lets get real
I started Alexander-Alexandra as a fashion blog in 2014. As fun as it was, it just wasn't my jam. I do LOVE fashion, but I hated writing fluffy, meaningless words and phrases like "this cardigan is so comfy and is such a great fall staple!" SO FLUFFY. SO AWFUL.
I still wanted to curate photos (photography=life) and experiences and write about them, even after the fashion side of things died. So after that I dabbled with what I feel like was a smorgasbord of topics. And I have a lot of interests so we were ALL over the place.
Yoga! Running! Making healthy muffins! Day trips to this place! Day trips to that place! .....
and my writing still sucked.
I had no voice, because I was afraid to have a voice. The fluffy stuff is easy- talk about the facts. What you did, where you went, add in a couple intriguing superlatives and voila! a paragraph of filler that everyone (including myself) skips over. But your real voice - writing words that are actually an extension of your personality? That is terrifying. Putting yourself out there to be judged and ridiculed? No Thank you! I have been alive 30 years (i thought about inserting an old "ew I'm 30 joke here, but honestly I'm okay with 30) and all of them have been spent trying my best to avoid any and all situations that make me vulnerable.
I have been thinking about this for awhile: this whole "finding your voice" thing. And it is something I really want to rediscover. Its been many years since this finance major had to do any kind of creative writing, so it may take some practice but I will- I will dig a little deeper and dust off those old, rusty skills. And that means I also have to go forward gritting my teeth and surrendering to the vulnerability.
I have been working on getting this blog up and running again after I lost ALL MY CONTENT. Over 2 years of content and photos.. gone! I had stepped away for awhile and it slipped my mind to renew my account with my host. When I realized what happened, it dawned on me that I had really missed having a outlet to write and share our photos and stories. So I made it a goal of mine to slowly start chipping away at this huge project of recreating what was lost. I am not completely done yet, but at this moment I'm pretty darn proud of the effort I have put into this, and have high hopes I can have it up and running again in full functionality soon!
The process of sorting through all our old photos has been quite the trip down memory lane and has made me feel fuzzy with warm thoughts of our past adventures. It also has made me realize something else and I feel the need to set the record straight before going forward:
the highlight reel syndrome is real.
I am so guilty of feeling jealous (aren't we all!) over others social media presence. Fancy clothes, exotic trips, good times with friends, perfect relationships. After clicking through my own site a couple of times to make sure everything flows nicely- I realize an outsider may look at this like I have the perfect life with a perfect husband and tons of time and money to travel and do whatever I want.
highlight reel, I tell ya.
So after having that realization, I made a vow to myself and to this little blog to stay open and honest and REAL. Put a huge disclaimer out there that my life is far from perfect and I am highlighting the parts that have been so blessed to experience. It is no question that I have a wonderful husband and we have been a lot of places and done a lot of awesome things. But we also argue, and see things differently a lot of the times and frustrate each other to our very core because we are SO different. It is no denying that marriage is hard and takes a lot of work! That side never shows up in photos because...who wants to showcase that? Who whips out the camera when tensions are high to capture the moment? But its real and we work through our differences just like everyone does.
And the travel! ...
The opportunity to travel is something I am so very thankful for every time we hop on a plane because I know not everyone has the chance to do so. I was 25 when I first stepped foot outside of the US, and fell in love with the adventure of being immersed in a new culture so unfamiliar and fascinating. B and I met while studying abroad in Italy and I think our relationship was founded on this shared curiosity of the world around us and have made the pursuit of experiences the goal of our time here on Earth. With that being said, because we value travel so much, a lot of our money that we make goes towards trips rather than nights out at a bar or expensive clothes and bags because that is where our priorities lie. We both have full time jobs and have to strategize to make the time and funds available to make trips possible. One of my goals with our stories is to share the joy that we feel by expanding our horizons and exploring an unfamiliar place whether that be a couple hundred miles drive away or a 4,000 mile flight away.
But when it comes down to it, the main goal of this blog is to share our story. And inspire anyone who reads to share theirs too. I believe that experiences with the people that matter most to you is the most important thing in life. No matter what the topic....anything from a few mundane photos documenting the towering snow piles on our street to a photo diary of our honeymoon in Italy in the town we originally met, its all a part of our story and moments that I cherish and wish to always remember. I hope you stick around and follow along with us! (and get out there and tell your story too!)
