Why "Displaced Urbanite"?
I'm a big city person who unwillingly landed in a small city surrounded by rural communities. I originally came up with the name "Displaced Urbanite" during a grad school class in which we had to write a six word memoir. Mine was "Displaced urbanite surviving suburban utopia nightmare." Nice, right? (Side note: I have since changed my six word memoir to "Testing, testing? Is this thing on?")
But then I decided that I liked the sound of Displaced Urbanite for a blog. Plus it's fitting because while I live in a smallish city, I still don't consider it an urban area in the true sense of the word. So, here I am. A displaced urbanite, or rather Displaced Urbanite. But I'm not just surviving here. I'm thriving. Because there really was no other choice and I refuse to fail, no matter where life takes me.
You live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Are you Amish?
No. And I've never ridden in a buggy, either.
But isn't Lancaster, Pa. all farms and cows and other country bumpkin stuff?
No. Yes, there are lots of farms surrounding the city (but that also means lots of great opportunities for buying fresh, local produce). But there are lots of other things to do, too. Lancaster (the city) is actually a 7-square mile city with theatres, boutiques and galleries, fantastic restaurants, museums and parks. It's walkable (we walk or bike everywhere downtown) and there's always something to do. My only issue is the distinct lack of a nightlife. But rumor has it, that's going to change soon.
There are lots of great things happening in Lancaster, including a strong support for independent artists and creative types as well as a movement to shop local and keep our dollars in our community. It seems like almost monthly a new shop or restaurant opens here. And while I don't plan to live here forever (California, you'll always be first in my heart!), I am determine to enjoy my time here and make the most of what this little city has to offer.
You talk about grad school a lot. What kind of a program are you in?
I'm attending the Academy of Art University's online program for merchandising (it's fully regionally accredited, in case you're wondering). The concentration is in fashion but the concepts apply far beyond the world of apparel and accessories (and no, I'm not discussing if this top goes with those shoes in my classes- it's much more business oriented than that). I'm currently working on my thesis project, which is focused on e-commerce (both the site itself and the business/management logistics behind it) and content marketing. For me, the program is the perfect balance of creativity and business.
What is The Blooming Wildflowers Project?
The Blooming Wildflowers Project started as its own blog. After I decided that keeping up with multiple blogs wasn't working for me, I decided to just have The Blooming Wildflowers Project live on this blog under its own category.
TBWP is all about shopping indie and buying handmade. It's about discovering new talent and supporting the artisan community. While I don't shop exclusively indie or handmade, I try to incorporate it as much as I can into my life. I truly believe these small business owners and artists are the future of our economy, and when faced with the decision to buy similar items from a big box chain or from an artisan, 9 times out of ten, I'll pick the artisan.
You can see the original Blooming Wildflowers Project right here.
Will you do a link exchange with me?
Sorry, no. I don't do the link exchange thing. If I like your site, I'll link, but I don't expect a link back from you in return. Okay? Okay.
