Hey
Welcome to American Wife Blog
I am really glad you are here. This blog started almost 8 years ago and it was sort of an outlet for me. Thanks to this blog, I survived the biggest downfalls of my life. Thus, I call this blog my sacred place where I freely and fearlessly sprinkle thoughts and ideas. In May 2021, in between massive corona outbreak in India, I relocated to New York City to live with my husband, Jonathan. I quit my job in the process and for the first time in over a decade, I found myself doing ‘nothing’. Jonathan encouraged me to pursue writing more seriously. I have always been a writer in my head, you know what I mean?
I was that kid who was writing diaries, letters to friends, illegible secrets on the walls of my parents house for which they definitely were not happy . Until I got my first computer, I would sometime act as if I was writing a novel on a calculator. The clicking sound of numbers on calculator was sheer joy for me. And once I got the computer, MS word became my friend. Even though I loved it a lot, I did not chose writing professionally. It never was a legitimate career option in front of my Indian family and they were not wrong. The pay bracket of writers was really meager at that time so I did what a smart Indian girl would do – went into corporate India.
I worked in big global & startup brands and my last job was heading the customer delight department. I loved my job and still have many team members reaching out for help on various aspects of career life. I now realize that the biggest part of the job that I so admired was helping people – customers, organization and my team. There is a kick I get in helping someone solve a problem at hand and I love finding creative new ways for that.
All these years when I was climbing success ladder at work, my personal life was taking a toll. What saved me ( literally ) from all that downfall was my writing. Since then, writing became a sacred activity for me.
Life’s biggest attribute is that it tests us when time is tough and when we work on our shortcomings then soon enough , it gives us what we really need. Thank God I realized it and devoted my life from late 20s to early 30s on solely improving my self. I worked on various parts of my being – my career, health, relationships and most importantly my relationship with myself.
In these few years, I learned so much about myself that it surprised me and made me fall in love with my own self. Life also balances itself. This was the time when I met the man who was my knight in shining armor and got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
After 6 years of long distance relationship, I relocated to the states and we tied the knot. I feel shy talking about my personal life with my husband but lets just say that I have never been happier than this -ever( knock on wood please).
Life changed after moving to America – no job and a lot of time. A friend told me,’ how cool it will be to reinvent yourself every 10 years; Get into a new career, shred old habits plus get new ones, meet different kinds of people, and experience more facets of life that you otherwise wouldn’t. In reality, it can be difficult to completely resurrect oneself but when life allows you to do that then you must act on it.
I am acting on it…
I have always had an eye for design and for my new career change, I decided to really understand it. So now, I am studying UX design. And for the blog, I really wanted to execute my idea of a ‘real lifestyle magazine’. I am a magazine girl but after reading one, I always feel that though the pages look fancy, it does not speak to me. The stories are not relatable and the products don’t have an impact on me. Even if I can afford it, I will no go for a $5000 dress. I would rather use that money on budget trips + few books + perhaps some Darjeeling tea + new set of pajamas + maybe new underwear. I am not judging anyone who loves that kind of fashion content- power to you. I just do not understand it but lets face it – I still consume a lot of magazines – they are so fun!
But for my brand, I figured there must be many more like me who love to read good content and do not really find a relatable magazine.
I spend quiet some time brainstorming this and after much brewing, Jonathan coined the name: American Wife – Happy Hour For Adventurous Wallflower and American wife was born. American wife Blog is for you all. Its a place where I talk about things you might find really interesting.
Slice Of Life
What Can The American Wife Magazine Offer You?
World sings the same tune.
Cultures Around The World
Why follow the same rules someone has set for us? why not seek new methods to improve our lives?
My assumption is that at some point you have asked yourself that question. I definitely have.
……
I was born with two cultures, have friends from all different parts of the world and married in a completely new culture. After observing many different cultures, I have come to a conclusion that basically everyone just wants the same things. This makes me feel that Xenophobia and racism are probably just an outcome of an internal fear or disbelief. Most people don’t actively want to harm others.
Jonathan often calls me a ‘hyper benevolent cross cultural warrior’. You will find how people around the world live their lives and what can we learn from them.
A life we want to live
Designing Life
A life long journey for me has been reforming the best version of myself. I am hoping its for you too. I have never accepted the idea that my current self is the best version on myself. No No!
My best version is the one who is striving, observing her shortcomings and working on those on a regular basis.
This year, I have made this my yearly goal because lets face it, we all want to improve ourselves but life happens. I am hoping that in this process of refining and retuning different parts of my life, I will hopefully help you as well. There is never an end to self growth. You agree?
The Magazine For You
Lifestyle Magazine
What is Lifestyle for you?
For me its everything about our life. The American Wife Lifestyle magazine is filled with ideas, stories, events we care about: Relationship, fun budget travels, hikes & adventures, lifestyle hacks from around the world. You will also read perspective of a newly admitted person in American under life as an immigrant and of course for all my Type 1 Diabesties, a journey with Type 1 Diabetes.
I am always hungry for new ideas so if you have one that you miss in the lifestyle magazines then I am all ears.
American Wife Team
Sheetal Pawar Bechtel
Self Appointed
Editer In Chief
I started this blog decades ago and now American Wife is rebranded as a lifestyle magazine you all want to read.
As of now, I am a solo writer, designer of the magazine.
Jonathan Bechtel
My Better Half in
life & in work
Jonathan has been a hand behind the back for a long time. He is there to bounce around ideas, to help me see the light when I get stuck in tunnel & sometimes to also check my hinglish.
Making him official is the right thing to do, even if he does not know that yet!
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