where has she been???

If you haven't noticed already, I don't tend to live a lifestyle of permanency. I think I can admit that the words "long-term" kind of freak me out a little. I'm not sure that I have a full-blown fear of commitment, but I do think I'm afraid of dedicating myself to the wrong things, or maybe I'm just afraid of wasting my time on things that won't be fulfilling for me, or for others. I'm going to be 28 years old this summer, and as silly as this sounds (especially to my readers who are umm... more "mature" than I am) I feel like I'm running out of time to do all that I dream of doing. Or maybe I'm just running out of time to dream! At my age, people are supposed to be married, or starting their families or buying homes. By the standards of my culture, I should at least have chosen a career, and should have much more than my mere $1,000.00 invested in a 401k. But here I am, this aging oddball, who hasn't rested for more than 2 years in any location ever since high school graduation 10 years ago.

6 months ago I shared with you the great news of a new job, new apartment, and renewed life here in Milwaukee. I'm happy to report that all is going well, and perhaps even better than I had imagined. It took me a while to get used to the 8:00-5:00 lifestyle again. And it has been a humbling challenge to get re-accustomed to the cost of living here in America. Budgeting creatively has become a new hobby among other things. But I am here, and happy. And though I'm aching to travel again (and will soon) I think I'm content with the idea of sticking around for a while.

Shocking? (My dad thinks so.)

After filling my blog with adventurous stories and cultural exchange mishaps, and photos from places many people can only dream of going... it has been really difficult for me to keep blogging. How can I top my scuba diving experience on the Great Barrier Reef? Or my video of eating live octopus? Or the stories from my silly students? Seriously... my life is pretty mundane and it's hard to imagine anyone would care to read about me at all.

But then again, I do have a life worth sharing, don't I?

And you do too!

So, I'm back! I have some things to share with you, like recent projects, some photos of my new living space, and even some thoughts that have been stirring inside of me.

Here goes... stories from the life of a young-professional, post-adventurous travels, and still making her mark on this world.

Do I still have any readers? Leave a comment and let me know you're here!