On Retirement
Dear All:
Today is the 2-year anniversary of this blog. I originally intended to use this blog as a way to update my friends and family on my escapades as I taught in China with WorldTeach. My computer crashed on my second day there, so Hexagram 56 was never used per my good intentions. Instead, it turned into a hodgepodge of cultural, political, and personal musings updated every once and a while when I felt I had some small thought to share with the world.
I chose the name Hexagram 56 because it was the I Ching's symbol for the wanderer. It was a name associated with China that also represented my first time living outside the United States. That name no longer fits my needs. While I am still wandering, it will be in a different country: Vietnam.
On August 1st I will board a plane and begin a ten-month journey teaching English as a Fulbright Fellow in Vietnam. In order to think critically on my time there, I am starting a new blog, The Storymonger.
The Storymonger will be a long-form record of my time in Vietnam. When I wrote my Statement of Grant Purpose for the Fulbright I emphasized teaching English through the use of storytelling. I want to supplement my classroom by developing my own stories - I'm sure Vietnam will teach me as much about storytelling as I will teach my students about crafting and reciting stories in English.
It is time to send Hexagram 56 into retirement. In order to foster a deeper and more meaningful dialogue in my online writing, I need to switch to a format that promotes long-form and free-form thought. Tumblr, as is widely noted, is too immature to fully support this endeavor. Hence, I will host The Storymonger on Tumblr before importing it to Ghost when the beta is released at the end of the summer.
In addition to The Storymonger I am also starting a food blog titled VietNOMNOMNOM. Vietnam is a foodie's paradise - so much so that Anthony Bourdain unabashedly calls Vietnamese cuisine his favorite. It's a place that fascinates our minds and salivates our glands. I will act as a camera-happy American taking pictures of the food I eat in Vietnam with detailed descriptions added in for your envy's pleasure.
I also encourage you to sign up for Cowbird and join my audience. (It's a social network for storytelling.) You can also find me on Pinterest supporting fair trade, ethically made, and sustainable fashion. I've had a great time with Hexagram 56 for the past two years, but it's time to move on to greener pastures. This is the last post on this blog. Thank you for being my follower and reading this little project of mine.
Sincerely,
Annie
