About Me

Here is my chance to tell you a bit about myself and why I have started this blog “project.”  My name is Beckie. I am a suburban, happily married, working mom. Professionally, I work as a pediatrician.  I enjoy my work, am proud of what I do, care about the families I see, and enjoy continuing to learn medicine.   My profession defines a part of me. Granted, it is an important part of my identity but is still just a part. This blog is really intended to focus on the other parts of me.

The truth is, I want to know and experience things.  I will always continue to learn about medicine; that is not up for debate.  There is, however, everything else I want to learn and know. I would love to know a lot about everything.  Unfortunately, the reality is that there are only 24 hours in a day, and I do not have a money tree growing in my backyard.  Saying that, I am not going to give up on learning and living life.

What do I wish I knew well?  A lot. I would love to be able to focus time on the arts, on becoming a master chef, on knowing how to be a fix-it gal, on identifying and mapping the stars and planets, on seeing the world, and more.  I want to be the best wife, mom, daughter, friend, and neighbor that I can be. In other words, I want to try to become the best version of me I can become. I am not expecting perfection, but I do want to avoid stagnation.

How do I plan to accomplish these goals?  I intend to utilize as many resources as possible–books, videos and articles, Pinterest, classes and lectures, other people, and whatever else may come my way.  I hope that as I learn, I accomplish more than just learning “stuff”. Why is this important to me? I want to make the most out of life; I want each moment to count in some way.  By learning, perhaps dinner meals and conversations can be more entertaining and interesting. Hopefully I can become a better problem solver and conversationalist. Maybe I can help keep myself healthy for now as well as the future.  I hope that I can serve as a model and inspiration to those who see me trying new things and can encourage you to do the same.

What was the specific inspiration to start a blog?  As I mentioned, I want to keeping learning and trying new things.  If someone asks what I have been up to, I do not want to honestly be able to say, “Nothing much.”  Sure, I would love to become an expert on gardening, cooking, fitness, bike repair, plumbing, and more.  That is not realistic, and I know it. My options are a) spend time going in depth in a few areas or b) try and experience a little bit of a lot of things.  I realized that choice “b” is a perfectly legitimate option! I also decided that I will see who can help me. I don’t want learning to be a solo experience.  The people around us add so much value to our daily lives. I live in a community filled with a wide variety of very interesting people. I would love to get to know them better, and perhaps they can share their expertise and interests with me.  My initial thought was to reach out and let those who want to help me in my new hobby know that I would love to share my experiences with the community, perhaps in a blog. I realized that having a blog set up first could make that step much easier.

With regard to learning, anything is fair game.  Whether it is facts, skills, or just experiencing or trying something new, I am open to it!   I am interested in learning anything from mundane tasks (I am determined to finally learn how to fold a large fitted sheet on my own!) to whatever adventures and opportunities may come my way.  As I like to say, “As long as it is not immoral, illegal, or blatantly stupid, I am willing to give it a try!” Through my posts, I will share the experiences I have, and I will let you know, for better or worse, how they turn out.  Some of my posts may be long and descriptive. Some posts may be short and sweet–I tried “X,” and this is what happened. The goal is not to teach you a specific skill but rather to show you how just a regular gal can try something new and see what happens.    It is perfectly fine to step outside your comfort zone, step outside your box, and see where it leads. I am not planning on serving as your expert but rather as someone to inspire you to go ahead and try something new. I am hoping that I can share with you that we can continue learning and living!