So today’s writing prompt was about tweaking your title and tagline. The funny thing is, that I’ve been thinking about doing that for about eight months. See, I’ve been living in Sweden, waiting out visa issues, so I thought I should change my blog title to An American Hermit Crab in Sweden, but I felt like that was giving up. After all, Sweden was just this in-betweeny phase that was supposed to be over with rather quickly. The longer I lived in Sweden, the more guilty I felt about my blog title. Voices would hiss in my ear every time I opened up the page “you’re not reeeeeeeeally in Denmark.”
I guess I should explain that the title actually is a line in a poem I wrote that’s part of a collection. It’s partly almost-literal, in that I feel often that I’m carrying my home around with me (though in the form of a green suitcase, not a shell painted to look like a soccer ball), but also in that I feel like I carry America on my back everywhere I go. I am American and though I might give up my citizenship in the future, I’ll always be from America and sometimes that feels like a lot to carry around. I carry around the judgements people make about Americans, the stereotypes, and feel responsible to every move America makes. I feel more American than I ever had to while I was actually living there.
So the title is really quite symbolic, and not literal (much to the dismay of the many, many people who are led to my blog through google searches about hermit crab care).
But it’s funny, the day that I’m invited to change my blog title is the very day that I don’t feel like I should any longer. That’s right. Guess who’s moving to Denmark! We signed the lease for an apartment today and can start moving in…well basically today. I feel like I’m on the verge of something huge, and I’m so excited. We’re starting to plan our moving-in, when we can do what things, and where and when we can buy which things, and who can help us. Tomorrow is going to be List-Making Friday. Let the organized craziness begin!
I’m so, so excited to be moving, and even more excited because our apartment is fantastic. Like, super great. Pictures to come.
Oh, also, with all this moving-and-decorating-and-finally-making-a-place-our-own, I think I’m beginning to understand pinterest. This could be dangerous.
An American Hermit Crab in Denmark 