Starting something is always hard for me. I'm much too eager to hit that spot that comes right after the warmup (I can't even be bothered with stretches before starting a run). Take blog upkeep, for example. At the beginning stages of writing, I spend a heckuva lot of time to-ing and fro-ing, typing and deleting. After three hours slumped in front of the screen, I often find myself facing a sad blank screen with only the cursor blinking judgmentally at me. However, after stumbling upon a wonderful book given to me by my best friend, I was inspired to change this awful habit! Afterall, one gets to the middle (and the end) by starting at the beginning.
I've just finished Luisa Weiss' wonderful memoir, My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (with Recipes). It chronicles her fantastic journey to find home in a transatlantic life that took her from Berlin, to Boston, to Paris, to New York, and finally, back to where it all began: her Berlin kitchen. It was in this once-divided city that she found the sense of belonging so elusive everywhere else she lived. And it was here that the love she thought she lost came back to embrace her with open arms.
This book resonated with me on many levels. As a child whose formative years were spent in two countries with such divergent cultures, the feeling of groundlessness is like a softly humming companion. But overtime, just as Luisa discovered, it's the strong and personal connection I formed with friends that allowed me to finally feel rooted, connected, and steady. Home, I learned, is where the heart is. And my heart is where those I love are.
There is an openness and a loveliness to Luisa's writing. You can smell the sweetness of her pfannkuchen, taste the spice of her roasted chicken, and experience the comfort of her depression stew. I very much enjoy how directly she can connect to her readers in both her book and her blog, the fantastic The Wednesday Chef. And it is because of her that I've decided to return to this blog and recognize it as a platform to chronicle my own creative journey. And so, readers (all three of you?), this prodigal blogger returns with renewed vigor, enthusiasm, and commitment.
(Pictured above: In my absence, I've done some wandering: Prague, Budapest, Toronto, San Francisco, Sonoma, Philadelphia.)