My First Time

My first post.

How very... intimidating.

This feeling is reminiscent of how I spent 90% of my undergrad degree: sitting down to write a very long essay of which I had a lot to speak of, yet frozen with trepidation at pinning down that first paragraph.

But in all fairness, -this- was never supposed to happen. The words 'Marie' and 'blogger' have simply never been inspired to meet in the same sentence.

Until now. Booking a 4+ month-long trip to South Africa will do that.

I have written in journals on and off for my whole life, and treasured the time and effort they required. There was something incredibly cathartic about putting an actual pen to real paper and sitting down alone to untangle thoughts and feelings. My drawers are rife with hard-copy evidence of the 90s.

Junior High and High school changed that. In a blink of an eye, an influx of Live Journals (or 'LJs' as us cool kids called them) popped up like bad acne. Everyone and their cat were detailing the sagas of their lives on the web.

Everyone but me. It was never a train I had any inclination of jumping on. I always felt that it was a tad egomaniacal to post your thoughts and mundane activities so that others would comment and evaluate. Even the word 'blog' itself rings unpleasant and awkward. But I digress.

I do hope that this space becomes something much, much, more than just a cold, regurgitated summary of my thoughts and adventures abroad. I want it to be a place where my readers can interact, keep in touch, and most importantly- share in my journey(s?) away from home.

So, please: Comment. Participate. Ask questions and make suggestions. And enjoy the ride :)