22 December 2017
10 years
Posted by Jessica Ball
It’s not very often that someone my age gets to celebrate a 10-year anniversary. But this year is one of those times, because it’s been 10 years since I graduated from college, 10 years since I started my first job, and 10 years since I started this blog.
I don’t think I ever really imagined the places I’d go or the people who would come into my life, in part, because of this blog. It’s certainly factored in to several jobs, and ultimately it’s led me into the work I’m now doing with the U.S. Geological Survey, communicating volcano science to anyone who will listen! Big props go to AGU for hosting me and my fellow geobloggers since 2010 – without their support and promotion, I wouldn’t have been half as successful at this over the years.
The colleagues and friends I’ve met along the way have shaped me into a better scientist and a more broad-minded person, and I’ve come to appreciate the melding of science and (gasp!) humanities that happens when you write a geoblog. It’s definitely been a new frontier, and a group of excellent people that I’ve been proud to be a part of.
So without further ado, a retrospective of this blogger’s first 10 years. I’ve gone from a baby volcanologist…
To a “grown-up” one.
I’ve been part of a three-generation tradition of William & Mary geobloggers…

Me, Chuck Bailey (my advisor!) and Callen Bentley. (Courtesy of Callan Bentley, who’s also celebrating his ten-year blogiversary this month)
And inspired some new ones to join the club!

The volcano ladies! @AlisonGraetting, @JanineKrippner, and @RockDoc11 with me at Union Square during AGU’s Fall Meeting
I’ve visited a few volcanoes…
Held a couple of jobs (and ventured into the depths of the science policy world)…

Okay, so this wasn’t a full-time job, but I was in a band and we got paid a couple of times, so I’m counting it.

One of my proudest moments: joining a roundtable with my three bosses (Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, USGS Director Suzette Kimball, and AGU President Carol Finn)

Sometimes you get to help people practice lahar evacuations…on your birthday. Oorting, Washington, May 4, 2017
Made a couple of moves…

Starting life as a West Coast girl in San Francisco (thanks for roadtripping out there with me, Dad!)
Made a whole bunch of new friends…
Done some awesome science…
Been memed…
And gotten into a few shenanigans.
It’s been a challenging, satisfying, scary, wonderful ten years, and I hope to keep on blogging for a while yet. Happy Blogiversary to me!
Jessica, thank you for putting yourself out here for all of us to see. I wish you peace and happiness for the new year, and at least ten more years on this blog!
Congratulations Jessica!
It has been (and always is) a pleasure to read your blog.
I find your sense of humour, kindness and knowledge… a killer combination
Hope you the best in your career and life!!
(and many more years of really interesting, informative and funny lectures for us)
Gonzalo Gutiérrez
Uruguay
I’ve been reading your blog a long time.Ten years? It is hard to say but a long time. I found your bog through one of your caving friends, and through you, found Dan over at the weather department. Lots and lots of great science . I thank you for your efforts. Have a nice holiday.
Ten years may not mean much to rocks, but that’s a long time in human (and dog) years. You’ve offered some compelling posts and pics, and have been doing real live scicomm since before it was a hashtag. Looking forward to the next ten – hope you are, too.