“Right or wrong, do something.”
Aita has been saying this to me my entire life. He’s like a broken record sometimes with his expressions, but I guess the subliminal brainwashing has worked its magic over time.
I used to ignore these Aita-isms, but lately I’ve been returning to this particular piece of wisdom.
It’s what got me to write this blog post.
I’ve been entertaining the idea of reviving Hella Basque for over a year now. What started as pie-in-the-sky dreaming when I was in the midst of writing my masters thesis has turned into a constant, nagging thought since I finished my degree.
Every road I’ve been down this past year seems to bring me a sign that Hella Basque is where I should be directing my energy. My creativity. My writing. My passion.
I knew even when I took a break from it three years ago that the blog would always be a part of me and that ending it might be a mistake. But at that time I was feeling overwhelmed with a lot of things in my life and something had to give. The blog had to go.
I’m grateful for that long break, because if you’ve been following me on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) these last few years, you know it’s taken me some amazing places.
Lots of travel throughout Europe, both as a tour guide and as a tourist, several visits to the Basque Country, a move to London, and a degree earned in a field I take a profound interest in.
Leading a Walking Tour of Monaco
No regrets there but since life has calmed down, I’ve had this unshakeable feeling that Hella Basque needed to come back.
I’ve been putting it off for months because I wasn’t sure where to start. I wanted this comeback to be huge and epic and flawless. I felt like Hella Basque’s past readership deserved a plethora of amazing content and a fresh vision for the future of this project before even relaunching the site.
But the more I envisioned it, the more pressure I was putting on myself.
So here I am following Aita’s advice to just DO SOMETHING instead of thinking about it all the time. Publishing this blog post. Letting you know of my intention to return and hope for the best from here. I’ve got big plans in the works that might take a while to get going, but here’s my first step.
Not only would this not have been possible without Aita and my family’s support, but I also have to thank the wonderful community in Bakersfield, California I spent some time with at the Kern County Basque Club’s festival over Memorial Day weekend.
I thought (read: hoped) that once I shut down the Hella Basque blog a few years ago, people would forget all about it and it would melt into oblivion. That Hella Basque and I personally would fade away as a distant memory in people’s minds.
But that was far from the case. More people than I could count came up to me at Bakersfield’s festival, even if they didn’t know my name but simply my face as “Hella Basque.” So many people shared encouraging and kind words about my work. You know who you are, and I thank every single one of you for giving me the push I needed to take this first step.
While I don’t want to overstate the importance of this small corner of the internet, I was reminded over Memorial Day weekend that Hella Basque really stirred something in people. That in a way it doesn’t quite belong to me. It’s a community service, one that helps keep people in touch with Basque culture in their everyday lives when roaming the internet and social media.
All I can really say is I’m here, I’m back, and I’m recommitting to this Hella Basque project. While things may take a different direction from what my past readers may remember, all I can promise is an attempt to deliver an online celebration of Basque culture in the United States.
Because if you’re reading this, you know as well as I do that Basque culture is alive and well in the U.S. and that it’s well worth preserving and perpetuating.
Thanks for the support and thanks for understanding.
Lots of love to you all,
Anne-Marie A.K.A. “Hella Basque”
Continue Reading:
It is great to see you back, Anne-Marie!
Thank you, Koitz! It’s good to be back 🙂
It is great to see your thoughts and opinions in a blog. I missed your posts and now I am looking forward to more stories and reports of the expatriate Basque people of the world. I am unfortunately not Basque myself but I grew up with many kids and family’s in northern Nevada in the sixties and seventies. Lots of love and friends made me feel part of the life and culture you write about here. This is the start of something great only you can share with everyone.
Thank you for sharing your story and such encouraging words! I hope you enjoy this revived version of Hella Basque going forward.
I’m happy to see Hella Basque return. Aintzina eta segi hola!
Eskerrik asko, Pierre!
This makes me SO SO HAPPY!!!! I loved following your blog and i missed while you took a break! Let me know if i can help you in anyway!!!
Aw thank you so much, Cirbie! I’ll definitely be in touch about a collaboration one day, I’m sure. Thanks for offering your help 🙂
Glad to hear you are back!
Thank you, Tracy!
So stoked you’re back!! ?
Thanks, Kelsey! So stoked to be back!
Good for you! Wishing you lots of success. 🙂
Thank you so much for the well wishes, Susanna!
I am your biggest fan…so happy!
Aw thanks, Evelyne!
Great News! I’ve missed the blog for sure and as you know, I’m a big fan of your! xoxo!
Thank you, Marianne! Hope you enjoy the blog going forward 🙂
Mucha suerte en esta nueva etapa, te conozco tan sólo de Instagram, y soy vasca, del mismísimo centro de Bilbao ?
Te estoy muy agradecida por mostrar Euskal Herria nuestra tierra, al mundo, desde esa perspectiva tuya, que quizás al vivir aquí, nosotros perdamos.
Besarkada handi bat eta gora Euskal Herria!!