Whenever I sit down to write this post I get distracted by work, or email, or cookie dough, or any of the millions of other things that sound more appealing than talking about the last several months of my life. But after a long spell of avoidance, it’s time to start taking care of my blog again. I have missed sharing the stories, photos, and food that cobble together my days.

I love blogging, and of all my hobbies, it’s the most like the canary in the coal mine of my mind. When life gets tough, my blog goes dark. I suspect this is true for many bloggers, since it can be scary to share the not-so-nice parts of your life with the internet. But life isn’t always nice, and things don’t always work out the way you want. And even though it scares me, I think it’s okay to blog about that, too.

All of this is leading up to the announcement that Rami and I aren’t together anymore. At least, we’re not living together anymore and I’m not sure whether our marriage is going turn out, or how.

If you know Rami and me in real life or if you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you know that food (and by extension, this blog) has been a huge part of my marriage. Rami inspired and encouraged me to pursue my passion for cooking, and he has served as recipe guinea pig, dinner date, photographer’s assistant, and dish washer to support my blog as well. He has also been my best friend for the past seven years. The hardest thing I’ve ever learned is that a deep friendship is not enough to sustain a marriage.

Out of respect for him and for my privacy, I am not going to discuss the specifics of our relationship any further in this space. From here on out I’ll be sharing the new world I’m building for myself. This include redefining my relationship with cooking (for one), relearning to do my own dishes (by hand), and navigating the treacherous waters of dining and drinking in Austin alone (with a camera). I don’t have many words to share yet, but I have been taking lots of pictures lately. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram these aren’t new, but I think they offer a hopeful glimpse into what’s shaping up to be a beautiful life.