In Which I Broaden My Scope

When I first launched Rebellious Belly, I meant the content to always be linked to food. It was summer, I was on vacation from teaching, and I had all kinds of positive energy behind this project. I had a vision in my mind that the enthusiasm I felt at first launch about cooking, restaurants, and the culture of food would be enough to fuel my posts after the return of the reality of the teaching grind, living alone in rural Vermont, and another cruel winter. Well, it wasn’t. The further away from those first, breathless and idealistic posts I get, the more disconnected I feel from my initial ReBel vision.

So I reflect.

Strictly keeping my writing to matters of food has started to feel constraining. I am at a crossroads in my life, and for my primary expressive outlet to only focus on one small aspect of who I am right now is limiting. I’ve had to remind myself- this blog is mine, and I can write about whatever I want. This is my space to confront my challenges and the overwhelming decisions I’m facing. Here is where I can process my day to day, and where I can plan out and voice my hopes for the future.

So I will write about my experiences. About life. About how I’m 41 and I’m still figuring out what I want to do, and who I want to be when I grow up. About how I’m totally burned out from teaching in public school and how I’m going to find a new way to pay the bills. About how I’m going to escape from this place I’ve never felt a part of, and about how I’m going to reshape myself after my kids are grown and gone.

Rebellious Belly is my testament. I will preach personal growth, self-discovery, and all the successes and failures that go along with making myself a better person, every day.

And, food. Still food. ‘Cause it’s awesome.