10 Weeks

We went back to DC and Cumberland, MD for 10 days for the Thanksgiving holiday, and what a great trip. We didn't do anything spectacular, but it was great to be back in the old neighborhood and frequenting the old haunts. And so good to see family and friends. Honestly, it was a little harder on my emotions than I expected (because I miss it way too much), but my return to Austin was easier than I expected, too, so it all worked out.

Mainly, I love DC during this time of year, and was reminiscing about our old life there, one that would be hard to have with kids. Making the transition to Austin has been so much harder on me than I thought and so much easier on Erik than I expected. He is the one that is constantly convincing me that we did the right thing and that he definitely prefers working from home in Austin (and visiting DC) than commuting into DC everyday from the suburbs (which would have been the plan with kids if we had bought a place there). I just could not get that through my head until we landed back in Austin and took a cab to our neighborhood.

I was finally genuinely happy to be home, and the house finally felt like ours (for the first time to me). As we walked in, I was glad to see that no one had broken in, and I was relieved to finally lay my eyes (and my body) on our own bed. I was happy to wake-up to bright sunshine in the morning, and I was amazed that our trees were completely bare and had finally lost all of their leaves (Erik wasn't too thrilled about the raking...). I was glad to hop in the car and go to our favorite places to eat and to do some grocery shopping in amazing downtown Austin. I am not sure what finally clicked, but I am now embracing our move instead of constantly regretting it.

While I loved our apt and Dupont Circle, I was pretty tired of looking out the window and seeing parked cars above us! I also know that we could not have had there what we have here. As Erik says, we would either be renting an apt in a different (bad) neighborhood , and we wouldn't have been able to even qualify to buy an overpriced house in the burbs (barely qualified for what we got in Austin). All in all, I think our quality of life will be better here, and I am finally excited about embarking on our Austin adventure!

Now that I am 10 weeks pregnant, I am fully embracing the quiet comfort of our new home. Just the convenience of a not so cramped kitchen (like counter and storage space) can make a big difference when you're roaming the kitchen for an easy meal and trying not to yak on yourself. Our kitchen in Dupont was so big compared to other Dupont kitchens, but it had it's issues. For instance, you had to back-in ass-first between the fridge and the cabinets to get pots out of the cupboard. There was a huge pipe that ran through the entire house that was our heat source, but its existence in the kitchen made it almost unbearable to be in there in the winter (and you can forget about baking...anytime of year). The linoleum (yes, linoleum) had turned to a pee color and looked like I had already yacked on it. And while we were sooooo lucky to have windows at all, the view was tires and tailpipes.

Our new kitchen is pretty dated and ugly (blue Formica counter tops with a pink Formica backslash that is somehow all one piece...?), but it is so nice and open, and we no longer dread cooking since we don't have to prepare an entire meal on a cutting board-sized counter top. Honestly, Erik has been doing all of the cooking lately. I was in there quite a bit when we first moved in, but with my latest food aversions, I can barely stand the site of most food unless it suddenly appears in front of me somehow and then is suddenly eaten. The smell of the dishes (no matter how bad or few) makes me turn green, and I often spray the entire sink with a natural cleaning product that smells like basil (I've wanted to spray Erik with it a couple of times, but he prefers showers). He was basically dismissed from cooking those wonderfully elaborate home cooked meals he was making because my appetite has been reduced to wanting canned tomato soup, oatmeal, grilled cheese with mayo and pickles, pimento cheese sandwiches and Popsicles. Refried beans and rice make it to the list sometimes - oh, and Thai food of all things - but mainly the kindergartner in me comes out for mealtime (did I mention that I searched the entire Whole Foods for an authentic can of Spaghettios?).

