Thursday, June 17, 2010

Simon Says

A little background on the name of this blog....

Of course I always knew that having a kid would be alife-changing event. I mean, I have always been the kind of person that likes routine and maybe a bit of control. Before I had a baby, I swam, did yoga, read books, enjoyed cooking - and I hated to miss any of it. I liked things that way - my way. But, having a kid changes all that. When Simon entered my life, I said goodbye to my schedule and hello to his.

So, yeah, my son's name is Simon. He came into the world in dramatic fashion 11 weeks before his due date. This caused me to miss my sister's wedding the next week in Mexico, although I was able to attend via Skype. I still gave my wedding speech, joking that I was not able to be there because we were playing a new game in my family called "Simon Says."


When Simon was just 3 months old, we hauled him across the pond and moved to Dusseldorf, Germany. New baby, new language, new culture - why not?


Of course, you can't really live your life by the rules of "Simon Says." While my son may change my life, he won't make all the rules(or so I tell myself). The same applies to navigating life in a foreign country - while I will learn about the new cultural norms in Germany, I may not follow them all. Unlike the game, however, it doesn't mean I'm out. I get to keep being a mom, and keep living in Germany, learning as I go.

This blog is a collection of my experiences as a new mom and as a foreigner in Germany. I don't know what the future holds, but I can't wait to find out. And don't worry, I'll tell you all about it.