No place like home

I go home to Virginia Beach quite frequently. I plan a visit about once every 3-4 months. I do it for several reasons. The most important of which is to see my family. As independent as I am, I miss bonding with them and spending time with them.

I also go back because I miss home. Long before I was Anne K. in L.A., I was Anne K. in VA. Choosing to go home because I miss the place is a huge leap for me. When I moved 5 years ago, I could not leave Virginia fast enough. Living in Virginia Beach was like squeezing into a sweater that's been washed too many times. It no longer fit and was no longer comfortable. I had a job that was going nowhere and an on again, off again boyfriend that couldn't commit to anything more than dinner.
Flash forward to the present, going home gives me perspective. I enjoy the contrast between Virginia Beach and Los Angeles. Virginia Beach is by no means a small town with one stoplight. It is, however, much smaller than L.A. The differences are more than just size. I adore the Southern sensibilities that are present in Virginia Beach. People are generally more helpful and friendlier than what you would find here in L.A. The cost of living is so much less. Premium gas was a whopping $3.05 a gallon. I don't even want to get started about real estate prices in L.A. versus Virginia Beach. The pace is also a lot slower. The hustle and bustle of the city is not there. Traffic is non-existent. Priorities are different.

Don't get me wrong. I won't be moving back to VA anytime soon. I just need a break from my L.A. life. After a while, the slowness is stifling and I'm bored. So, I'll stick to my 4 day jaunts. It keeps the romance fresh.

What's in a Name?

I am bad wife. I have been married for exactly 5 months and 6 days and I had yet to legally change my last name. Today, I decided to take a big step. I went to the social security office to start the name change process.

The procedure with Social Security was relatively painless. I downloaded a form from the internet and filled out all the appropriate information. I gathered the necessary documents and trudged over to the office in Glendale. I walked in and got a number. I read about three chapters in my book when my name was called. The social security employee took all of five minutes to change my name from Anne N(Middle Name) K(Maiden Name) to Anne K(Maiden Name) R(Married Name). Just like that, I had a new name.

It happened so quickly that I was in a mild state of shock. It was so simple that I began to wonder why I procrastinated. Was my I afraid that changing my name would mean that I'm losing my identity? Did I think it would make me a less independent woman? Now that we shared a last name does that make Rob and I more married than we were before? The truth of the matter is that I was simply reluctant to give up my last name. For 30 plus years, I have been Anne K(Maiden Name).

I have always had a love/hate relationship with my last name. K(Maiden Name) is a very ethnic Filipino last name. I spent the entirety of my childhood having every teacher and classmate grossly mispronounce it. Something about the disproportionate number of vowels to consonants made it difficult to pronounce. It had gotten to the point where I simply asked people to call me Anne K. My blog name is a prime example of this.

One of the things I love about my maiden name is that it ties me to my cultural heritage. K(Maiden Name) is a Tagalog word that loosely translate to "kind, generous person". When older Filipinos would read my maiden name, they would immediately comment on its meaning. It gave me a small sense of community and small sense of pride. Another thing to consider is that every award and achievement that I had ever earned are tied to my maiden name.

• Ninth Honors English Award- Anne K(Maiden Name)
• Honorable Mention for Photography 1993 Student Gallery Art Show - Anne K(Maiden Name)
  
• Bachelor of Fine Arts - Anne K(Maiden Name)
• First New Car I ever purchase is registered under Anne K(Maiden Name)

I could go on and on. Those are just a few of my personal faves.

In the end, I think I may be making a mountain out of a molehill. No matter what label/name I go by I'm still the same person on the inside. Being married isn't the magical elixir that transforms your life and becoming Mrs. R didn't magically a different person. So, despite what it says on my Social Security card, please just call me Anne K.