Erik has been so amazingly supportive during this rough "morning sickness" stage. Early on I learned that I cannot get out of the bed without eating first or I'll be sick for hours. So he leaps up every morning to refill my water and to make whatever crazy thing I feel that I can stomach (oatmeal, cornflakes, breakfast tacos, whatever). Thanks to a nice package that his dad sent us, we even have a white wooden tray for eating breakfast in bed! Too bad my only feeling is to throw-up or it would be like staying in a B&B for 3 months! He never complains, he never suggests that maybe I might be ok to get it myself this time. He never assumes that the nausea is anything less than the worst case. I am so lucky to have this support right now. And I still can't believe that Erik is my partner for life - makes me cry every time I realize it.

During the rest of the day, the nausea comes and goes without reason or warning. Doing too much in one day or at one time definitely contributes to my susceptibility to it, so I've learned to chill WAY out. I used to run circles around myself, and now I'm like a 2-errands-at-a-time kind of girl.

I would say the biggest challenge right now is sticking to a workout routine (oh, and not throwing-up in general). I started one up when we got here, but then I got pregnant and sick. I started it up again despite the sickness (forcing myself to walk), but then we traveled for 10 days and it all went out the window. So I'm hoping that I may be able to get back on track this week. It's not only important for my body, but it's great for my mental health and it's so important for pregnancy (as is throwing up apparently).

Clothes have been challenging, too. With all of the craziness around moving and staying with other people when we gave our apt up, we both got out of our exercise routines, and I was not in great shape when I got pregnant. So my regular clothes were already a little tight, and now they're just a thing of the past. The books are all about embracing your new body and accepting that the creation of life is the focus and that it's beautiful. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating when it's your thighs and butt growing more than your belly, especially after only being able to eat white things (my middle name is now "Rice cake"). The economic times prevent me from being able to adjust my wardrobe to my "beautiful body", so don't be too alarmed when I literally start turning old sheets into MC Hammer pants (in floral)!

But being pregnant is an amazing experience overall, and we are very excited! Sharing the big news with our family and friends has been really great. While I complain and make jokes about the overall challenges of this time (moving, buying our first house and getting pregnant all in like 3 months), it is an incredibly joyful time and I am so grateful that this is my life. We are looking forward to sharing this time with you and staying connected to our friends and relatives. Having children is a humbling experience, and it's good to have you all interested and involved!

C-Sections, Birthdays and Painting, OH MY!

My family has been keeping us very busy to say the least. Between babysitting, birthdays and general visits, we are always on the run, but it's nice to be around family again.

The latest member of the family was born last week. My sister had an emergency C-section early Thursday morning due to an early breech baby girl trying to come out with one foot first. Arriving at the hospital in an ambulance and being knocked out with general anesthesia (no time for an epidural) is a stark contrast to the 3 natural home births she's had with the other children. But we're happy to have a safe mama, and a safe Angela Francine (all 7 lbs 11 oz of her).

Do you see the resemblance?

As you can see, all systems are finally go with the pictures, and as promised, here are some pictures of the house. We have not unpacked at all because we are still in the process of painting, and we don't want to paint around everything, so it stays in the boxes for now. There is also a general bareness because we are starting over with furniture (as in, we hardly have any). But we have picked up a few pieces from flea markets/used furniture stores, and one room is finally coming together!

Erik did a great job of arranging furniture and painting!

The futon has an off-white cover flung over it while we decide if we're ever actually going to put the darn thing on...

Nice, tall ceilings - hard to paint...


Screened-in porch off of our bedroom :)



We added those 3 lovely doors (in place of a small not-lovely window). The ladder is out because Erik cleaned out the gutters (fun).

We painted another room tonight and have started to take some wallpaper down in the bathroom (it is so ugly), so I'll put more pics up very soon!

Adjusting

OK, so I actually wrote this post almost a week ago, but I was waiting on the ability to post some pics along with it. We're not there yet (almost, but not quite), so pics will come soon - I promise!

Finally, I am beginning to feel more like I live here instead of like we are squatting in an abandoned house in some strange town. While the house still does not look any different, our routine and outings are what's making it feel more permanent.

