Who’s blog is it anyway?

My name is Nurşen (noor-shen), and I’m a first-time blogger who is also a first-time mom, home-owner, and wife. I’m currently taking 6 months off from my career as a software engineer to settle our family into our new home, the semi-global cottage. There’s a lot to do here! We’re downsizing, killing and reviving our lawn, trying DIY projects, buying Actual Furniture™️, and finding our decorating style! Making it both more fun and more challenging, we’re doing it all while barely keeping up with our one-year-old, İsmet. Parenting is another passion project. I’m curious about Montessori education, gentle parenting, positive discipline, and how people around the world raise their children. We’re setting out to make a cozy, global home, and we’re learning as we go!

What else is around here?

Other things you’ll find on this site are offbeat book recommendations and semi-wild plant introductions. My friends know me as a book matchmaker, I can introduce anyone to their new favorite book! I’ve also recently been learning a lot more about the local plant life, starting in my overgrown but breathtaking backyard. I’m happy to share the excitement of recognizing hidden potential in plants that were once just dubious weeds.

Nerd Alert

Two more things before you go! First, because everyone is curious about our beautifully diverse family, I’m happy to share our heritage with you. I’m culturally Black and Turkish, racially that plus a bit more, and my husband Albert is Filipino. And second, as a fair warning, I’m an all-out nerd. Seriously. I graduated from MIT with a degree in molecular biology and computer science. Science and tech stuff is my jam! If I throw around a term you’re unfamiliar with, please leave me a comment and ask about it. I love sharing my passions with other people, and I hate that I-don’t-get-it feeling when I miss a reference. So in my spaces, physical and digital, there’s never any shame in asking a question or learning something new.

That’s about all the summarizing I can do; I hope I see you in the comments! But don’t be alarmed if you come back to read this post and it’s changed — everything here, myself and the cottage included, is a work in progress. 😊