I started this blog anonymously under the name “Bambi”, a nickname given to me because of my eyes. It was originally a sounding board for all the thoughts that my head had no space for. I wanted to be able to write without thinking about reactions, without people I know knowing it was me. Eventually, I embraced the exposure of the inner workings of my brain and, sometimes, my heart. I put my name on those speeches I was giving on my little soapbox on the Internet.

As of this month, Bambi’s Soapbox is now 3 years old. It’s become my special place where I try to show a different side of Lebanon – the one that I keep trying to find, the one I know certain people are trying to build, the one I want it to be whole-heartedly. It’s the Lebanon I hope to have a hand in creating one day. I try to show you that it’s not all bad, even at the times when I don’t believe it myself.

This blog is my on-going love letter to Lebanon so that when I forget why I love it, I can go back and find out. I’m a very guarded person but I put a lot of me into this blog and I am thankful that I have some readers relating to the moments when I’m human.

I won’t lie, Lebanon – it’s been harder to love you lately. But I’m going to try even if I have to leave at some point to keep doing so. I was always a sucker for a romance that could survive the test of time.

Here’s to three more years of climbing up on that soapbox!