We have been incredibly busy. Not only are we both still working full days (though I work two days less), we work for hours to unpack, to set up functional systems (like bill paying, etc.) and to set up computer stuff. We do a lot of yard work, we run endless errands, and take what seems like a trip to Home Depot everyday. As a child, I hated Home Depot, but now it is my favorite shopping spot. We browse every aisle looking at hardware for doors, interior paint, molding, lumber and yard stuff. Now that Erik has a big ol' saw (thanks dad!), and now lots of wood, I will surely never see him again. Remember the bench he made? That was just the beginning. And I can't wait! First he is going to tackle making a box for our compost. Then shelves for our bedroom (we have to hang them on the wall because the room is not big enough for a bookshelf). Then he will tackle a huge built-in for our living area. My MAN!

This may not seem like much, but when you add visiting family and friends, there's not a spare moment. But we are loving every minute and are enjoying the process.

Work-wise, we've got the routine down. We work on DC time (Eastern Standard), which makes for very early mornings, but without the commute. We get up, get fully ready and have tea while we work for the first hour or two. Then we take a quick break to eat breakfast on the screened-in porch (the Blackberry & iphone join us). I think Erik has eaten tacos for every meal from two nearby taco stands (one for breakfast tacos, another for everything after). But he finally made bread so that he doesn't turn into a chorizo taco with cheese and potatoes. Now he has his bread and spreads, and I make my everyday Mexican breakfast (one fried egg, spoon of organic refried beans and sautéed kale, all topped with avocado and hot sauce). I am not supposed to eat eggs everyday because of asthma, but I'm loving this breakfast right now...

Then we work until lunch, and we do the same thing - make a quick lunch and eat outside with our Blackberries.

Life without a commute is very different, and working from home is off-the-charts different. I thought I would struggle more with motivation and distraction, but I actually get much more done at home - no more hallway/cubicle conversations, and I don't get pulled into nearly as many meetings. I'm actually motivated to hammer through my tasks, and not to do personal stuff. However, when 2-3pm rolls around, I become increasingly antsy as I notice the beautiful weather and the neighborhood streets calling my name: "Come take a walk," they say. The margaritas also call my name, but I try to ignore them.

We have taken a many great walks to explore our neighborhood. On my first day, we bought a bike at a garage sale down the street before we even pulled into the house from the airport. So we also trade off taking the bike out (total retro cruiser), and we're working on getting another one so that we can venture out together. It's so great for going to the library and for getting breakfast tacos. I referred earlier to squatting in "some strange town" because it does not feel like Austin at times. I have never lived or hung-out in this part of town, so it is a totally different place for us both. We seek out our favorite places for dinner some times, but mostly we are being exposed to all new territory.

We met our neighbors on one side and across the street from us. We know more about these people and surrounding folks in the 15 mins that we talked than we did about our neighbors for 7 years in DC. People are so comfortable talking to others out here. It's hard to explain the contrast. If you've lived somewhere friendly, and then moved to DC, and then visit the friendly place, you will often notice how different interactions are in DC (if you're lucky enough to have any at all). As Erik put it, he forgot how much of a "westerner" he is. He says that the people are just different, and that he feels so much more comfortable out west vs. on the east coast. He said they're not exactly "bad" on the east coast, but that he can just be himself more - not as uptight. I definitely see that.

I sure do miss the Dupont Circle farmers market. Though there is a huge, bustling farmers market not far from here, I instead go to Boggy Creek Farm on Wed morning for an intimate (and quiet) shopping experience right on the farm. The variety is not what it is in Dupont (5 zillion types of apples and kale), but I still get everything we need, and I'm actually less overwhelmed. There are several varieties of mixed greens and squash, there's lamb and beef, feta and other cheeses, and much more (including gluten free brownies...) - we want for nothing, and it's a little cheaper. It's super different because it's on an actual farm, and during that time of day, there's maybe 5 other people there. And the other shoppers aren't exactly hippies, but they're definitely funky (tatoos, etc.), and they're super nice and genuine. Totally different vibe from the very urban and crowded market in Dupont. I love both, but I'm enjoying the change in pace.

