I’ve had a lot of feelings and self-judgements starting a blog. I keep questioning myself: What do I write about? Does it even matter? Who really cares?

But I love writing. I love reflecting. And I am on a journey to do more of what I love. So here I am.

In this first post, my goal is to explore why I am choosing to blog about my experiences as a mom, teacher, writer, and individual (that last one is a big one). And I’ll start by telling a little about myself, as a writer and as a person, pre-kids and pre-career.

The Writer

I have always loved to write. In elementary school, I wrote stories about friendships and dogs and talking elephants. In high school, I wrote angsty poems and journaled about my deepest teenage confessions. Through college, I thrived in courses that pushed me to explore ideas through writing. 

I think my love of writing comes from a deep desire to express myself. I have a creative drive, but I’m not the best painter and I don’t have a beautiful singing voice. And even though I’m a talker (I won “The Most Talkative” superlative award in my college dorm), I sometimes get lost in my thoughts when speaking out loud. 

But when I write, I can be clear. I can communicate my thoughts and work through my ideas on paper. I can contain the chaos of my mind and express what needs to come out. 

It’s important to note, I am a communication nerd – I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies, and often geek out on learning about different personality types and what that means in terms of communication styles (think Gary Chapman’s Love Languages or the Enneagram framework). So a mode of communication that allows me to fully express myself – count me in. 

Of course there is more to me than my love for writing. But my love for writing does sum me up well. I want to be heard, I want to be understood, and I want my voice to matter. 

The Mom and Teacher 

I am a mom to two incredible little boys – an almost-three-year-old named Julian, and a five-month-old named Caleb. They have my heart, and everything I do is for them.

My journey into motherhood is closely tied to the start of my teaching career. At 23, I found out I was pregnant with Julian right as I was starting my year-long teaching credential program in January 2018. He was born in August of that same year, and after taking a single quarter off to adjust to life with a newborn, I finished up.

I started officially working as a teacher in August 2019, months before the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world. In my first year of teaching, with an 18-month-old at home, I was forced out of the classroom and into the spare bedroom upstairs. My life was chaotic and scary, but full of love. 

In June 2020, my husband, DJ, and I got married after postponing our actual wedding (that’s a whole other story), and decided it was time to think about adding to our family. I started the 2020/2021 school year three months pregnant and simultaneously enrolled in a Master’s program. 

In February of this year, Caleb came into this world, a calm presence juxtaposed with his fiery older brother, and just this month, I earned my Master’s in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction. There is a lot going on, constantly, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Welcome to my blog. I’m happy you’re here.