a rosenthal by any other name

Before Justin and I started talking about getting married, I had always planned on keeping my last name. I’m an independent, Aquarius woman! And I like having the same last name as my Grandpa whom I clearly adore, along with my father and two brothers. I mean, check out this Rosenthal crew:

But it’s important to my man. In fact, he used to joke that he wasn’t going to propose to me unless I agreed to take his last name. Justin can be very traditional. It’s cute. So I conceded. Or at least I’m in the process.

Our marriage license lists my new last name: Singer. I have a new social security card with the name Amy Singer. And my new passport is in the mail.* I still have to get a new driver’s license, and then a new e-mail address. (But FYI in a totally lovey dovey and contradictory-to-everything-I’m-saying-here way I do confess I tried to sign up for amysinger@gmail.com like three years ago. It was already taken. This of course is the modern day equivalent to scribbling AE + JB = LOVE in a notebook.)

Anyway, I digress. I’m halfway there. And I’m in name change limbo. And it feels so weird. But fortunately, it’s good weird. Like calling Justin “my husband” is still SO weird, in the best possible way. I giggle every time. I’m not over it. And I’ll never get over it. But perhaps I’ll get used to my new name.

AS

*Justin and I recently decided to go to Tulum, Mexico for an upcoming trip in February. I hadn’t done anything proactive to officially change my name yet, i.e. get a new SS card or passport. I had been procrastinating. So Justin quite strategically booked my flight under Amy Singer, so that I had to change my name in a timely manner. And it clearly worked.

[Photo by Carlie Statsky]