Who writes?

<< You... What? .... WHERE? <<

This has been the most common reaction whenever we told someone that we intend to build a house. In a nice little town, in really good neighbourhood. ... Well, basically in the middle of nowhere.

To put it bluntly: I'm going to live where I've never elver ever thought I would wind up when I'm grown:  Suburbia

And here I am. 26 years old, still a newly-wed (it feels like that at least), barely out of college (same here... it feels like that at least) building up a house and hopefully a life in an area that feels so bourgeois I'm actually quite ashamed.

Nevertheless I'm delighted to include you in loads and loads of bullshit galore that cross my way during the adventure of building a house nearly all by myself. But before you leave in panic, you are also invited to stay for those emotional moments of pure joy that might come up eventually.

Along the way you might be interested in the person behind the lousy English:

I am...

• ... a 27-years old Highschool teacher
• ... from Germany
• ... constantly trying to improve my English (I'm out of practice since college...)
• ... getting used to being a "Spießer".
• ... married to the most awesome guy in the universe (true story.)

I love...

• ... my family (cats and husband included ;) )
• ... my profession! (teenagers in puberty included)
• ... brunch (combines 2 of my most favourite meals ;) )
• ... audiobooks (my childhood dreams came true. You can actually do something productive while doing lame stuff like housework or grading papers)
• ... fantasizing about the future
• ... living the moment

I wish I could...

• ... live in a country where 5 ò clock tea is an actual thing 
• ... say this was my first attempt at blogging
• ... be sure that none of my students, colleagues or student's parents will ever find this blog (it wouldn't be the end of the world... but since this blog offers personal insight in my not always too sane train of thought it might become a bit embarassing)

Why do I blog?

Blogging (as I did before) can become quite a time consuming hobby. Time which I should use picking out tiles and kitchens, making phonecalls to organize different construction steps... 

The reason for me writing this blog mainly about the process of building a house is because I was desperately looking for this kind of blog myself, when the question whether or not building a house came up. I was looking for experiences, home stories or anything that could tell me "We did it... you can do it too, without sinking into poverty, divorcing over some kitchen tiles and massive drama." 

Blogs about building houses are rare... and they focus on the hard facts. There is so much more involved (doubts, fears, joy...) in the whole process. I want to share these things as well (I'm kind of an over-sharer anyway).

And if I survive the next 12 months, you will know for a fact that building a house without any knowledge at all isn't exactly a piece of cake... but it's doable. 

Why do I blog in English?

Simply because English is the "Lingua Franca"  of the internet. I've always loved commenting on anglophone blogs, so blogging in English myself seems like the consequent thing to do. 

I'm always disappointed when I read great a comment on a blog, then click on the commentor's blog, just to find out that whatever great things the writer is sharing... I can't read them because it's Norwegian or Portoguese. 

Besides it can't hurt to get some extra language practice and improve my active vocabulary.