August 8, 2016

This is 30

Mandy and I turned 30 years old yesterday. Ugh.  Now my age matches the number of gray hairs on my head.

There are many things I hoped to accomplish by 30.  Some I did. Others I didn't. But I'm choosing to look back on the last three decades of life and decide I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be at 30. No more, no less. Just right.

Tomorrow I'll share about that fantastic and fun visit with Mandy this past weekend but for today I'm going to share 30 things you might not know about me.  Odd quirks or little known facts about me. Enjoy!


1. I am approximately one minute older than Mandy but growing-up I was always taller, bolder, older. She is the definite baby of the family and I am the definite middle child.

2. I've always said my back-up career is to be an ice cream scooper.  I did it for three summers in college and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. My second back-up is folding laundry.

3. Related, there was a point in my life when I would be decidedly depressed if I went to bed without consuming any ice cream in the day. True story. I needed ice cream to feel complete. It was a weird phase of my life.

4. I graduated from college with a major in American History and a minor in Studio art. I have my Master's in Archives and Public History.

5. Related, I wrote my undergrad senior thesis on the Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793.

6. Related, my favorite I find the most interesting things to learn about and study in history are typically tragic. I particularly like WWII (European front) and The Great Depression.

7. Mandy and I played with dolls until we were in 8th grade.  Confession, we still play with dolls.  We bought clothes from my American Girl doll this weekend.


8. Related, I never owned an American Girl doll as a child. My friends pooled their money a few years ago to get me one for my birthday. It's a lookalike doll named Mandy.


9. I am left handed (so is Mandy) but I can do most everything else with my right hand.  I bat, bowl, cut, brush my teeth, kick, and etc. with my right hand or foot but I write, draw, and color exclusively with my left hand.

10. Mandy and I were painfully shy as kids. When we were very little, we only talked to each other. People back then probably never imagined we would ever separate.

11. Related, when Mandy and I decided to go to separate colleges it was the first time we had ever been away from each other for more than a week. Separating was both the best thing for us but also led each of us through the worst time of our lives. Isn't that the irony of life? The best and worst things are usually the same thing.

12. I hate making eye contact. I feel like it makes my eyes burn. I force myself to do it because it's socially expected but I hate it.

13. When I moved to New York in 2009 I knew less than three people in the city and that fact didn't terrify me one bit. Who was that bold and confident person?

14. I love chips ON my sandwiches. Ruffles are the best but I'll use any chip.

15. I have never been out of the country. Okay, I've been to Mexico but I don't think Cancun counts.

16. Related, if given the choice, I would rather tour around the U.S. than travel abroad. Of course I would like to travel abroad but I feel there is a lot of great things to see in the good ole U.S. of A.

17. I have only one Fallopian tube.

18. If I could have a conversation with an person from history I would pick Corrie ten Boom.

19. I am highly susceptible to the placebo effect. This also means I'm gullible and easily tricked.

20. I like rules and checklists and following orders. I demand structure and routine and control. I don't like rocking the boat and I don't like being in boats that someone else is rocking. Because of this, I regret to say I most likely would have been a Loyalist during the American Revolution.

21. I frequently get an oddly strong craving for sour cream. No, I'm not pregnant.

22. My left foot is a half a size larger than my right foot.

23. My favorite genre of movies, books, and TV series is thriller. The crime or physiological variety are the best.  But I do NOT like horror.  There is big difference between thriller and horror.  

24. Related, Primal Fear is my favorite movie and Edward Norton is my favorite actor. But I also really love the Bourne movies and Matt Damon. I also like X-Men. Side note, Dan took me to see the new Bourne movie last week.  It was great but didn't progress the plot very much. 


25. My favorite genre of music is musicals and soundtracks. Becoming excessively obsessed with a song and listening to it on repeat for a whole day is not uncommon for me.

26. I love it when Dan scratches my back or legs.

27. I generally analyze things in black and white. It's hard for me to see gray. But I can be persuaded, see number 19.

28. In college I forced myself to be a morning person but I'm really a true night owl.  Hoo hoot!

29. In high school I made handmade cards with pressed flowers. My company was called Window Box Designs.

30. My most frequent regret in life is letting others determine how I see myself.

Now you know 30 useless things about me!  Come back tomorrow for weekend highlights.

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