and so it begins...

After de-lurking on yet another blog, i've realized that turnabout is, in fact, fair play... so here goes.

i'm not even sure who will know about this little project, but it seems a good way to refine a few thoughts and to dialogue with friends, old and new. by way of introduction (and explanation), i am a gracefull klutz... i am a christian (of the presbyterian variety), increasingly and keenly aware of my stumbling need for God's abundant grace. i love learning about theology and its applications to all facets of life, so reading of that variety often spawns lengthy conversations -- and perhaps, now, lengthy posts? my non-bloggy friends will be relieved if some of the pressure is taken off them to listen to my "oh-my-word-i-have-to-tell-you-about-the-great-book-i-just-picked-up-about-the-church-and-the-arts" rants!

in everyday physical reality, i am simultaneously a decent dancer and an accident waiting to happen. narrating my encounters with new cities usually includes an obligatory "and-this-is-how-i-tore-my-favorite-trousers-and-spilled-coffee-on-the-person-who-would-have-been-my-first-friend-there" stories...

i am a midwestern transplant to the east coast and am thoroughly fascinated by american regionalism. i don't care how homogenized our television accents are, there are most definitely cultural differences between sections of this country, and i am having a ball observing them. i come from a serious ag state but love, love, love living in the city -- public transit has become one of my dearest friends! other things that make me happy are meeting people at farmer's markets, cooking big meals for friends (who tell me good stories that make me laugh while we eat), reading books that poke my mind into wakefulness, running to know that i can, and making art for the sheer possibility of beauty.

i dearly love my friends and my family. ice cream and coffee make me irrationally excited. my master's thesis focused on the material culture of migration, and all stories/artifacts of travel and transition fascinate me.

i s'pose that's about enough for a first pass...