KimWhen I was contemplating starting a blog, I felt a bit overwhelmed. After all, a blog is a piece of your heart, written down and then thrust out into the wide word web for everyone to read. I wasn’t sure if I was ready. After all, just what do I have to share? What is my angle? What is my tag-line?
My good friend Lori Wood recently started an emotional, intimate blog about living faithfully and fully with chronic illness. She has an amazing story and great insight into God’s Word and providence. (You can read it here. I highly recommend it!)
I do have some health issues, 4 herniated discs – two lumbar and two cervical, but thanks to the goodness of God, I haven’t had debilitating symptoms since 2004. My experience is simply not near as impacting as Lori’s. I would come across as whiny while she is absoultely inspiring.
Then a good friend and my computer guru told me to just think about who I am, and the term American-Mexican popped into my mind. You see, I was born in California, raised an Army brat moving from base to base (North Carolina, Kentucky, Germany, Italy and Colorado) until I landed in Oregon at age 13. After a stint in the Philippines as an exchange student, and two years in college, I moved to Lubbock, Texas to study missions. At age 20, I moved to Mexico and have lived here ever since!
When someone has roots from one country, but makes another their home, we often tie the two nationalities together. We have Italian-Americans, Afican-Americans and Mexican-Americans… what about American-Mexicans?
That is who I am. I am an American who is now also a Mexican, in experience, language, culture and family (and next year, Lord willing, I will even have the Mexican passport to prove it!)
There is just one thing, however, and those that straddle two different countries and divide their hearts between two different cultures will nod their heads, with understanding and perhaps just a tinge of sadness. While we identify with both lands and adopt both languages and traditions, we also will now never completely fully belong in either.
When I am in Mexico, I miss my family, shopping, speaking English and hanging out with childhood friends. When in the US, I can’t wait to see my other family, eat real tacos and greet my amigos with a kiss. To Americans, I am strange, a blondie who speaks Spanish like a Latina, forgets words in English, and has almost no clue about the last 20 years of American pop-culture. To Mexicans, I am the güerita who can make chiles en nogada, but still has a slight accent, and doesn’t know much about El Chavo del Ocho!
I have learned to embrace this part of me, however, and now I want to share it with you. If you are also living in between two cultures and feel that you are from Neither Here nor There, then this blog is for you.
If you are living between two parts of the same country that are very different, then you will also identify with this feeling. Many members of my family moved from New Jersey to California nearly 50 years ago, and still have not entirely lost that East Coast identity, attitude, or accent.
And then to all who are Christians, who are living as citizens in Heaven while residing on Earth… you too are living between two cultures. We were born in one and have been chosen for the other. But we have not yet entered into our permanent residency. We are neither from here, nor are we completely there.
Welcome to my new adventure with this blog.
Thank you for your friendship and encouragement.