Who Am I?
First time mother, student, busy and tired
Second oldest sibling of 5 sisters
Lover of children, nature and travelling
Who needs laughter, love and family
Who fears all insects, snakes and mice
Who would love to travel to Italy.
Who am I, you may ask?
Let me introduce myself! My name is Vera Hanks, I am 27 years of age and from Namibia, Africa, which, as I have mentioned in a previous post, is situated off of the South West Coast. Namibia is bordered by Angola, Botswana and South Africa, but I have only traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Often when I converse with people in the United States, they think that I am either Swedish or German. Yet, when I inform them that I am from Africa, they are totally shocked.
Now, let me tell you how I ended up in the USA...
Lover of children, nature and travelling, but most important of all is CHILDREN! Growing up within a big family, having four sisters and one adopted brother, I have always had a love and passion to work with children. I am good with kids and believe that they are the most precious gift from our Heavenly Father. After completing High School, I decided to travel overseas to become a nanny and I left my familiar territory and family behind to set off on a new adventure at the age of eighteen years. I joined the agency known as Au Pair In America and they matched me with a family who resided in New Jersey. Being in an unfamiliar territory, all by myself, I had to learn and adjust to new customs, cultures and people. Culture shock is the only word that comes to mind - feeling like a chameleon on a smarty box (an expression used when you are overwhelmed with emotions). What are the odds; a family with 5 children is who I ended up with. My experiences made me who I am today and although I had some tough times (raising another family's children), it is my faith, family and determination what got me through.
Two years later, as my nanny contract came to an end, I met my husband who is from Oklahoma. He took me to my fist ever football game at the University of Oklahoma and it was at that point in time that I knew where I wanted to earn my degree. Fast forwarding a few years later to today, happily married and a first time mother who just had a baby in December 2016. At this point in time, I am enrolled in online classes and with only six credit hours to go before earning a BA in Communication. I love to travel, read, spend time with family and friends and try out new things. I am always up for a challenge and believe that anything is possible if one tries hard enough! My friends describe me as fun, outgoing, hard working and determined and my hobbies include reading, watching movies and cooking. Some interesting facts about me is that I lived in 7 different towns over the past 5 years, I am multilingual, I think and quite often overthink things which sometimes bother me, I hate bad jokes and I have had 3 knee surgeries since I was 17.
It is my dream to travel to Italy one day and explore all the different unique aspects of the culture that it has to offer, but for now, my focus is on my degree and my new born son.
