Picture a Swiss maid, complete with bonnet, mountain cottage located in the Alps and a flock of goats she holds near and dear to her heart (think “Heidi” or “The Sound of Music”).
Now imagine that same Swiss maiden transported to the heart of Melbourne, Australia, steaming cup of coffee in one hand, laptop under her other arm, goats following obediently behind as they cross the street. The drawstrings of her bonnet fly behind her in the wind, and curious kangaroos peer around corners in suspicion that the goats have come to invade the outback and pillage all available foliage.
OK, maybe the goats are pushing it a little. My imagination tends to run wild at times. In any regard, this is one way I picture “Momma” when I read her story below. I started following A Momma’s View a few months ago, now I can’t wait to see a notification that she’s posted something new.
Her life experience has given her a unique perspective, one that I find interesting and compelling to read– especially considering that English is not her first language. Her blog is a collection of thoughts and musings; she defines it as a “Lifestyle blog”.
Momma’s blog is different from many others because she writes in an interesting way about things that interest her and it shows. I find that many of her topics are not necessarily areas of interest for me until I read her posts, that’s when I find myself googling for more info on that particular subject, or commenting on the post itself to ask more questions.
To say anymore at this point would be to take away from the interview below. Read on! The maiden awaits.
To get us started, can you tell us a little about yourself Momma?
I am a woman. Sometimes I am strong, sometimes I am not. Sometimes I am disciplined and sometimes I give in. I love my two wonderful kiddies (a boy and a girl) that we home school, and I adore my husband, who is also my best friend.
We live in Down Under (Australia that is). We moved here just about 10 years ago from what I call Up Over (Switzerland that was). Quite a change, but it was totally worth while.
So here is my personal issue with blogging in English: it is not my first language and I know I am making mistakes, but as long as you still get what I want to tell you, it’s okay, right?
I am a Swiss woman, and I grew up in the mountains in a little town which was rather quiet during the summer time and then turned into this crazy busy ski resort during winter. I was a happy child and besides growing up in a big house with a big garden I also grew up with horses, dogs and cats (and all sort of other animals my mom fostered every now and then).
I traveled and always loved it as I felt (and still do) that it opens your mind. I never got a University degree, although I was studying at a certain point but I felt like the life outside University was more for me and so I by coincidence, started working freelance for sport events (Media) and loved it.
Exercise plays a big role in my life and so does eating.
What led to your move from Switzerland to Australia?
Opportunities, as weird as it sounds… We just had the chance to do it and so we did. We decided to in our mind look at the move as if it is for good and that we would try to stay. And we managed to make it happen and now we wait for our Aussie passports to arrive 🙂
What led you to start blogging?
I always loved writing. In fact I used to work in media and I really missed it after our move to Australia. For a long time I was only thinking about blogging and writing in general until a couple of months ago, when I finally did it and started my blog.Since then I write on a daily basis. Additionally, I took part in NaNoWriMo and managed to actually finish my novel by November 20th; I also kept blogging during this time. I just love writing and expressing my thoughts…
You’ve defined your blog as a ‘Lifestyle’ blog. With so many blogs where people write about their life, do you feel a need to set yourself apart from the rest? If so, how do you strive to do so?
There are tons of lifestyle blogs out there and that was something I guess kept me from starting for such a long time. But then there is only one Me and only one life lived like mine. So there is basically only one lifestyle like mine. That is what sets me apart from the others. I am who I am. Nobody is like me. And that is something that is important for me. To be myself and not letting anything change that.
What characteristics or attributes do you admire in your favorite blogs to follow?
I guess my favorite bloggers all have one thing in common: they all seem to show who they are. They seem authentic and honest. They don’t try to sell you anything (obviously). They just share their knowledge, their thoughts, hopes and worries. Their posts have a message and are not just “bla-bla’s”…
Feel free to name a few of your favorite blogs– we’d love to check them out!
That is not easy, as there are so many I like. I usually mention my favorite posts of the current week in “My Picks Of The Week”. It is not only about sharing those amazing posts with others but as well to create a little list for myself to get back to and read them again when I feel like it. But then sometimes there are totally new ones… I will give it a go:There are definitely my guest bloggers:Perspectives On… (http://terriwebsterschrandt.wordpress.com/)Far beyond the Stars (https://perseshow.wordpress.com )Trees Of Transition (http://treesoftransition.wordpress.com/)Listentothebabe (http://listentothebabe.com/)And then there are:Opinionated Man (http://aopinionatedman.com/)Send Sunshine (http://sendsunshine.wordpress.com/)ViewPacific (http://viewpacific.wordpress.com/about/)Lucile De Godoy (http://luciledegodoy.com/2014/12/05/gone-but-not-forgotten/)And yourself, Brews and Views (https://brewsandviews.wordpress.com/about/)And so many more! The list could go on and on!
As I finish my cup, one final question…how do you prefer your coffee? And (based on our comment exchange a few weeks ago) why do you feel Australian coffee is the best?
Ha! I am not sure if it is the best but the coffee culture here in Melbourne is huge! You get amazing coffee here. All kind of coffee and it reminds me of Italy, France and Switzerland. We always had great coffee, you know.How do I like my coffee? Well, I like my coffee be proper coffee and not some sort of “nose water”… It needs to be on the stronger side but still not make me jump out of my shoes… I do not like instant coffee! I rather have a tea than instant coffee! In short: A good, strong coffee with a bit of milk. And I put it out there: I love my Nespresso Coffee machine and the variety of coffees I can get for it.
She puts out an incredible amount of content! Sometimes twice or three times a day. It’s amazing. A great woman to know in the blogosphere.
LikeLiked by 2 people
She’s a machine!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You make me blush!!! Thank you so much! I enjoyed it very much and it wasfun to be on the other side of an interview 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for all the hard work you put into your blog, and for agreeing to the interview!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, at this stage it is still fun and not work 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on A Momma's View and commented:
I feel honored to have been interviewed by this amazing blogger. Check out his blog and check out the previous interviews. A great way of introducing other bloggers to your followers! Thank you so much, Dave!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved your interview! Congrats and I found some new blogs to follow 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading it and for taking the time to comment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She writes an amazing blog and I consider her a friend and a blogger to not miss! Thanks for sharing her story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Just like you Terri Webster-Schrandt! As always, thank you for taking the time to read the post and for the comment– I appreciate it.
LikeLike
I just love your interviews. Your choices are excellent and I live finding new links. Great work. Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for the kind words. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read the posts; I’m glad you find them entertaining and helpful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I too enjoy A Momma’s View 🙂 Another great interview, David.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“A Momma’s View” is one of my regular stops, and I always love reading your interviews, so today was a win-win situation for me. Thanks for the wonderful post, and have a really great New Year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You too my friend! I appreciate you taking the time to read the interview and for sharing your comment. I hope 2015 is a great year for you!
LikeLike