Thank you for joining me on my new venture! I tried getting a blog going 5 years ago, but never followed through. I guess this serves as my first confession: I like to take on LOTS of projects and don’t always have the time or energy to see them all through. While I could beat myself up over this shortcoming, I’ve decided to honor the mantra that I share with my students: Process matters more than product. So…I’m going to start this new blog with all the visions of grandeur that I’m sure plenty of others have enjoyed. I’ll hope to entertain some, and emotionally move others. I’ll aspire to win over the hearts and loyalty of thousands (if not millions) of fans. Maybe I’ll succeed. But if not, I’m prepared to celebrate the life lessons that I’m sure to learn along the way.
If you’ve read this far, you might be wondering what types of musings you can expect to find on a page like this. Or contemplating what sets this site apart from other “mommy blogs”. FairyGodBoss offers a whole list of inspirational blogs written by working moms. What makes me feel the need to add another?
Well, for starters, writing is cathartic. And for me, sharing my experiences in a way that helps others can give purpose to lived experiences that might otherwise feel like failures. To put it simply, my goal is to share my truths, including (and often emphasizing) my flaws and missteps in a way that allows other working/academic mothers to honor all that they have to offer this world–imperfections and all.
I’m also hoping to add a podcast feature through which I can interview other moms who are also willing to bear their souls for this noble purpose. If you’d like to see such a feature, and possibly think you could be such a mom, please reach out so we can brainstorm some ideas for dialogue.
As for the name–it’s long. I feel like I should apologize for that, but I honestly couldn’t think of any other collection of words that would quite capture what I was trying to do here. I’m a mom. And I absolutely love being a mom. Even when I find myself completely exhausted and overwhelmed by whatever bunch of crazy motherhood is throwing at me in the moment. But I’m also more than a mom. And the only way I can think to define the other parts of who I am as a human is under the umbrella of “academic”. I’m a teacher, but that’s just what I do. The constant quest for knowledge (and degrees, certifications, “stamps of approval”…) is more of who I am psychologically. This past year I just finished up my PhD. As I made my way through the exhausting labyrinth of dissertation and graduation requirements, I simultaneously was making lists in my head of possible next academic adventures.
Why? I have no idea. I confess this here because if I told my kids that I’d jump into another program tomorrow if given the chance (and a full-ride scholarship), they’d certainly disown me. I’ve tried searching for articles under the subject of things like “education addiction”, but so far I’ve come up short. If anyone would like to offer insights, I’m all ears!
