Beginning

Eight years ago, I sat beside the ocean watching the waves swirl the sand in ever-changing shades and patterns. I’d jot down lines about nature and beauty in my journal, but that day I felt the pull to share those words with someone else.

I’d noticed lots of lovely blogs popping up and was captivated by both the stories and images shared in these spaces. So I decided to join in. And just like that, Outside Air was born on a May day without much thought or intention. A place to simply share my thoughts and observations.

Remembering

I’ve been looking back over this space some of late, and what I really love about it is the way it documents each changing season of life, love, marriage and motherhood. I see my faith sprouting from a seed to a plant with roots. And I see the seasons of my heart pass through the changes of winter, spring, summer and fall as life’s beauty and challenges shape my heart and soul.

I love this space. And I’m so thankful I’ve had the opportunity to share my heart and story here for all these years. I’m thankful for the people I’ve met and the conversations we’ve had. It’s all such a sweet gift, truly.

Stirring

But over the last year, I’ve been restless about this little spot of mine. I couldn’t put my finger on it, knowing that I still want to write and share my words publicly. But the more I evaluated it, the more the desire grew for a fresh start, for something new.

I’ve changed a lot over the last decade, as anyone does, and while I’m thankful for the record here of all these years, I can’t push down the feeling that this chapter has ended and it’s time to start tapping out a new one.

Planning

At the beginning of the year, I began jotting down ideas in notebooks scattered throughout the house. By May, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do next. The funny thing is, it’s not all that different from Outside Air. If anything, it’s a return to my original vision for this space.

Introducing

So with that, I started working on a new corner of the internet and The Wheat Princess was born.

Continuing

What you’ll find is a continuation of what I started here, only with more intention and a stronger emphasis on the things that make up my very real every day — faith, marriage, motherhood, home-making and homeschooling. And adventures, lots and lots of adventures.

And while I’ve been nearly silent here for the last several months, I’ve been busy setting up The Wheat Princess and tapping out words and stories over there. You’ll find posts about what we’ve been up to this summer (vacationing in a treehouse, for example), what led to our unlikely decision to homeschool, more about why I chose the name, and all the odd things I’ve been learning, pondering or reading as always.

I hope you like it. And I hope you’ll follow The Wheat Princess as I will no longer be posting here on Outside Air. You can follow via email, Facebook or Instagram. Links to all three are available at the bottom of the new site.

Ending

Again, thank you for the near decade we’ve spent together in this space. I feel in so many ways that I’ve grown up here as I stretched into marriage, motherhood and all God has led through over the years. I can’t explain the feeling I have in my gut right now, tapping these words of goodbye. I’m sad. But I’m excited and hopeful for the next chapter too.

Join me there?

Love always,

Kari Ann