In May, over Memorial Day weekend, I went to my 25th college reunion at Brown. I must say that I’m not one usually prone to nostalgia and would probably not have decided to go on my own initiative, but two of my resolutions this year were to be more open to adventure and to reconnect with friends. So, when my friend Beth, suggested we go, I was all in. We stayed in the dorms (which shockingly have not changed much in 25 years) and had a great time going to Campus Dance, catching up with old classmates and walking down College Hill in the graduation processional. I had a nice time walking around Providence, happy to see that some of my old haunts were still there. 
Brown has a really lovely tradition of having the reunion classes walk down the hill in advance of the graduating class, so that all the alumni end of lining the path as the graduating students walk to their graduation ceremonies. You really see a gradient of time along the route, from the class celebrating their 70th year reunion (!) to the current fresh-faced class. I didn’t think we looked so bad for 25 years on! In fact, it’s hard for me to believe its been a quarter century. It feels like just yesterday that we were stepping out into the world, newly minted grads. Sure, I feel older and wiser in some ways (at least on good days), but fundamentally I feel not so different from the person I was back then.
Monthly Archives: September 2015
What I did this summer: becoming an Auntie!
Me, my little brother and baby Otto
This summer was a busy and eventful one, with vacations, work travel, projects on deck. There’s a lot to write about, so let me start with the most exciting summer event …the arrival of my nephew Otto. My baby brother Philip (even at 40 plus he’s still my baby brother!) is a Dad.It’s been so special to be a part of Philip and Evan’s (his girlfriend) pregnancy journey this past year. And I’ve been eagerly anticipating Otto’s arrival all year. Since I live in California and they live in Connecticut, the logistics of getting there in time for his arrival were not trivial. And Otto didn’t quite stick to the schedule. After three separate trips East and thanks to accrued United miles, it all worked out. Little Otto came into the world June 14th, just after midnight, and I was able to be there and hold him right after he was born. He’s perfect and I’m in love. It meant so much to be there and I want to thank Philip and Evan from the bottom of my heart for that experience. We’ve not had many happy family milestones the last few years but this stood out as a truly happy and blessed day. My Mom and Dad would have been so proud. A lot of people have asked whether it has been hard to watch others bring babies into the world when I am waiting and hoping for my own. To be honest, I wondered about that myself but surprisingly, it has not felt hard at all. Of course, it does make me yearn even more to be a Mom and have a family of my own but not in a way that feels empty or sad. It’s been an amazing experience to become an Auntie and I know it will be even more amazing to be a Mom. And of course, I am so looking forward to Otto having a cousin to grow up with.
shark attack!
Zurich stork sighting!
Stork sighting!
Zurich at dusk
Zurich Stork Sighting: I was in Zurich for a work trip this past weekend, and what did I see on my walk around town—a stork! I’m considering it a good sign!
Well, hello there!
Waiting for my stork
Welcome to my blog! My very first blog! I’ve started this blog as a place to write about my adoption journey—for myself, for my family and friends, for potential birth moms and families, and someday, for you, my little one, to learn what my life and world were like before you came along.
Where to start? Just getting to the point of deciding to blog was a BIG deal for me. Aside from being a blogging newbie and generally overwhelmed by the online world, I’ve never kept a diary or been much into journal writing and I’ve never been all that comfortable about having my life out there visible in the online world. I’m a Facebook lurker not a poster. I’ve managed to avoid, for many years now, the pressure of having my photo on my work’s webpage. Those of you who know me well, know that I’m at heart a very private person, so this is a whole new experience. But, one of the many things that the adoption process teaches you, is to embrace openness and leave any qualms you might have had about privacy behind. So far, this has been one of the (many) unexpected gifts of taking this leap of faith towards adoption—becoming a more open person, not only about adoption but other parts of life too. More on that later.
Before I go, some of you who may not be fully immersed in the world of babies and baby iconography, may ask about the title I chose. In Germany, where I’m from, the folklore goes that storks deliver babies to eagerly awaiting families via the chimney of their house. Well, I’m ready for my stork to arrive…very, very ready.
Waiting for my stork 