guess what? I am still using it up until now. My first DSLR is Nikon D3000, it's like the cheapest DSLR from Nikon (and maybe in the world), but when you know how to use it. It's such a bomb!

I remember talking to Seruni, an editor in Hai Magazine, I was an intern at Hai Magazine, and I remember exactly talking to her about creating a food blog. We chatted for a while and it was around two weeks before I finally created this blog. It was sort of planned, but instant at the same time. I have always loved the number "5", and October seems like a nice month, so on October 5th 2012, there goes eatandtreats.blogspot.com, free for everyone to read, my first post was the Royal Jade Restaurant.

I gotta admit I wasn't really keen on updating on the first two months, I do have passion, I knew it, but it was sort of a bad timing because I was on my busiest in College and I barely have time to write, sometimes I write once in one or two weeks (soon I realize it was just an excuse made by me). I started off with around 90-120 daily hits in a day, definitely still need to work hard on that, but the traffic was not my main goal at that time. I just wanna have fun along with this blog.

But then I realized, what's the point of making a blog without having readers knowing that I exist. There are people who blog for themselves, the thing is, I am just not that, I blog for fun, I want to share the fun and I want people to read it. I never really do anything to boost up my readership, but all I know that I do have passion for this and I always want to be better and better. So I start taking better photos, start writing better and start hunting for more food LOL. Just like that I realized that I slowly have loyal readers that would leave comments on my posts and show some love on the social networks, now this is getting more fun. Pure blessings.

I remember exactly how my heart felt when I received my first invitation from Gong Cha. It felt so good that finally you knew you were getting noticed and honored enough to be invited for an event. I know it sounds really overrated, but when you're in my shoes, you probably knew how I felt. I even got nervous attending the event because I realized I was a newbie and I'd meet "senior" bloggers on the event.

After that, blessings come towards me (and I am sharing this not in an arrogant way, it's more like a sharing and motivational purpose), more invitations started to come! The thing about getting invitations beside eating (mostly) gorgeous food, the chance to meet new people, made friends and connections just beyond awesome. Until now, I already make quite a lot of new friends from blogging, both online and offline.

In a nutshell, I am going to share you guys the highlight that has been happening to eatandtreats along this year! It's going to be a damn boring long post if I put it in words.

Got featured on CHIC Magazine (March 2013). THANK YOU!!! <3.

Got sponsored with Samsung Galaxy Camera GC100 by Samsung Indonesia!
I remember exactly I was just woke up from my sleep and on that exact time, my phone rang and it was an email that I could never forgot, I even made it on the "important" list. Thank you very much Samsung Indonesia. It has been such a helpful gadget for the sharing purpose and for my holiday trips! If you love to share everything on the social network, this gadget is definitely for you :).

Featured on citacinta.com! Thank you very much for featuring eatandtreats <3.

Featured on shefm.com as one of the Indonesian blogs! Thank you shefm.com :).

Invited for a media familiarization trip to Bali by Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort!
Another highlight of my blogging venture, this time I got invited for a media familiarization trip to Bali by Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, also to celebrate the grand opening of Feast Sunday Market Brunch! You can read the posts here :).

Private bloggers dinner with Chef Will Meyrick! Yes, the famous street Chef!
When I received the invitation to join bloggers dinner with Chef Will at his restaurant, E&O, I must be freaking stupid to turn it down! It was such a fabulous dinner, I claimed E&O as one of the best meals I've had in 2013!

Went from having 90 daily hits to a range of 1800-2000 hits/day on eatandtreats!
This I gotta say thanks to you guys, for you are always tuning in to this damn blog, for always being there supporting this blog, giving comments, sending me emails or in any possible form. Not all the comments were nice, some even hard to read, but I know what I am doing :). My early posts and photos were rubbish, gotta admit that, but I do grow and learn to be better, not only for the sake of myself, but for everyone reading eatandtreats :).

My future goal is to definitely be better, yes, to be better, but the word "better" is pretty general, so many aspects in this world and in my life that I gotta keep up. I do want to make eatandtreats more professional, as in design and (hopefully) a career, and having my own domain. Isn't it nice that you do what you love to do. I personally think that when you do something with love and passion, you'll always get pumped up, but still, commitment's needed ;).

Afterall, let's just focus on one thing at the moment:

HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY EATANDTREATS!

Love and expectations from your favorite owner, writer, reader, and fan!

Thank you so much, guys :). I am honestly touched.

Thanks for being parts of the first year of eatandtreats. More years to come, more blessings and more surprises! I hope me and my blog can aspire and inspire you. I do also wish that Indonesian food bloggers can be more inspirational. Hoping to do collaborations in the future :).

God bless you all!

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