I decided to change things up a little bit today and forego the longer essay-like blog posts. Instead, I have come up with 10 get-to-know-me-better type of lists. I hope you enjoy this change in format!
10 Countries I’d Like to Visit (In No Particular Order)
- Botswana 🇧🇼 or Rwanda 🇷🇼
- Iceland 🇮🇸
- Ireland 🇮🇪
- Canada (British Columbia/Alberta) 🇨🇦
- Cuba 🇨🇺
- Argentina (Patagonia) 🇦🇷
- Austria 🇦🇹/Germany 🇩🇪
- Norway 🇳🇴
- Switzerland 🇨🇭
- Finland 🇫🇮
9 Quotes that I Tend to Reference
- “She is in her place, she moves with perfect balance.” -From Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
- “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” -Theodore Roosevelt
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt
- “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” -Lao Tzu
- “Take full account of what Excellencies you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.” -Marcus Aurelius
- “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” -Neale Donald Walsch
- Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6
- “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
- “…we see that everything in Nature called destruction must be creation – a change from beauty to beauty” -From My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir. The following excerpt explains it better:
“One is constantly reminded of the infinite lavishness and fertility of Nature – inexhaustible abundance amid what seems enormous waste. And yet when we look into any of her operations that lie within reach of our minds, we learn that no particle of her material is wasted or worn out. It is eternally flowing from use to use, beauty to yet higher beauty; and we soon cease to lament waste and death, and rather rejoice and exult in the imperishable, unspendable wealth of the universe, and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us, feeling sure that its next appearance will be better and more beautiful than the last.”
8 Jobs I Think Would be Cool to Have
- Professional volleyball player
- Professional dancer/Choreographer
- Wildlife conservationist, especially working with bison and reproduction
- Modern-Day Martha Stewart. I’d have published cookbooks, my own line of aprons, an amazing garden, and a friendship with Snoop Dogg.
- Teacher’s Assistant, possibly for deaf children
- Children’s author
- Organizer/Merchandiser/Stager/Designer
- Songwriter
7 Things I Like About Myself
- Humorous, quick witted
- Capable (woodworking, cooking, etc)
- Organizational abilities
- Honest
- Creativity, inventiveness
- Perspective
- Curiosity, sense of wonder
6 Things at the Top of My Bucket List
- Write a book and have it published
- Host a party with food fresh from my garden
- See bison or a bald eagle in the wild
- Learn a language (Greek, ASL, Spanish)
- See the Aurora Borealis
- Visit and explore all 50 states
5 Songs I’d Choose to Sing for Karaoke (If I Had To)
- “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa feat. En Vogue
- “Show and Tell” by Al Wilson
- “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations
- “Harmony” by Elton John
- “Too Much Heaven” by the Bee Gees or “Take it the Limit” by the Eagles. Anything with a high note that will make my voice crack and get the audience to wonder if I’m going through puberty.
4 Meaningful Gifts I’ve Received
- My 21 year old kitty. When I was 5, I wanted a cat for Christmas and insisted I was going to get one even when my brother told me there was no way that was happening. On Christmas morning, I woke up to a litter box and a certificate to adopt and pick out a cat from the pound. I knew what I wanted: a grey female that I would name Sara. The next day at the pound, I was distracted by a tempting orange kitten, but stuck to my original plan. There was one grey kitten there, tucked in the back of the cage, that had actually been returned that morning. Guess who took her home?
- My Claddagh ring. I’ve always been happy to have Irish heritage and people often guess that I am Irish, though, I really don’t have that much Irish DNA. On my 14th birthday, my aunt and uncle gifted me with a Claddagh ring, which I’ve worn ever since, besides the time I thought I lost it and almost panicked.
- Alta Dena milk bottles. My grandpa (pictured below) worked as a milkman for Alta Dena Dairy, which was founded by family friends from back in Missouri. I thought it would be cool to have some milk bottles from the dairy thinking of the potential that maybe, just maybe, my grandpa had delivered them. On Christmas, I opened up a box with Alta Dena milk bottles that my dad had found on eBay. I love gifts you never think of putting on a list, but are so glad someone thought of it for you.
- Texas blanket. I had a huge Texas obsession for several years that still comes back from time to time. After I took a solo trip to Texas, my mom crocheted me a blanket of the Texas state flag and attached a small little note to it that made me cry.
3 Books That Have a Permanent Spot on My Shelf
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir
- Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl by Carol Bodensteiner
- **Honorable Mention: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
2 Pet Peeves I Have
- People who don’t evenly distribute the eggs in the carton as they take others out to use them. Keep the weight balanced! (And have fun with the potential patterns)
- Whispering. Do not whisper in my ear and do not whisper something to me from 5+ feet away and expect me to hear you or, worse, read your lips and know what the hell you’re saying.
1 Thing I’d Pay Someone to Do for Me Daily
- My hair. It’s always been a struggle of mine and the source of much frustration.
Honesty, Humor & Hope 