What's in a name?
I wrote on this topic two years ago, in the publication “Life Dwelling Tiny”. A name of a website I owned, writing and podcasting on living a life dwelling tiny. Over a few years I had downsized, in steps, from the peak of a home slightly over six thousand eight hundred sq. ft. on twenty-six acres, to living well in eleven hundred square feet. Progressively enjoying life more through the process, and I wanted to share the experience.
Life changes, and so did the platform I write on, and the publication name. I’ve read many times where topics that match the publication’s name garner a larger audience. Which is why I’ve created My Expat Life, where I write about my life experiences, and Nomad Abroad life, where I write more on a “how to”, for the lifestyle.
Thinking about names, I revisited my personal name in the following article.
Life Dwelling Tiny, Two years ago · Van Jasper
“What’s in a name”
The day was in mid-October when the teacher, a Dominican nun, told us to come on November 1st dressed as the saint of our name, wearing what they might have worn, and tell a little about them. Honestly, until that moment, I did not know how or why I had the name I did; after all, I was only 7…
While I’m not about to change my name. I’ve used “Van” in my day-to-day life. For me, it feels more comfortable; it’s never mis-spelled, and in restaurants, the odds of there being two “Vans” is slim to nil.
It really is my given name!