A Better Introduction

Alright everyone, have you had enough time to read that lengthy opening post? I figured two weeks should do it. So now let's get onto to meatier matters.

1. Who am I?

I'm from Maine originally and had a pretty normal childhood of academics, sports, and a slight addiction to the puzzle section in the newspaper. I went through the typical maelstrom of adolescence and made it out with a few battle scars, fewer stories, and a glaring lack of direction.

After a brief sojourn in LA (my acting career stalled, my pale skin burned, and the weather was still hot in December) I attended Emerson College for my BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. Boston was a fun city that I called home for almost five years. And then it was time to move on, simply put, so I did.

From Boston I took to Europe and spent seven months backpacking through seventeen countries. I was a farm hand, a carpenter, a nanny for three non-English speaking children, an art-lover, a reader, a lover, a friend, an expert at train schedules, and an adventurer. I felt lonely at times, exhilarated in others, lost and completely found at the same time, and in overwhelming awe of how little I know about the world and how easy it really is to explore. It was an experience that wasn't always - if ever - easy, and I am tempted every single day to pick up my father's outdated orange backpack, buy a ticket, and disappear all over again.

Now I live in Portland, serve at a restaurant, and generally attempt to survive in a city that's always been a home away from home. I listen to EDM, folk and classical music on a daily basis, hold down a fairly steady freelance job reading scripts (email me if you're interested; I also offer help on essays, stories and anything else with complete sentences) and dream of writing that elusive first novel.

There. That's a fair introduction. Oh, I'm a redhead. And a Gemini. Those seem important.

2. Why am I doing this?

I miss writing, and I miss being honest with myself and writing without too much agenda. I lament the lack of entertainment I find in my daily communications and would love to indulge in the sheer satisfaction of a clever alliteration or well-placed double entendre. Right now I'm sitting on my couch, the room illuminated with twinkle lights and snow falling gently outside the window, listening to classical music (Debussy, specifically) and feeling better with every click of the keyboard. Talk about therapeutic.

That, and sometimes I feel like I have insightful/funny/inspiring/relatable anecdotes and ideas, and what better medium to share them than a blog that might also gain me internet notoriety and land me a book deal? Multitasking all the time.

3. There really is no three, but a list of only two items felt incopmlete. So I'll make this paragraph all about expressing my gratitude for those who read, comment, and partake in my venture back to the written word. You're all wonderful and I look forward to getting to sharing my writing with you. I do love correspondence, so please feel free to comment, write emails, and include me in your own blog entries. Sometimes I can be eloquent in conversation.

That's enough for now, I suppose. Stay safe and keep warm, everyone.

A Beginning

Hello everyone, and happy February!

I call the state of Maine my home which means that I’ve seen about three feet of snowfall in as many weeks. While some were waiting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of Punxsutawney Phil’s declaration of seasons, I had a pretty good idea of what the next six weeks will bring. At least in terms of the weather. Personally speaking, I would love any manner of forecast.

There are a few things I can foresee: For the next month I will have a roof over my head (hooray for making rent). On Sunday I am venturing out to a local animal shelter to begin the next stage of my life as a cat lady. Other than that, I know very little about the future, though I can likely rely on some basic assumptions: I’ll don an apron and serve some steaks, spend a few mornings at the gym, drink wine, beer, and eat at all of the Thai establishments within a stone’s throw of my apartment.

I will also, I sincerely hope, continue to write.

Though I am paid for my expertise in the art of customer service and carrying trays of food and beverages without spilling on myself or others, I am an aspiring writer. Lately, however, I have proven myself unworthy of the title by abstaining from anything to do with the creative process. Writing is a discipline, as an undisclosed number of instructors insisted while I was a student stubbornly enamored by the romantic view of a typewriter, bottle of wine, and manuscript that would undoubtedly pay for years of travel and (classy) debauchery. I can begrudgingly admit I should have listened.

I will likely divulge far too much information at a later time, but for now let’s simply say that I have fallen into a rut and it is well past due for me to claw my way out. At this time there is no master plan, not even a post-it note with some scribbled plans, but I do know that I need to reclaim my voice and relocate my passion.

This blog is my attempt to do just that.

I’m not sure what I will write about – whims and fancies, my fascination with all things food and health, books, places that I miss on a daily basis – but I will try to promise variety, color, and enthusiasm.

This is simply an introduction, a cover letter, as it were. In the coming weeks I’ll shed more light on myself, the origins of Edgar, and some of the more entertaining aspects of life. But for now I look forward to rediscovering vitality (an element sometimes elusive in the cold months of winter), exploring interests – both latent and obsessive, and hopefully rekindling some old lost loves.

Thank you for reading thus far. Hopefully I see you again soon.