Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!

Blogging has made such a difference in my life. When I left my job as a community college academic adviser to stay at home with my kids and pursue a writing career, I felt like I had lost my identity. I didn't feel like I deserved the title "writer", but I was no longer an academic adviser. I was in limbo. Then I became involved in the mom blogosphere, and I started networking online with amazing women. I learned something new every day and put myself out there in ways I'd never imagined. I started to feel more confident and comfortable calling myself a writer. And I especially related to using the term blogger because blogging has become where my heart lies.

Many women online have contributed toward helping me achieve my identity as a professional blogger and freelance writer. Whether it be through their support and kind words or through setting inspirational examples that have led me to work harder. I'd like to acknowledge just five who have made an impact on me, both personally and professionally, whom I am happy to call friends.

Nadia of The Purple Journal

Nadia was my first online friend. She made the very first comment on my blog. She also lives the farthest away from me than any of my other friends, living in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, but I continue to feel very close to her. Because of daily commitments, writing obligations and life in general, I don't always get to visit her at her blog, The Purple Journal. When I do, I'm greeted by beautiful photos and stories of Nadia's life that always make me think or make me smile. What I truly appreciate is that I always learn something from Nadia, and she continues to be my cheerleader and lifts me up with every interaction.

Susan of Sometimes Parenting Sucks

Susan is a fabulous blogger friend I first met at an online networking event. Her personal blog is Sometimes Parenting Sucks, but you may know her best as The Marketing Eggspert. That's how I first knew her, and I met her in person for the first time at the first Type-A Mom Conference. She took the time to seek me out, and we really connected. I have to admit that it's not often I truly feel a connection with someone, that I can just be myself. Susan is one of those rare souls who gets me. And I so appreciate her for that. I also love her openness, her fun nature, her incredible smarts and her humor. Susan is am amazing woman I learn from every time I talk to her, and she's always there for me.

Angela of Unexpected Art

Angela Moore of Unexpected Art was one of the first people I connected with in my online networks. It seemed that everywhere I went, Angela was there - Mom Bloggers Club, Twitter, Facebook. Not only did I keep running into this woman, but we always seemed to have similar opinions on things or some kind of coincidece that tied us together. Then I spoke to her in person, and I knew I'd met a kindred spirit. Angela is such a beautiful, generous person. A few days after talking to her on the phone, a package arrived from Amazon with three books from Angela. That act of kindness was followed by another when she offered to allow me to ride to Blissdom with her last year. That was a trip that meant so much to me. Angela is a friend I'll treasure for a long time to come.

Cara of This Is Where I Come Up With Something Witty

I met this savvy lady at a local blogging event, only to find out that we would be attending another local event together the following day. So I had the chance to really get to know Cara of This Is Where I Come Up With Something Witty quite a bit, in person, over the course of a weekend. I'm so glad that I did. Cara is so much fun. She's another friend who really knows her stuff when it comes to marketing, and she's someone I look up to professionally. And did I mention she's a lot of fun? I got to know Cara a bit more online over the months following our in person meeting, and we decided to travel to and room together at Type-A Mom this year. After this experience, I can truly say that I've made a friend. Fortunately, Cara doesn't live all that far from me. She's someone I imagine I'll be able to lean on in the years to come and hope that I can offer her the generosity and friendship she's given me.

Alaina of Dinker and Giggles

Alaina of Dinker and Giggles is another local gal I count myself lucky to get to know. Though there are millions of women who blog, this online world of ours really is rather small. I'm so happy that, through our online community, I was able to meet such a giving and understanding friend, who actually lives rather close by. Alaina has become someone I look for when I jump on Twitter. I know I can reach out to her when I need someone to talk to or bounce an idea of off. She's been to my home (as has Cara), and I feel totally at ease around Alaina. She's my techie guru and has a fabulous sense of design. I love that Alaina's a dreamer who reminds me to dream as well.

I'm so very fortunate to have made these five friends, along with a host of others, through my online journey. Thank you to each of them and to the many other women who continue to amaze and inspire me each and every day.

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.