kimberly ah

As I settled on Kimberly AH as a blog title, I realized that AH also stands for “At Home”. “At Home” is fitting because most of what I intend to talk about on this blog happens in our home: remodeling, decorating, coffee drinking, letter writing, crafting, cooking, baking, cleaning, happy hours, volunteering…

I have also been feeling very “at home” in my life lately. I left my full-time job over two years ago and have often felt awkward and unsure when explaining my “lifestyle” to people. Most conversations with new people start with the question, “What do you do?” For the past couple of years I have dreaded this question. I would kind of laugh and jokingly say that I was a housewife and look to Naoto for help. Then there would be this abbreviated explanation about my old job and why I left, and how I just work part time now, oh, and I volunteer (an afterthought)… I felt like I had to justify my existence somehow. This experience was so weird for me, because not once have I regretted or even questioned my choice to leave corporate America (The biggest sign it was the right decision: the night I put in my notice, I slept through the night for the first time in six years.)…but it still was hard to explain to those who didn’t know me. But, as I fell in love with my new life, it didn’t matter what other people thought…the only validation I needed was my own joy.

I’m finally feeling at home in my life, at home in my own skin, at home with Naoto and Presley. I’m right where I need to be.

I know that picture is terribly out of focus, but it is my favorite of the three of us. You almost can’t even tell that Presley was feeling “over-loved” in the moment.