Yes, I finally did it!

For some time now, my friends have urged me to start a blog. Most of them have either a personal blog where they offer a glimpse into their daily lives and/or a themed blog where they post on a certain topic such as reviewing the latest books they've read, posting their own poetry, or even spiritual stories. In my blog I will be writing about what I know best--my life.  I am hoping that friends and family will not only be able to keep track of what is going on with me but that they will also take with them a bit of knowledge regarding the cultural differences and traditions of Europe.

You might wonder why I titled it Linda's Life on the Other Side.  I thought of calling it Live, Laugh and Love with Linda and intended to write humorous and happy moments from my life. But life isn't just full of happy moments, and I had the feeling that the 70's hippie-type title might leave a few of my pals running for a bucket. I simply could have titled it Linda's Life except someone already started a blog with that name. I could have called it The Hofke Family blog, but since I am the only one writing the posts, that didn't sit right with me--not to mention that it would make an incredibly boring title.  I wanted something different, something perhaps a bit odd, and I wanted my name in the title. Hey, it is MY blog after all. Then during a conversation someone mentioned my being on the other side of the ocean and Linda's Life on the Other Side came to me. It has my name. It is different. It makes people think, "What the heck is this?" and I do so love to make people's minds spin a bit :-)  Someone who stumbles across it on the web might at first think it is about out of body experiences or visits with angels. Gosh, won't they be disappointed. For that reason, I contemplated if I really wanted to use it as my blog name.  Yet, the more I thought about it the more I felt that it fit. Sides. That was the key word. Everything has two sides--an argument, a friendship, a coin. Then there is the concept of yin and yang which I so love. Not only does my life have two sides (past and present) which predominantly revolve around two countries (America and Germany) but each experience has a flip side. The bad moments always have another side even if it's simply that the lesson learned made me stronger. The good parts, believe it or not, can also have a downside. For instance, even though I enjoy living abroad, it means being separated from family and old friends.

So, Linda's Life on the Other Side it is. I hope to post my first official "something" soon if Christmas stress doesn't take over (yeah, I know...procrastinate all year and then start the blog during the holiday season...brilliant, Linda.) I hope you visit from time to time to see what is happening on my side of life.  Oh, and if my intention to write again in the next week or so goes to the wayside, then I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.