Julie & Julia

It's a book I love and a movie I love even more. One of the very few where I actually prefer the movie to the book. That could have something to do with my love for Meryl Streep though.

Anyways, the movie's on and I always find it inspiring. To be so adventurous with cooking (I've told my husband repeatedly that I could never be a "lobster killer"), to have one little idea and run with it, to actually stick with that idea for a year, and to write a blog centered all around that. I think it's pretty natural for all of us to pick something up with gusto and drop it in a few weeks. Whether it be a new work-out routine, diet, attitude, or blog idea, soon those weights are buried in the back of the closet and the salad's wilting in the crisper while you scrape the bottom of a bag of potato chips. So simply the idea of blogging consistently and diligently for a year (along with all the adventurous cooking that filled the blog), and then later publishing a book on that experience, is pretty inspiring.



To be honest, I never knew who Julia Child was. I read the back cover of the book in Borders and wondered who the heck this Julia was and why someone would go to such lengths to channel her cooking. And since the book is focused on Julie's experiences and her cooking journey, I learned relatively little about this Julia Child person while reading. But the movie has all sorts of interesting scenes from her life. With Meryl Streep's flair, it's hard not to be intrigued by such a character. Admittedly, I've never looked beyond the movie to find out more about her, but Julia seems to be a pretty inspiring person herself. It's on my list of things I should do...at some point!



I have a convoluted point to bringing this all up somewhere in this wordy blog post, I promise.

I guess it makes me want more for my little corner of blogland. Sure, I have some followers and readers, but I still feel pretty faceless over here. And half the time, I feel like my posts pale in comparison to many, many others. What do I have to talk about? Nada, most of the time. I find myself wishing I had some neat adventure to track like Julie's recipe challenge or even a home remodel like so many other blogs I've seen.

And I know, some of you are rolling your eyes.

I'm living in JAPAN. I'm a military wife who deals with all the challenges and experiences of the Navy and its ups and downs. I'm a twenty-something who loves learning new things and going on adventures. I have a blossoming love of cooking and sometimes I dabble in creativity. It all sounds like potential just waiting to be picked up right?

But I'm also a painfully shy, introverted person. I'm intimidated by the language and cultural barriers of my host country. I get overwhelmed easily and have to fight the urge to bury my head in my pillow and ignore the world. The military life is hardly as glamorous as it generally comes across. Most days, my husband is too tired from work to have the energy for exploring, and we're not exactly rolling in the funds needed to travel and explore every inch of the country we're living in. While I'm in the weird middle space between finishing my degree and figuring out what I want to do with it, my life is filled with the mundane tasks of housework and putting a good meal on the table for my hardworking husband. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff.

I'm sure everyone feels this way. The blog next door is always greener, right? Or better yet, the life next door always seems greener. Instead of making excuses and constantly comparing, I should just post the details of my life that I think are worth mentioning. Because in reality, all of us are in the same boat. There's always someone who does it better and something "more" to aim for. There's always something falling apart and a lot of energy consumed trying to keep it all together. There are ups and downs and things that we try to hide from everyone and things we can't wait to share. And even the most mundane life has exciting moments that are worthy of the esteemed blog post.

So while I sit here and try to brainstorm things to do and blog about, I'll try to give up comparison contests. I'll stop philosophizing about blogging and just write whatever crosses my mind (although technically that's what this post is too). And I'll continue to enjoy Julie & Julia on the TV. I might even have to dig up some other Meryl Streep movies. I don't know what it is about her, but every movie of hers I've seen, I love.