Hello, you! Let’s meet (and be happy)!

I realized I jumped right into my first blog post (if you haven’t already, catch up on “The Golden Year”), which was so rude of me to not introduce myself. So, allow me to introduce myself and Happy Lappe…

Hi, there! My name is Sydney Lappe (hence Happy Lappe) and I mostly go by Syd - but likewise answer to Chelsey/Chels (#twinprobz).

I find myself to be rather simple, mostly appreciating and enjoying simple contrasts in life like…

• Sipping on a hot cup (or 32-ounce French press…) of coffee in the morning when the air is crisp

• Sitting at the same dinner table with loved ones but sharing different stories (and languages thanks to my niece’s babble...)

• Being with my fraternal twin sister - we are total opposites but she’s my best friend

• Traveling back in time to an older memory when a newer song comes on

• Walking into the still of a bare gym at 4:30a, while my energy starts to skyrocket

• Writing out my loud thoughts in a quiet room

• Enjoying breakfast for dinner - or really all times of the day…

• Building new memories with my family while reminiscing on the past

• Being internally bonded to close friends even if time and distance separate us

• Laughing so hard I start to cry

• Cracking open a cold one on a hot lake day

• Getting a fresh tattoo although I hate needles

• Appreciating well-constructed content yet still swooning over my niece's alphabet soup

Speaking of well-constructed content, I am also a dietitian and nutrition editor for bistroMD. In addition to learning/navigating the “beast” of SEO, I strive to create content and resources that improve someone’s life. And because the feeling of meeting a goal is unmatched, I’m drawn to the idea of helping others do the same. 

So, I guess you could say I spend most of my days hanging out with Google - whether that be within a Google doc, sheet, or the almighty search engine. I’m actively trying to refine and elevate my craft, which I guess inadvertently grew that wild hair moment to start Happy Lappe. 

But truth be told, Happy Lappe is not my first go at starting a blog. In fact, I attribute my first blog (www.snack-pax.com) to flying me to the career I’m in now. While I applied to several health writing positions fresh out of grad school, no one wanted to take a chance on me - lacking professional writing experience and a related communications degree, I respectfully understand that now. 

Fortunately, with the help of Snack Pax, bistroMD took a chance on me starting out on a freelance basis and it’s only gotten sweeter from there. (Well, not for Snack Pax… Consumed by the health/nutrition world all day, the last thing I wanted to do was write on related topics in my free time. Besides, with my newest family member, I felt guilty my fur child Harlow wasn’t in the name…)

For a bit (or long bit/about four years…), I took a break from writing outside of work. But as I mentioned, a wild hair grew in the calm of the night while my mind was loud. The next morning, those thoughts were typed into a note then quickly published for the world to see. 

I suppose those are other interesting contrasts about me - I tend to not react impulsively, yet Happy Lappe emerged in less than 24 hours on a whim. I’m also a fairly private person but have now gently opened up my life to others.

That said, I hope Happy Lappe becomes a place where you can find silence in the noise, happiness in sad times, and inspiration to share your personal story with others. My wish is this also becomes a safe place where we build one another up and support each other no matter the different path everyone's on.

So if you wish, please comment below to introduce yourself, even if we already are well-acquainted! You never know who or what you might jump into if you take the chance…