All-in-all, we are settling very nicely, and we're enjoying the creative outlet of doing new things to this big open canvass that is our house. I have to be the luckiest women in the world to have such an amazing partner, a great house, a job at home, and all in a super great town that houses almost my entire family. Life is very, very good.

Blow Out

Today was my first full day in Austin. After a safe and somewhat emotional arrival last night, we ventured out in our Beastie Boys-video Oldsmobile that we're borrowing from my dad. We enjoyed waking up to a cool and overcast morning, staring at our backyard trees from our bed. Then we had breakfast at a favorite breakfast spot that exudes "Austin" (Kerby Lane) before heading off to shop for some basics (trash cans, etc.).

We decided to stop and get the alignment checked on the Oldsmobile since it was turning out to be pretty shaky (like more than the suspension that Erik repeatedly claimed "characteristic" of such old-school "rides"). While "Speedy Alignment" checked our car for what seemed like hours, we strolled through Target for only the second time in years. Being overwhelmed by all of the offerings (and having only a bike lock in the shopping cart), we decided to check-in with the car place. They said they had aligned it, but that it really needed a new tire.

At this point, we decide that it would probably be wise to let my dad know one of the tires seems to be "split", and that we're conveniently sitting in the parking lot of Discount Tires. He says that he happens to have a warranty on those tires through Discount Tires, and that he'll call back after he rummages through his papers to find it. In the meantime, we check with Discount Tires to see if they have a warranty under his phone number - they do. So the man comes out to take a look at them and informs us that the tires are 11 years old and no longer under warranty (and totally "split").

After reporting this to my dad and getting the same answer that he needs to find his paper work, we are getting hot and decide to at least get in the car and move it to the shade so that we can sit in it. We move it across the parking lot to the shade, and guess what - we can't turn it off again. The ignition or something is completely jammed and the car will simply not turn off. With a quarter of a tank of gas, and being all the way across town from my dad, we tell him that we will just bring the car to his house instead of sitting here burning gas while he figures this out.

Slowly we go with our hazards on, and on the freeway about halfway there, things are getting pretty shaky, and guess what - the tire blows. So we force the car over to the median and proceed to dig out the spare (donut) and a jack, and guess what - no jack. So then we call my dad to come meet us. And guess what - the car is still running. While waiting for a long time (and after I have run across the freeway to pee in a nearby bush), three nice men pull over and let us use their jack to get the donut on. By the time my dad arrives, the donut is on and we're ready to "roll".

Thankfully he offers to drive the Olds while we follow in his truck, and guess what - the donut blows. He maneuvers the Olds into a parking lot where we have to turn the car off by disconnecting the battery (and taking it with us so that it doesn't get stolen, since the key is still jammed in the ignition). From there on, it was a safe journey to his house where he had my sisters old convertible Z waiting for us (not as cool as it sounds, but it runs!).

Once we get a little more set up, I promise to post pics of our place. It looks great and we're really enjoying it. What we expected would be a good day of unpacking got lost on the car stuff, but we are taking it one box at a time.

I am fortunate enough to have been able to keep my DC-job part-time through March, and to telecommute from home. Erik and I have set up two little offices in our house, and we are preparing for a productive work week conducted from our home!

My last days in DC were really, really great, and I still feel like I'm just visiting Austin and squatting in someone's house. But more and more it's hitting me that I'm a homeowner (in this economy), and that I'm a resident of Austin (with a DC drivers license). Erik's smile is bigger than I've ever seen it, and really, that's all I care about at the end of every day.

Between Worlds

I wish I could share pictures, but the camera equipment is in a box. On a truck. In Texas. Texas.

