About My Mellow Brick Road
Welcome to My Mellow Brick Road, a personal blog for sharing ideas, observations, and memories on a variety of topics ranging from travel to psychology to literature to mini gardening/miniatures to love & relationships! Now for a little bit about myself and the purpose behind this blog…
I was born and raised in Orange County, California and spent five years in the UK studying English literature. While my degrees are both in English, I studied psychology for three years as an undergrad. I’ve always had a keen interest in the human psyche and am planning to begin a master’s program in clinical psychology soon. Since my mother’s passing a few years ago, I’ve worked for my family’s real estate business. Volunteerism is an important part of my life, and I am a member of a women’s volunteer organization (JLOCC) that seeks to assist foster youth and survivors of human trafficking. Last year, I traveled to Greece to help out at a Syrian refugee camp called Ritsona. In addition, I am a proud cat mom of two (Waverley — a mismarked blue point Ragdoll, and Leonidas — a red and white Maine Coon). I also have an incredible boyfriend named Shawn.
Originally, my desire to start a blog was rooted in my passion for travel. While experiencing foreign cultures and touring historic sites, certain impressions and stories would stick in my mind that I felt were worth sharing. Exposure to diverse peoples and viewpoints offers invaluable perspective that I believe ultimately makes for a better world with more insightful and compassionate people. I later decided to expand my initial blog concept to include posts about other life experiences beyond travel. I wanted to have a channel through which I could share eclectic musings and ideas, whether they be related to my personal life experiences with issues like online dating, volunteerism, or bereavement; or to more impersonal topics such as folklore or personality typing. I racked my brain for the longest time trying to figure out what I should name my new blog…
Shawn’s mother — a former copywriter, I might add — at last came up with the winner: My Mellow Brick Road: Moments and Musings by Ann-Margaret. It struck a chord within me. Due to my shameless literary nerdiness, it of course appealed to me on a technical level (through its alliteration, wordplay, literary/cinematic resonance, general “witchiness,” etc.!). I could appreciate the potential meaning to be gleaned from the obvious allusion to the yellow brick road in The [Wonderful] Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and her companions follow the yellow brick road hoping it will lead to better and brighter things; and indeed it does, though not precisely in the way they had anticipated, and not without the personal growth that is born through the struggles of experience. Thus, on the broadest of levels, the universally symbolic road becomes a metaphor for life’s journey.
In this blog, I will write openly and honestly about topics that are important to me and that have shaped my own journey. While writing helps me make sense of my life and the world, I started this blog largely so that others may engage with the content in ways meaningful to them. This could mean that readers are inspired to try a new hobby or travel to a new place, endorse or challenge the points that I make, learn more about a subject, think about some aspect of life in a new way, or simply have fun reading. I’ve also included a couple of photo galleries dedicated to travel and miniature things (fairy gardens and dolls, specifically). Whatever your own path may be, I hope you enjoy My Mellow Brick Road and that you find some part of it that resonates with you.
