Hello Book Lovers!

Eek, the first post! Welcome to Read and Wander. I am both excited and nervous to begin this blogging adventure.

How did I get here you may ask? 

Last year I started a new adventure into motherhood (cue chaos of a whole other level) and she is seriously one of the most awesome little people on this planet.  Motherhood rocked my world in ways that encouraged growth and provided challenge. What really turned my life upside down was with the military sending my husband overseas for a year leading to a hiatus from a profession I love, and being smacked in the face by Postpartum Depression. The one thing that kept me a float in the middle of the night with a baby who just did not want to sleep was reading. And I read a lot that first year (read – I didn’t sleep). On night, I was sucked in by one of those random Facebook quizzes (you know the ones) about ‘Why You Might Get Depressed.’ Now 99% of the time I don’t take these things seriously but this one really hit home. In a nutshell it said I was prone to depression when I wasn’t creating…

Now I’m a mental health therapist. Part of me feels that I probably should have caught on sooner I was depressed (this part is a jerk) and recognized that I was also mourning the loss of my old self. The person who did pretty much what she wanted, when she wanted. The one who ate, breathed and slept her work of teaching and healing. The one who really just had to keep herself and the two dogs alive when her husband was deployed. I hadn’t thought about all the ways these things allowed me to create whether it be new training, treatment plans, adventures or meals. I had created a life and got lost in creating the new part of myself that went with it.

So here we are a year later, and I am creating again. I create love, attachment and adventure with my daughter. I create professionally through school, research and teaching. I create the occasional Pinterest fail. But I have been really longing to create an outlet for my love of reading, travel, adventure and photography. That, my friends, is where Read and Wander comes to life. My hope is for this blog to be a place to share my thoughts on the books that ensnare me in their fantasy world, mystery, and adventures. To provide reviews of new literature as requested. To share some of the lessons I have learned traveling abroad and some of my favorite or new adventures. I am also working to have a companion Bookstagram to share my photography. So hang in there while I bring this to life.

Finally, I am truly grateful that you are taking time from you day to read this and hopefully take this adventure with me. If you have recommendations or suggestions for what you would like to see please don’t hesitate to contact me.

(Was that too much? I hope that wasn’t too much.)

Cheers,

Nikki