Introductions

Welcome to my new blog. I began this with very little forethought, so I hope it becomes something worth reading, at least to those I call friends and family.

I named it 'Becoming Californian' because my husband and I moved to the Golden State nine months ago with the intention of putting down roots for the first time in our adult lives.  California holds a lot of mystique and has a life of its own in the mind of every American, and I've wondered how I would fit in with the images I held of perpetual summer, health-consciousness, and laid-back hipness.

See, I am a winter-loving, meat-and-potatoes Minnesota farm girl who is pragmatic and a little self-conscious.  I do everything for myself, and try to conform to whatever social situation I am in.  Not always a bad thing, but I think it's made me a little unimaginative, and a bit unsure of who I am.

So here I am in the state where the motto could be, "the find yourself state".  Oh wait...the state motto is "Eureka!"  And that's just what I intend to do.  Oh, snap!  What is more Californian that searching for meaning in one's life??  Dude....  And I did all that without mind-altering drugs. Well, I'm sure there's more to this journey, so I'll keep blogging for now.

Here are the main characters in my life:

• Husband Michael.  Scientist, intellect, music-lover and native Kentuckian. Shares desire to keep life interesting and fulfilling. Loves growing vegetables, hiking, and Mountain Dew. Able to articulate the things I believe, explain things I don't understand, and inspire me to take on new challenges.
• Daughter Anjalee.  Six months old, born at home, and a happy, sweet baby.  Very strong and observant.  Already a Californian!
• Dogs Elvis and Junebug.  Pembroke Welsh Corgis.  Affectionate, mischievous, and underfoot 24/7.  

I suppose the most interesting blogs are true to a topic and cover it in-depth. This will not be one of those, at least for now.  Instead, I'm going to give space to the things that I've learned and what defines our family.  I doubt much of what happens will be unlike what millions of other families experience, but I know there is value in reflection, and that's something that will move me toward my goal of living fully.