Me and my Boudreaux
When I was born, my Dad wanted to name me Lola; as in the showgirl. My Mom quickly vetoed that suggestion in exchange for a name that was feminine and girly and made you think of English country-sides or Gone with the Wind, Ashly.
While Lola is not my name, every time I was told what my name COULD have been, I was grateful for my Mom’s veto because I felt a name like Lola came with so much pressure and expectation. With a name like Lola, you could not be a quiet bookworm. With a name like Lola, you were the life of the party. Exotic, exciting, adventurous and always wearing red. I do not look good in red.
Now, Ashly fit because I was (and still am) a bookworm who loves Jane Austen, staying home, and going to movies, museums, and traveling by myself. An introvert through and through who always wears pastels.
Look closely to see little ‘ole me in Verona
As I have gotten older and more comfortable with myself, I have begun to believe that I dismissed the “Lola” persona too quickly. That I may have closed myself off too much to the aspects of my personality that could be Lola-esque because I was too afraid to be judged or noticed. Being Lola would require me to be bold, challenged, and pushed way out of my comfort zone. Sometimes an introvert needs that. Maybe I can wear red. Maybe I will start with some red shoes.
I am still the Ashly I have always been (let’s be honest, a no “e” Ashly is pretty sassy), but as the Red Shoe Wanderer, I hope to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone while doing all the things I enjoy: reading, traveling, and running. While I am confident in saying that I am a pretty skilled reader and traveler, I am a pretty okay runner. Half marathons are my distance of choice and no records are being broken there. Finishing? Yes. Winning? No, don’t be crazy.
Ok, not really, but kinda. Source
With that being said, I recently took off to travel with my red shoes on. While I have no definitive plans and am literally wandering, I do hope you enjoy my blog and thank you for following my (mis)adventures. Who knows, I might soon find my way to a great shade of red lipstick.