Finding the Perfect Blog Name

When the average person thinks about creating a blog, he/she probably envisions it as a fun, carefree process to dabble with on a rainy day. Before today, my goal was to create a blog when I completely finished all of my college applications. And today, I submitted the final documents to the ten schools I'm applying to:

Chapman University
Loyola Marymount University
University of San Diego
Santa Clara University
University of Southern California (USC)
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
and FINALLY University of Oregon


Already, the process of creating a blog has been complicated. I've spent hours laboring on my computer to submit the lengthy and complex forms that make up these 10 separate application. Just getting to a point where I would let myself create this blog has been hectic. 

So today, I logged onto Blogger and created my account. I already knew I wanted my URL to be www.oliviabickel.com because: how cool is to have a website under our name?! But titling the page was a much harder step. I literally spent an hour looking up how-to articles on naming your blog...yes, I know it's nerdy...haha


Finally, after a lack of creative flow, I titled the page "Not Your Average Baby Doll" after an essay I wrote sophomore year. The lovely thing is (and I didn't realize it when I was initially creating the site or I wouldn't have spent an hour looking up those pointless How-to articles) is that I can change this at any time. In fact, I can change the whole look of the blog at any time. 


Exploring this site and realizing all of the freedom and possibilities was kind of symbolic. You see, the reason I waited to start a blog until after I completed my college applications was because I want to use it as a tool to keep my family updated on my life and my college experiences when I go away. Being an only child, I have no idea how to react to leaving home and living away from my parents. I've never seen a sibling do it nor have I ever done it myself. 


So here's the meaning behind all of this banter:
I stressed about giving the blog the perfect name, just as I stressed to perfectly complete college applications with every "i" dotted and "t" crossed. But I realized after submitting my page name that I can change it later. I have endless possibilities! Even if I decide I hate this post later, I can just delete it!


For me, this mirrors the freedom I'll experience in college. Although it will be something completely new and EXTREMELY scary, I'll push forward into the unknown because college will most likely bring me a lot of happiness and opportunity. And heck! If I decide I loathe the college experience, I always have other options. 


Nothing is set in stone, which is why not everything has to be perfect. Often times, imperfection can be even more beautiful and interesting than perfection is. 

One of my favorite bloggers who actually inspired me to start this blog, Kandee Johnson, always says, "A broken mirror reflects more light than a perfectly put together one." So be imperfect, be unique, and be yourself....no matter how crazy that might be!