We're out of the apt - oh so much harder emotionally than I thought it could be. Every time I stopped being so busy, I would just cry. Perhaps it's unhealthy to be so attached to a place - city or dwelling - but that is definitely what I am. After our AMAZING friends helped us move our stuff out of the apt ALL DAY LONG (thanks, Friends!!), we reminisced in our quiet, empty apt about how amazing our lives have been here, and about how incredibly lucky we are to have had the opportunity to live the way only some people can dream about. I will never ever forget how happy I have been here.

I am now working on the phase of being excited to see the new home that we actually own in Austin, another really amazing town.

Earlier when I meant to write this post, Erik and I were both between worlds. He was in transit to Austin, and I am still living in DC, but with friends. I'm happy to report that he and his sidekick, Jason, have safely arrived in Austin, and are tired beyond words. I, myself, went to bed at 6pm the past two nights and forced myself not to do the same tonight, so I can only imagine that Erik is delirious. But I did get a twinge of excitement when he called with his arrival news, and once he wakes up, I can't wait to hear about his impressions of his first home (that he owns). I'm sad to not be experiencing this week with him, but hopefully the money I am making will be worth it (like...we'll be able to eat - yea!).

The season here in DC has completely changed - fall has rushed in with very cool days and cooler evenings. City people are running around in their fall attire - some in the latest fashions, and some in the sweaters they've dug out from the bottom of their closets. I will miss how very stark and complete the four seasons are here in DC. It's funny that fall here is kind of how winter is in Austin. But when cold-fronts hit in Austin, it gets down in the teens and skips the snow all together - Austin just goes straight for the ice storms - the rest of the winter is very mild. But there is something to be said about not having to lug your heaviest long coat everywhere you go. I'm looking forward to a fall and winter of wearing just layers. And I intend to keep my DC-experience as a deep internal layer that I will never peel off - one that I will always know is there.

No Turning Back Now!

Did I mention that we closed on the house in Aug? We closed on Aug 15.

After signing and notarizing like a million-page contract, we Fed-Ex'd it to Austin and experienced a very anti-climatic first night as home buyers. We got to work right away picking out floors and finalizing renovation and contractor plans. And then it was on to packing.

Every night is now filled with packing, making weighty decisions about what's going on with the remod (and budget) and doing "all of those things" in DC that we want to do before we leave. Everyday our contractor uncovers another cost as he digs deeper into the bones of this house. We are doing our best to "do it right the first time "and not cut corners, which means we may be eating nothing but peanut butter until Halloween.

Whoa...Halloween... We may have our first Trick-or-Treaters this year!

Because we cannot be there to run errands and make judgment calls, we're very appreciative for my dad's help, and for Ravyn's help - she ran over to our house (baby and all) to take several pics of the yard so that I could see if it was torched from the summer heat (turns out I now own a hose from the guy we hired to water the yard...I'm sure we'll be billed for it). And who knew I would ever directly benefit from my dad's trailor? I don't know how else he would have picked up our floors. Thanks so much to you both!

Erik will roll out of here on Sept. 30th, and will likely arrive in Austin around Oct. 3rd or 4th. I will fly out a week or 2 later after securing some more dough (or "pork" as they would say inside the Beltway).

And Holy Hannah! To what will he arrive??








Have you ever watched HGTV or some show where a contractor is doing demo in someone's house and the owner is outside talking to the camera/show-host saying, "Uh...I'm kind of freaking out. My kitchen is a complete disaster, and I just really hope this comes together..."?

Well, I can't relate. While these pics look crazy, and even after my dad asked if I'm regretting all of this yet (umm...support please!), it does not freak me out a bit. In fact, I am much more able to see the potential than I was before the demo. I guess that's how much I hate carpet...

Long time no talk, Cris!!

While cleaning stuff out tonight, I read through old journals and notebooks that I used to keep when I was "deep" and liked to "write". Poetry flowed like honey from a youthful heart, and heartache splashed the pages with each relationship's coming and going.

