Friends, I am back! I’m feeling refreshed - and it’s not only me! There’s a new name, look and address for this little website of mine too.

When I stopped writing at the beginning of this year, it was because I felt the need to retreat for a little bit. I didn’t know how to write about what was going on in my life. There was a lot of doubt and negativity swirling around in my mind, and I worried about that pessimism pushing you away. So I stayed quiet and thought a lot about what made my story relevant to other people. That’s not to say the doubt and negativity has left; I’ve just come to understand that it’s a part of where I am right now and I need to own this is a relevant chapter in my story.

When I opened this space in January 2016 I was newly married and felt like nothing in the world could get in my way. You Me Serendipity was my answer to the “perfection” that I saw all over the internet. So as much as this space was meant for you to think a little bit about the role of perfection in your own life, it was also for me to consider what it meant in mine. Those early posts and topics helped me become more confident in who I was individually and find value in my ideas and goals. For some time, however, those topics haven’t felt entirely true to where I am right now.

Beginning fertility treatments and experiencing miscarriage in the spring of 2017 set me on a trajectory that didn’t quite match the original intentions of You Me Serendipity. It opened my eyes to something that so many women experience, but so few of us actually discuss openly. Those feelings of isolation and secrecy can be hurtful to the women who experience them, and they definitely have been for me. These things should not be something only discussed in whispers during one’s most vulnerable moments. Infertility should be something that is shared as a reality faced by one in every eight couples. Miscarriage should be something that is shared as a reality affecting one in four women.

Buying our first home and moving back home to Pennsylvania in August 2017 was another big milestone that shifted the trajectory of my story. Being so close to my family and building a life with Kurt that we are actively choosing everyday has clarified what is truly important to me, but it hasn’t been without obstacles. Kurt is still without a meaningful job after diligently searching and applying for over two and a half years. Living with one income is difficult and more than once we have questioned if this move was the right choice. And while being close to my family is wonderful, it’s also meant that I’ve lost the physical distance that I used to be able to use as a mental health buffer in situations of loss and strained relationships.

At the start of this year I openly acknowledged to myself that these transition moments have had a bigger impact on my story than I’ve shared with you. Taking this time away has reinforced the need to change this space to match where my story is right now. By not sharing my whole story with you all - the successes and the stumbles - I’m falling into that trap of “perfection” that I originally sought out to interrupt way back in 2016. So, here I am, ready to share more deeply and broadly with you all than ever before!

So grab a cup of tea and find a cozy chair, because I’m excited to welcome you to The Lenten Rose Cottage and to see where this journey takes us together. If there is anything specific you’d like to hear about, let me know!

I’ve missed sharing with you, friends. It’s really good to be back.