Thank you!

I feel as lucky as a kid in a candy store [or a woman at a birthday party who had just been handed a 4-week old puppy, as above!] when I think about this blog, and I want to thank all of you who have read it, encouraged me, commented on it, followed it, and shared it!

When I first started writing this blog, I very much assumed that no one would read it – a comforting thought, as I could write whatever I wanted!

But now I know people read it because I’ve had emails and letters begging me to correct my grammar [I’m’s so’s sorry’s about the s’s!], the stats show that sometimes 300 people visit this site each day [!!!] and a young woman who I admire commented on facebook that seeing me “find my voice” with writing has inspired her to follow her dreams, too.

This makes me SO happy.

But I’m not comfortable with the word blog – I just don’t like it. I might refer to the blog as the flog or the mog instead.

I really appreciate the feedback I’ve gotten about the flog. I started writing because I wanted to show the subtle [and not so subtle] cultural differences between Australia and the US, because I felt like I spent half my conversations with people I love trying to explain my other life and growing increasingly frustrated that they didn’t get it.

I’ve had so many “ah-ha!” moments already – as I learn to communicate better and realize which knowledge I’m assuming.

So I love to hear what you’re interested in learning more about – I’ve had a request to write more about parenting in rural areas, and lots of requests to write about living with large predators, so I have more bear themed articles coming up for you.

I’m also thinking about all the Australia/Bega Valley things I can write about. I will try to answer questions like: is Bega still on the go? what does the canned cheese produced at Bega cheese factory taste like? and does weeing on a jellyfish sting really help?

Summertime has been crazy, as usual in the land of the 10 p.m sun, and I have a long list of articles I am dying to research and write. But spending time with friends and family before we head back to Aus has taken priority.

Right now we are in Denver, Colorado for ten days, visiting all the Pingels and Karuzas’ we can manage in that time frame.

I’ve grown to love Denver, which somehow reminds me of Canberra – the dry, the heat, the scrubby messy gardens and red brick.

As that aforementioned puppy was placed in my arms, and my face melted into puppy sqqquuueee face, I heard someone say “and she’s not even a dog person.”

Dog person, blog person, I’m decidedly a grateful person!

Thanks again for your support,

with love,

Elka