Nice to Meet You

Hi. My name is Susan. For those of you who normally read this blog and am wondering why I'm introducing myself, this month is NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), so I'll be posting every day this month! For those of you browsing, welcome. Here is a little bit about who I am.

I'm an anthropologist. I study people. I watch people. Sometimes I also like to talk to them...sometimes I'd rather contemplate what their actions and statements say about their beliefs and their culture. Wanna talk about ideologues or Mitochondrial Eve? I'm there. Wanna discuss emerging infectious diseases or cross-cultural AIDS treatment strategies? I'm your girl!

I'm also a mommy. And a daughter. A sister, a best friend, and for my "baby" sister, a sistafriend. I'm an auntie since June (hi Charlie!). I'm a wife, confidante, and lifelong laughing partner to my husband Ben. I'm not only a mommy, right now I'm also my son James' biggest fan. And his food taster, chauffer, nurse practitioner, teacher, interpreter, cheerleader, snuggler, and bedtime snack. (Yes, we're still nursing.) Because of my son, I have become a doula, a natural birthing advocate, a long-term breastfeeder, a babywearing expert.

I'm a thinker, a writer, and a talker; an avid reader. Some would say I speed-read, but they're wrong! (This means you, Ben.) I read at a pace that is comfortable to me, and if that happens to be faster than everyone else's pace, well, so be it. I'm a Type I diabetic--something I don't talk about much but which drastically affects my life on a daily basis as well as in the long term.

Some days I feel like I can't get anything done. Some days I remember that my most important jobs don't always lend themselves to a checklist that can be crossed off at the end of the day. My daily goals are to love my family, gently raise my son, and try to make the world a better place. My life is chaotic and messy and fun and funny and exhausting and glorious.

Hi, I'm Susan.