And then I found this. A set of questions written to myself in 2003, entitled "Questions for the 30 year-old Cris". You can imagine my shock and surprise as I sat there and realized that I am 30 for only 1 more month. And had I not been moving, I would never have found this, and would have missed the opportunity to answer them honestly and on-time.

I remember now the motivation for such a futuristic and thoughtful effort. My roommate at the time received a letter in the mail that she had written to herself back in her freshman year of college. The cover letter reminded her that it was something they did in her program, but the program was being discontinued, and instead of the program mailing it to her parents 10 years from the writing date, they mailed it to her about 5 years early. You'd be surprised what it asked, and how different her answers were from the time that she wrote it...I was shocked.

I wasn't so shocked with my own questions and answers, but I was certainly jolted a bit, saddened and elated all at once. Lucky you, I have recreated the questionnaire below, and have added my answers. Yikes...

Are you happy?
Yes, very much so.

Are you living in the present?
Actually yes, because I am so afraid of the future right now, and I'm trying to savor the present for once!

Are you faithful in your relationship (if you're in one)?
Yes.

Have you made peace with your loss of 2003/01?
What in the hell does that mean??

Are you in touch with your creative self?
Not until a couple of days ago when I was packing up my beads and decided to make some stuff to sell as one last desperate attempt to earn some cash - it has been many years (and it shows).

Are you still hiding your body?
Can I answer that later? Geez...yes...I guess sometimes...

Are you still obsessed with image?
Well...I wouldn't say obsessed, but I can get a little involved every once in awhile...

Are you struggling with materialism?
Funny you should mention that, Cristina - I go back and forth with wanting to work extra in order to get some nice stuff for our new house. So, I guess I am a little bit - it's still a love/hate thing with me.

Are you smoking?
No, I quit - yea!!!

Are you in love?
Insanely so. Aren't you gonna ask me with whom?

Do you love where you live?
Way too much...

Are you a slave to your job?
No, not anymore (phew...).

Do you still go by "Cris"?
Not at work, but it's hanging on everywhere else!

Have you taken someone else's last name?
Well, not yet, but I intend to before I leave DC and after our loan is all settled (really, Hon - I am).

Are you still a democrat?
You could say that!!!

Are you active in your community?
Define active. OK...no.

If you have kids, did you name them Leif and/or Helena Jude?
Not there yet, and I won't reveal the plans (not even to my past self)!

Are you still trying out new French bistros?
Uh, yeah!

Are you living to love and loving to live?
Very poetic, Cris. Yes, thank you.

Are you still patient with other's processes?
Not as much as I should be.

Are you maintaining familial relationships?
Does moving back to TX count (YES, it does - can you tell I wasn't raised with family around? What a question!)?

How's your mom? Are you still in a place where you forgive her, or do you resent her yet again?
In a good place now, but had bad spots in between.

Are you deep in the heart of TX (in all respects)?
OMG, Cris - really. How dorky are you?! I'm not even going to answer that (dork).

Are you playful in your relationship?
Yes :) My Pup and I just love to play (way too much actually)!

Are you still advocating for gay rights for a living?
Oh man - couple of years late on that one.

Have you gone to graduate school?
No, thank goodness! I don't have student loans!

Are you taking care of yourself? Your asthma?
I'm so glad you asked! I'm doing great in that respect (though I could use a lot less red wine and dark chocolate).

Have you learned to sew?
No, but I still plan to, dammit! Don't judge me, Cris (unless it helps you/me learn to sew).

Do you take more pictures?
Cris, you wouldn't believe it - I have a digital camera now! I take loads of pictures (but ask me in 5 years what I did with them...).

Do you believe in God?
Man...who's reading this blog again...? Let's just say I'm kind of agnostic.

Are you spiritual?
Probably not... Define spiritual.

Are you still trying to mold and control your partner?
Damn, dude! That phase is over thankfully. I decided to trust people, especially the one that loves me more than anything.

