It has been a (too) long time. So I figured I would start with re-introducing myself:

Hello,

I am Jana. I started this blog in 2010 after I had moved from Germany to Istanbul (Turkey) for a job. After several name changes, I settled on “Janavar” in early 2012. That was thanks to my favorite and spirit cat Canavar, which means “monster” in Turkish. The “c” in his name and the “j” in mine are basically pronounced the same in Turkish, thus the blog name was born. The blog started out as a typical expat blog, but then turned into a lifestyle blog because I have a lot of interests and enjoy writing about them.

In 2015, I moved on to Boston (U.S.) for another job. There I met Rich – and started dating him. Canavar and I moved for Rich to New York City in summer 2019. Specifically Midtown Manhattan. Rich and I got married here in June 2020. That same August, my beloved Canavar unfortunately died of cancer. We then adopted the kitten sisters Arti and Lotti.

At this point, we live in our own apartment still in Midtown Manhattan. We have two daughters, Josephine (almost 3) and Ophelia (turned just 1), and also two cat girls: Lotti and Penelope Pepper. Sadly, Arti died in September 2024 of heart failure.

I used to be a middle and high school teacher for German, English, German as a foreign language, and English as a foreign language for 13 years. Then I “retired” when I was pregnant with Josephine. For a while, I worked as a reading coach for a big publishing company at several NYC public schools. Now, I am at home with Ophelia and freelance if time permits.

Last year, I turned 40 and feel good about it. I also wrote and self-published a Christmas children’s book, which I am really proud of. Still, life sometimes seems stressful when Ophelia and I take Josephine to daycare in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon, which takes about an hour each time. Or when I remember that I haven’t slept through a night since last July – our baby isn’t the greatest sleeper. But I’m working on it by trying to take more breaks and meditate and manifest every day.

As I revive this blog, I look forward to sharing more about our life in New York City, my experiences of living abroad, my travels, the books I read, my beauty and fashion loves, and the joys (and challenges!) of navigating family life with two curious kids and our lovable cats. Welcome back to Janavar!

And in case you’re wondering: why now? Well, the world we live in is a little more unpredictable now, I feel. I live in a country that has just put a national block on TikTok. While I enjoy social media, I have lost some trust in them. Whereas my blog – this is my space; I own it all. I sincerely hope you are along for the ride (take 2)!

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