This is why

When I lived 4000 km away from my boyfriend, I had a notebook. In my notebook, I would write down all the interesting things I had seen, heard, felt, smelled or tasted. When I wrote him a letter or card, I would tear out the filled pages and stuff them in the envelope. This way, I wouldn't waste my limited and expensive telephone time telling him about everything. Instead, I could spend the phone time just being with him.

The title for my blog is somewhat ironic. First of all, it is a direct reference to my heritage as a descendant of the Mennonites, who have liked to refer to themselves as Die Stillen im Lande, the quiet ones in the land, the ones who live simply, the ones who strive to be in the world but not of the world.

I, for one, enjoy being in the world. I like to experience it with all of my senses. I like to make a point of noticing the world around me in its minutest detail, to the best of my ability, so that I might be able to enjoy it more fully. As Noticer-of-the-World, I sometimes like to pretend I'm invisible, or so much a part of the world that I'm perfectly camouflaged. I like to be Die Stille im Lande, the quiet one in the land.

The irony comes in this: I'm a talker. As my husband (as the aforementioned boyfriend has come to be) will readily attest to, I need to get everything off my mind/chest/heart by saying it. I'm not really all that still or quiet. I haven't finished noticing the world until I've told someone about it.

So, I figured this might be a nifty subject for a blog. This is a new incarnation of my notebook. This way I can share it with more people than just Aaron (my husband). Perhaps even more importantly than sharing my world with perfect strangers, I also hope that this blog will help my distant friends, family and acquaintances keep in touch with me and how I'm doing.