The Turning Point

Yup, she did it again!  For those who have been reading An American Girl for a bit, you'll know that this is the second layout change I've made since the blog's creation.  And for those of you who have recently found me, there's my admission ~ this is the second layout change I've made since the blog's creation!

WHY, you ask?  Or, maybe you don't really care, but I'm going to explain anyway.  It'll make me feel better.

As interesting and colorful as the most recent layout was, it was, quite frankly, a bit too frou-frou for me (frou-frou being one of my husband's favorite descriptive terms.  I like it).  From the moment I switched to it, I longed to go back to a clean, white, minimalist look, something a little more mature, professional.  But, I feared being too much the flake so I thought I'd sit with it.

Today, though, I find myself at a turning point.  The turning point being the moment at which I moved from "...hmmmm my hubby and I think we'd like to move to Vienna and we'll see what happens," to "Alright folks, we're moving to Vienna!"  It's time to get serious and kick this game into high gear!

Which seemed the perfect time to go back to a more suitable look.

What you see today is just the beginning of a new format and new approach.   There will be much to come, starting with a new title design and header (I need husband's help with that, though, so it's not ready today), pages devoted to major topics, a countdown to the move, once it's scheduled.   Who knows what else I'll come up with.

As the decision to move is now official, I am officially declaring myself a serious blogger.  Not only is An American Girl a fascinating a fun way to chronicle the experience, but it is also a serious endeavor to expand my network, make even more connections, ask  questions, gain insights and practical information.  And, lest I forget, part of this venture is to practice writing and shift my focus to that creative (and perhaps someday financially-lucrative) endeavor.

Until today, it was mostly fun.  Somewhat serious, but mostly fun.
Now, it is totally serious.  And totally fun! 

Warum nicht?

By far, the most common response to our "We're moving to Vienna!" announcement to date is some version of the question "why?" It usually follows the statement - "That's so exciting" or "Wow, what great news" - but it's never far behind. And it makes me nervous.

How could such a simple question, "why?" give me pause, cause me to stammer "um" and "uh"? Because I'm not sure that even I know the full answer to the question, so how can I explain it to others? And because I'm not sure the answers I do have will strike everyone as logical or reasonable. And I very much like to be seen as logical and reasonable.

Why move? Why Vienna?

• For a job? No, neither of us received a job offer in Vienna. The decision to go came first, the job search will come second (or third, or fourth).

• Why Vienna, of all the places in the world? Because we found out we know people who know people there. And we heard that it's a good city to start in if we need to slip into speaking English at times to get by. See - there is the reasonableness, the logic. Very practical. Connections and communication.

• But why move at all? To experience a different culture. I have this idea (perhaps a romanticized idea, but anecdotes from others seem to confirm it) that life in Europe, even in a larger European city, is different from life in America. I haven't experienced anything other than life in America and I feel at a loss for that. I want to know more. More than a 2 week vacation could teach me.
  

• We're not anchored where we are right now by careers or children or a mortgage. And so, it seemed like a good time to explore. Together.

• And, well, have you seen pictures of Vienna? Read about the architecture, the music, the history? It sounds (and looks) like such a rich, magical place, and everyone I've talked to who's been there gets this dreamy look and thrill in their voice that's hard to ignore. I had never thought twice about the city before this began, but now I can't imagine going anywhere else.

So, while there are many other reasons that will probably show up in later posts, my short, sweet, simple answer to the query, "why?" is, from now on...

Warum nicht. Why not.