Are you reading more?
Thank goodness for the subway! Yes (does the paper count? Just kidding :)

Is seeing movies still your favorite past time?
Honestly, besides hanging with Erik, yes, it's still my favorite thing. Nothing beats sneaking treats into a cool dark theatre, and losing yourself in an artful production.

How is your game of chess?
My what? Um...

Do you have plants in your life?
Barely - they probably wish I didn't.

Do you like Tori Amos?
Another really dorky question. Tori and I are pretty much over.

Is music still a big part of your life?
It's on all the time, but I don't know who it is singing (Pandora Radio is this whole new thing. I love music, I just don't know much about it these days...but then again, I never really did).

Have you done anything in the past 5 years to make the world a better place?
Just 10hrs/day!!

Is your country at war?
Sadly, yes...still at war.

How is your anxiety?
Surprisingly high lately. Why do you ask? I don't remember you having a problem before. Honestly, I don't. I thought this was a new phenomenon.

Are you embracing your past or running from it?
Um...I think I'm embracing it (because I'm not running from it).

How's Louisa?
Ask her.

How's Jennifer Kern?
(she's the roommate that did this whole question thing) Honestly, I don't fully know, but I plan to connect with her again once back in Austin - she moved back, too (oh, and her name is Kennedy Kern now...)!

Do you like your hair?
Are you kidding me?? Actually...I'm learning to like it more - decided to grow it out and it's much better now (kind of).

Make-up or not?
Yes, but after kids, I will probably stop. And what the hell? Why does it matter anyway??

Are you wearing glasses?
Not updated ones!

Working out?
Yes (but not enough).

Do you still watch the sunset?
Rarely. Can't see it in this town!

Do you write poetry?
Never. However, I have written music - that counts, right Cris?

Who are you blaming for your downfalls?
God, girl! You/Me, I guess!

Are you still considering public office?
Wouldn't you like to know...

Who's the President?
Too bad you didn't ask me in a few months! I can't bare to tell you who it is right now...

How's Colin Cunliff?
Well, he contacted me recently through this thing called Facebook (don't ask), and he's great.

Corri Planck?
Good as ever (we still use email to communicate - yes, email's still around).

Do fresh flowers still find their way into your life?
Yes, but I'm not the one buying them!

How's the clutter?
Not so hot right now, cuz I'm movin' and all...but getting rid of lots of stuff!!

With whom are you really in love?
I thought you'd never ask! The "really" part is throwing me off a bit, but I'm in love with Erik Summerfield (was "me" supposed to be the answer?).

How's Katie Stone?
Last time we talked, she had been better, but we're not in touch if that's what you want to know...

Ben Glazer?
He's great - graduated from Harvard Business! Another successful ex-boyfriend under the belt!

Are you still growing from your experiences?
What else would I do with them?

Natural child birth, if any at all?
Still hoping for it!

Career mother or stay-at-home mom?
Gonna try for both...

Traveling? Seeing the world?
Absolutely!

Do you still cry in the bathroom?
How did you know?? Why do I do that?!

Are you a good aunt to ALL of your nephews and nieces?
No. But really, that's a huge motivation for moving back to Austin - so I can be closer to all 11 of them!!


So you see? Kind of scary, but I highly recommend this exercise - it can be very enlightening to inquire of yourself in such a way. The challenge is where do you keep the questions, and how do you remember to answer them in 5 or 10 years? If there's not a college program to do it for you, how can you remind yourself (unless you miraculously stumble upon them like I did)?

I really don't know, but I'm going to try it again. Here are some questions I would start with:

Questions for the 35 year-old Cristina

Have you had kids yet?

Are you freaked out by their astrological sign?

Are you still scared to death of not being a good mother?

Do you still have a very playful marriage?

Have you done your wedding album...?

Are you a homeowner? Same home as the one you bought in '08?

Do you yearn to live in the big city still (DC in particular)?


Any many other questions :)

It's been nice catchin' up with you, Cris!