Well, well, well, remember when I used to write on my blog?? Our Thanksgiving travels were almost a week long (several of those days - refreshingly - without internet), and I'm knee deep in trying to get back into routine, get out our Advent wreath, finish my Christmas shopping, etc, etc. Somehow I've convinced myself that if I work really hard and get everything done now, I'll be able to relax and have a peaceful, quiet remaining few weeks of Advent in which I really focus on getting my heart ready for Baby Jesus (instead of gifts ready for Christmas). I'm not sure it was my brightest idea, but it has motivated me to almost finish shopping (poor UPS guy next week!). Amid all that is going on, I haven't had a chance to write a blog post, so I'll publish this one, which has been sitting in my blog drafts folder for a few months now...
I happened upon this on Facebook the other day, written by me in 2009. At that time, I was living at home in Harrisburg and working for Deloitte Consulting. Justin and I weren't yet engaged. You may or may not find this as interesting as I did to revisit now.
So, it's all the rage (or not the rage, according to Time) to post 25 random facts about yourself. Secretly, I've enjoyed reading the lists people have written, and I even intended to write my own prior to being tagged. I was now tagged at least 5 times, and I have been sick with mono for at least 5 days now...so that should be reason enough for 25 facts. So, without further ado:
1) I'll start with my standard Deloitte fun fact: I didn't ever fly until I started working for Deloitte. I got acquainted with airports fast with 11 flights in 3 weeks.
This was always really impressive to my jet-setting colleagues.
2) Now that I'm not afraid to fly, I have plans to visit all four corners of the US this year. I was already in Arizona, and have tickets to fly to Florida this March. I'm hoping to go to Washington in May, and a wedding in New England this summer.
Never made it to Washington.
3) My worst injury ever was a broken arm from a game of musical placemats (the family didn't have enough chairs for the entire birthday party; I slid in arm first, and another (bigger) girl slid in seat first).
Thankfully, still haven't topped that.
4) I didn't get my drivers license until after I graduated from high school.
I rarely remember this anymore, but MAN that was a huge deal then. Now that Anna's here, I'm feeling my 18 was a little young to get a license (just like Justin says she won't date until 30!)
5) My only real regret in life is that I quit track after only a week in junior high.
I just thought about this the other day, actually. Still my #1 regret (and I don't have a concrete #2 on the list).
6) My favorite song of all time is "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel.
Yep.
7) My "bucket list" includes making a quilt (check), buying and restoring an old house, standing on the Four Corners, seeing Mt. Rushmore, learning ballroom dancing, and snorkeling in the tropics. Also, most importantly, making a difference in someone's life.
Check on the buying and restoring the house :) I'm getting closer to convincing Justin that ballroom dancing lessons are a good idea.
8) The most infamous family story regarding my childhood is from the time our new paint in the basement set off the fire alarm in the middle of the night. I thought back to my recent school lessons on fire safety and literally "stopped, dropped, and rolled" down the hallway. (Run a few steps, stop, drop, roll, stand up, run a few steps, stop, ... repeat). All the while, my then two-year-old brother stood on the foot of his bed yelling "Save me! Save me!" New paint is dangerous stuff.
I thought of this every time we painted here. No repeat performances have been logged to date.
9) I tend to find something I like and run with it. I applied to only one college, one internship, and one job. Thankfully I was accepted to all three.
And I'm married to the first guy I kissed. This theme does not hold true for buying houses - we lost bids on two before we ended up here.
10) If at all possible, wherever I live, I would like to have a piano, a sewing machine, and an aquarium.
I'm at 1 1/2. (The goldfish is in a bowl).
11) Although I make jokes about it all the time, I secretly love my 1990 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight. I'm going to be sad when it dies and I have to buy a more age-appropriate vehicle.
Now that I have my Honda I do not miss the Eighty-Eight.
12) Many people from high school don't recognize me, despite the fact that graduation was less than 5 years ago. Sometimes this makes me proud (I was a really, really nerdy highschooler) but sometimes it makes me sad.
I'm much more comfortable in my skin now, so I feel and look different, and that's OK by me.
13) Hearing a child's laugh (even if it's just on TV) will completely make my day.
Anna. Everyday.
14) I think that Dress for Success is one of the coolest non-profits out there, and I think that my dream job is somehow embodied in what they do.
I learned that working on the front-lines in a non-profit was not as dreamy as I thought. New dream job = non-profit consultant. (I liked the consulting work and the non-profit mission). I've done a bit of this as a volunteer in the last few months, and it's been great.
15) My other dream job is to be a stay-at-home mom. But not yet.
Check. (Although not without its
own challenges)
16) I firmly believe that every single human being was put on this earth for a reason, and that they have something important to offer. I find it really sad when people don't recognize this in themselves or in others.
Still makes me sad.
17) I am fascinated by languages, and wish that I spoke more than simply English.
I speak Baby now. Does that count?
18) Although I can't speak any other languages per se, I learned to play the piano before I went to kindergarten, and in that sense reading music is as natural as reading words.
True dat. Although I'm getting rusty! (See #10)
19) After the most stressful and tiring days at work, I get out my coloring book and crayons.
I can't wait until Anna is past the tasting crayons stage!
20) I'm incredibly blessed to have my mom's cooking everyday, but ironically there are a few things from Bucknell Dining Services that I miss.
Either would be nice these days :)
21) Sometimes I think I am better suited for the 1950s. Except that I prefer Mass in English.
If anyone comes across a time machine, let me know.
22) I love to spend a sunny day outside, get tired and dirty, then take a shower and get dressed up to go out for dinner. This is one of the few reasons I enjoy the beach.
Yes!
23) I love to hear stories about how couples met. For the record, I came back from class freshman year to find Justin sitting on my beanbag in my dorm room. He was studying Chemical Engineering with my roommate.
The comments section is over if you want to tell me your stories...
24) The only subject I truly disliked in school was Astronomy.
When I asked my mom in high school how I would ever use that subject, she said perhaps on a future romantic date I would want to be able to point out the constellations. Justin knows enough Astronomy to get us by. I still don't really care.
25) I'm the first college graduate in my family who does not have a degree from Penn State. (My grandfather earned his doctorate from PSU and was a professor there, and both my parents and their collective 7 siblings are graduates)
My brother graduated from Johns Hopkins, but now he's at Penn State Hershey for Medical school. I'm still the odd-ball!
It was really fun for me to revisit these facts. It's cliche', I'm sure, to comment on how I feel I've grown in the last 4 years, although at the core the most important things to me are still the same! Finding this list was another reminder of why I like to blog - having the record of thoughts and feelings down the line is so worthwhile :)
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