The Short Version
KiwiCanadian expat in New York with 5 year old Mr P, Little Miss (just over 1) and Kiwi (meaning born in New Zealand) husband Mr BAM. These are my adventures in trying to live an inspired life in New York, my travels, pursuits in getting back to half-marathon shape, and most recently my return to the work force as a Social Media Strategist.
The Much Longer Version
I have been many things professionally in my lifetime – working in the social media, communications/PR and online space in various incarnations for companies in New Zealand and the US (Air New Zealand, MTV’s Rob and Big), New Zealand non-profits (Leukemia and Blood Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis NZ, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind) as well as a game producer and project manager in a games company I co-founded, managing the build of Indygames.com’s 3rd Best Adventure Game of 2007.
Mama Goes BAM (MGB) is not my first time blogging from a personal perspective. I started a blog in 2006 when I was pregnant with Mr P chronicling my journey into motherhood, and my knowledge and experience with Social Media. This journey with MGB started in 2011 and is a little different as I write about my experiences settling into our new life in New York. It’s a fine line between living, being a tourist and fitting in as an expat. I hope you will join me – offer suggestions, ideas and maybe hopefully have a laugh along the way to keep me from crying at some of the craziness. Something about being hormonal and switching into full-time mommy mode must get my writing juices flowing.
I was born in Montreal, Canada to parents of Bajan nationality (born in Barbados). After university I panicked about becoming a teacher, I didn’t think I’d lived enough to be an effective teacher. So, off I went to New Zealand with a one year work visa. After swearing off men, I just happened to meet a Kiwi bloke (New Zealand guy) named Chris a month after I arrived in Auckland. Mr BAM has been my best friend every since. In 2004 we married in Barbados, and fast forward to 2007 where Preston made his debut earth side in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2010 after 7 years in Christchurch, we decided it was time for us to move back to Auckland where we’d met. Two months after we left, Christchurch was hit with its first devastating earthquake in September 2010. It still saddens us to see and hear what so many of our friends and family are still going through as a result of that earthquake and the one that claimed more lives in February 2011.
Much to our surprise, at the beginning of 2011 Chris was offered a work transfer to the New York office of the Kiwi company he was at. I’ve always wanted to live in the Big Apple, but always thought that dream went out the door along with being a singleton. So here I am in New York. It’s a bit different from how I imagined it – not so much going out for cosmopolitans with other single gals or shopping for Manolo Blahniks but so far I am enjoying it. It’s a different perspective with kids.
Oh, and did I mention baby #2 is set to make her arrival into this world on December 1, 2011 made her appearance 3 weeks early (just like her brother) on November 4. This coincides with us finding our permanent apartment which we’d like to be is in Brooklyn (our lease runs out on the company’s rental December 1) and our furniture is arriving from New Zealand which sails into Seattle October 28 with a slow sail to the East coast to hopefully arrive in New York, you guessed it… December 1.
We’re cruising into 2 years in New York come August 2013 and life is good.
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