Wandering and Well Read
Absolutely — here’s a more casual, chatty, but still intelligent version of your draft:
Starting a blog is exactly what I just did. But honestly, I should probably start with the thought process that led me here — the research, the overthinking, and all the little details I considered before finally taking the leap. I looked at other blogs, studied their layouts, explored their niches, and paid attention to how they seem to make money. I think I’ve found my niche, but I’m also the kind of person who is always evolving. What feels right to me today might not be what I feel drawn to tomorrow, and I’m not interested in boxing myself in or putting limits on where this can go.
I know I’ll keep learning the ins and outs of this blog, and at some point, I’ll probably get bored and want to move on to the next challenge. That’s just how I am. I once decided I was going to learn how to crochet, and I went all in — pants, sweaters, bags, little coasters, blankets, the whole thing. But once I had it figured out, I lost interest. I like a challenge. I like the process of figuring things out. I don’t love staying in one place too long once things stop feeling new.
That’s part of what makes this blog exciting to me. I’m going to Berlin, Germany for a Midwifery Conference on Labor and Birth, and it’s my first one. Everyone writes travel posts, sure — but this trip feels different to me. I’m not going with a set of expectations. I’m going with an open mind and a genuine desire to learn as much as I can. According to the WHO’s most recent 2023 data, the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 18 per 100,000 live births, while countries like Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and others have much lower rates. There is so much we can learn from systems that are doing better, and I hope this trip gives me more insight into how we can improve maternal care here in the United States.
I’m a hospital-based Certified Nurse Midwife, and I work in two different states, which means I travel at least once a month, sometimes twice. I love my job, and I love helping moms bring babies into the world, but that’s only part of who I am. I also love audiobooks, houseplants, my family, and traveling. I have about 100 houseplants, and I’m constantly updating my Goodreads reading list and keeping up with my yearly reading challenges. I’m always trying to beat my results from the year before, because apparently I enjoy making hobbies competitive with myself.
Will this blog be different? I think so. Will it be boring? Definitely not. And while I may be writing for you, I’m also writing for myself — because this space is just as much about sharing my thoughts as it is about discovering them.