Well helloooo there! It’s day number 3 of NaBloPoMo 20204 and I’m finally getting around to introducing myself. My (blog) name is Noemi. I’ve been blogging in this space for about 10 years (aak! I missed my 10 year anniversary here in September! ALL THE FACE PALMS! (but totally not surprising)). I started blogging at a different site in 2008, and was a big part of the ALI (adoption, loss, infertility) community for many years. I had many close blogging friends during that time, and traveled to meet some of them. That blogging community saved me during some really difficult years, and I was saddened when it eventually became undone by the passage of time.
I blogged in what felt at times like a vacuum for some long years before finding San’s NaBloPoMo last year and participating. I found so many new blogs to read and this past year has felt like a kind of blogging renaissance for me (of my god if you could have seen how to I tried to spell renaissance right then! HA!) I am so thankful to have found this community of bloggers and am thrilled to be participating in NaBloPoMo again this year.
So what else to tell you about me and this space…
I keep my identity here on lock down. At least I try hard to. I don’t post pictures of myself or my family. I’m a teacher and I don’t want students to find this space. I’m not on ANY social media and I want to stay anonymous here. I hope that remains the case, but I wonder sometimes if I give away too many clues. I suppose I’m not as worried about someone who reads this blog figuring out who I am, I’m more worried about people who know me “in real life” finding it.
I was born in Singapore and lived in Hong Kong for seven years (six of them formative). I was back in the Bay Area for most of middle school and all of high school. I studied Linguistics at UC Berkeley and eventually went to SF State to get my teaching credential. I moved to San Francisco the same summer I got a job teaching Spanish in the same district on the peninsula that I attended as a kid (where my mom was still teaching). 21 years later I am still in that position. I never considered teaching Spanish (it is not my native language), but I love it and am forever grateful that I fell into what ended up being the perfect teaching position for me.
I still live in San Francisco, with my husband (who was born and raised here and still lives here as an adult – a unicorn!) and two kids. My 14-year-old is a freshman in highschool and my 11-year-old is in 5th grade at a Spanish Immersion elementary school. They both go to public schools in San Francisco.
It can be hard to live in such an expensive city, especially when you’re living on public school teacher and civil servant salaries. We try hard to take advantage of living here. My husband works for the city and always knows what’s happening in different neighborhoods. We go to events and visit museums. We try out new restaurants and see live music. We take public transit as a family, so our kids can get around by themselves. We are really trying to LIVE with kids in this city, and I appreciate that because it can be really hard to stay here with children.
What else to say about me. I’m an active person who loves to exercise. I run, bike, strength train, and practice martial arts. Martial arts is actually a really big part of my life right now, and I think I’ll dedicate another post to that because it’s not something you read about on most people’s blogs! But I do love moving my body, and have run a marathon and ridden several centuries and I swam competitively when I was young. I’m also 44 and learning that my body needs more attention than it once did. I injured my knee last February and have been dealing with lower back pain for a couple years now. I recently saw someone and learned a lot about my posture and what I need to do stand and sit in ways that doesn’t put pressure on my back. I should probably write another post just about that too.
I’m managing other things about getting older too – like perimenopause, which I’m experiencing early because of having diminished ovarian reserve. I’m quite a few years in and not loving it (shocker!)
So what do I write about here? Daily life. Trying to stay organized even though my ADHD brain struggles mightily with executive functioning. Raising kids in a big, expensive city. Crazy projects around the house that I take on myself (sometimes to save money, sometimes because I’m incredibly stubborn). Marriage and all the highs and lows that come with sharing your life with another imperfect person who is trying their best. Friendship, and all the ways I struggle to show up for others in the ways I want to. The myriad ways my body is failing me, and the work I make it do anyway… My cats! I have two of them, and I honestly don’t write about them enough. Their faces will definitely grace these “pages” this month.
Actually, maybe that is a perfect way to end this imperfect (re) introduction, with pictures of my cats. And of the beautiful city I live in (taken on my run this morning).
Thanks for stopping by. I’m looking forward to posting every day and to commenting a lot more than usual! Let’s do this!
This is a great reintroduction! I’m glad you’re doing NaBloPoMo this year. I lived in San Francisco for 7 years and loved it. We left to go to the east coast for 2 years, and during that time the rent control laws changed, and when we came back we couldn’t afford it anymore. So now we live in the East Bay, on the wrong (east) side of the tunnel.
Your cats are beautiful, as is your picture from your run. 🙂
Hi there, what a great introduction! Heartfelt & brave I think, maybe being a bit more anon helps you get to be that online? In any case, your city is on my life bucketist to visit but I doubt it will happen because it is faaar away (I’m in Sweden). 🙂 Both cats are absolutely adorable, thanks for sharing and don’t be shy about blogging about them or sharing more pictures- I will happily take it. I miss my cat that is no longer here.
Happy NaBloPoMo and November!
I started following on the prior blog, so have been along for lots of life changes. Always learn from reading here. And generally find grounding in reality here and a reminder of life at a different stage. The pictures are great and much appreciated. I do not blog myself for many reasons,but am grateful to those who do.
Hi there across the bay. Nice to meet you. I live in the East Bay but mostly see the city from our hills on this side – so close and so far at the same time.
I started peri-menopause in my early 40s, too and as much as I hate getting more health issues some of them probably related to menopause there are also aspects I like. Once I was through the hormone ups and downs of the early years I am much more content with myself. There is some light at the end of the tunnel.
This is an interesting perspective. I agree. I am not happy with my menopause belly, or some other physical changes, but I do like that being this age has given me some freedom from some of society’s expectations. I’m curious if that is what you meant, or if you were more talking about physical changes (like no more periods, mood swings, etc.)
Thank you so much for the re-introduction. That really helped me.
I love the blog post ideas you mentioned. Please tell us more about martial arts. That is a fascinating sport.
San Francisco is such a beautiful city but I can imagine it’s expensive. I have visited it once in 2000 but I want to come back with my husband.
Another follower since your former blog – what a fun adventure the last 10 years has been!
It’s lovely to have these (re) introductions. I’m so sorry you had reason to be part of the ALI community, but what a gift it is to have others that can truly understand the scope of the pain associated with the reality that so many women/men do not have a stereotypical path toward having a family.
I’m jealous of your views. Though I can see it being a very expensive place to live. Love the cat photos <3
You have some fabulous views around your parts. I have to admit, I never considered visiting your part of the world, but after reading your blog I do!
Thanks so much for reintroducing yourself, Noemi. I loved reading this little summary about you and your life and I am so, so glad you found me and this community last year. We love having you here 🙂
I secretly wish to be able to put a face to your name, but I absolutely respect and understand your wish for privacy as a public school teacher. You don’t want people to randomly stumble across your blog.
The Bay Area is so expensive, but also one of the coolest places to live. I have quite a few friends in the Bay Area and I am happy always to visit 🙂
Oh, I love re-introductions. I didn’t know you were born in Singapore! Hearing people’s history is always interesting. San Francisco seems like one of those impossibly expensive cities to live in, so I’m impressed that you’re making it work.
Love the cat photos!
I love your cat photos, and your introduction (I’m a newbie here via NaBloPoMo). I’ve done NaBloPoMo a handful of times, probably the first around 2007 on my first blog, where I blogged about my kids during my first stint as a SAHM. I had a few infertility posts there too. Now on my 3rd blog which I have written on intermittently since 2016. While considering writing a memoir. It’s a lot of work. Why ?LOL 🙂