50 Things About Me

So, I decided to take a break from all the grad school work that I've done today. And I'm going to write 50 facts about me. Haha. I doubt anyone knows all of these things and I know not a whole lot of people read this anyways, but I just felt like writing without having to think too much. :-) And yeah, I took a bunch of these from old Facebook notes but I'm sure nobody has read them so I don't feel bad for repeating some of them.

1. I love snuggling with stuffed animals and blankets, but I'm not big on snuggling with people. Unless they're little kids. Or if I REALLY like you. :-)

2. I absolutely adore candy canes and hot chocolate but don't really like peppermint hot chocolate.

3. I love scary movies. Not blood and guts movies, but psychological thriller movies that could actually happen like Memento, The Strangers, Identity etc.

4. To me, it isn't Christmas until I watch A Christmas Story and the claymation version of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer.

5. My favorite holiday is Independence Day.

6. Sometimes I think that I'm just doing things to make other people happy.

7. I have a terribly hard time letting go of the past and people from my past, regardless of whether they're good for me or not.

8. When I'm upset, coloring makes me feel better.

9. I will almost always pick a Disney movie over most others if given the choice.

10. I really don't like peanut butter and chocolate mixed and I don't like white chocolate.

11. I can't handle eating anything spicy, but I don't have a problem making it for people who like it.

12. I LOVE holding hands, more than almost anything, but I won't just hold hands with anyone. If I sincerely care about you a lot, I'll hold your hand. And I'll hold my students' hands and my godkids' because I love them all so freaking much! Haha

13. I'm incredibly stubborn and have a tough time admitting when I'm wrong or when I'm being ridiculous. If I break first or apologize first, I must care about you a whole heck of a lot.

14. I adore driving. I do my best thinking and have made many decision and talked out countless problems and issues in my car, Toby :-)

15. I would love to be bilingual or trilingual, preferably in Spanish, Arabic or ASL.

16. My eyes turn green when I'm mad, upset or have been crying.

17. Grammar is important to me and I notice the differences between your and you're, their and they're.

18. My favorite phrase in the whole world is "yes ma'am".

19. I am an incredibly emotional person and cry easily in movies and while listening to songs.

20. Organizations like the USO, Paralympics, the Wounded Warrior Project and Special Olympics are VERY important to me and I will not tolerate any derogatory treatment or verbage about anyone with any form of disability.

21. I love writing and receiving hand written letters and cards.

22. I love cooking and baking and try to do so as often as possible.

23. Most of my greatest memories come from places I've traveled to or people I've traveled with.

24. I need very little sleep to function, sometimes none at all for a few days. It's pretty disgusting, really.

25. I get really nervous when I have a cold or the flu or any kind of upper respiratory infection because I don't want one of my preexisting issues to flare up again.

26. I can tell you the exact moment I fell in love with the person I'm in love with, but not the day or time.

27. The study of people and the way the brain processes things will never cease to fascinate me.

28. I could watch the Indiana Jones series and the Back to the Future series every day; adventures make my heart happy.

29. I love silver jewelry but I'm kind of picky on the exact kinds that I'll wear.

30. I'm not the best with free time; I'm never quite sure what to do with it and end up doing work when I should be relaxing.

31. I love new friends and old friends ... and I love when new friends become old friends.

32. I firmly believe that only when studying other cultures and religions can you truly understand your inherent and unique individuality. Consequently, I've spent the last several years studying the politics, culture, religion and languages of the Middle East (politics, history, culture, religion, language), Europe (politics), Asia (politics, culture, history) and Africa (history, religion and culture).

33. I used to think that you could be in love with more than one person and that it was ok, as long as you didn't act on it. I don't think I believe that anymore.

34. Being smart and cultured and open to new ideas is, to me, the most attractive thing about a person. I don't care if you drive a nice car, make a lot of money, or have a lot of nice things if you don't have passion, goals, apply yourself, have traveled (or want to travel) and are closed minded.

35. I really really really want a horse. I adore riding and want to do so in an open field or forest and just see where I end up. (I think that's part of why I connected with Yosef so much; he made me take Sariah and just ride for as long as I wanted. I would have loved to. Silly group tours and schedules. ;-) Ohhh Petra.)

36. I used to believe that I was nowhere near as strong as I made myself out to be. Now, I realize that I can handle so much more than I've ever given myself credit for. But that doesn't mean that I don't need encouragement!

37. Snuggling under blankets is sensational, no matter what time of year.

38. I think that knowing what a person's biggest wish/impossible goal is says a lot about them.

39. When I get really super mad, my teeth chatter and my hands shake.

40. Board games are super fun and when I have my own family, I hope to instill a family game night once every 2 weeks or so.

41.I adore learning about the Civil War. One day in high school, my (then) best friend picked me up and drove us to Gettysburg, just for fun, because he knew I had had a rough day. :-) He was so thoughtful.

42. I'm allergic to cortizone and codeine.

43. I never use an umbrella. That being said, I love dancing and kissing in the rain.

44. I'm OCD about certain things ... I always feel the need to drive a certain way to get somewhere, I have to double check the locks on the doors every night, etc.

45. Having to pay for parking is one of my pet peeves; I'll generally park farther away if it's free.

46. I adore hippos and have a mini collection. They're cute.

47. Disney World defines my childhood. I love everything about it.

48. I'm an awful liar. Simply awful.

49. I love beginnings, but I know that endings have to come before beginnings can happen. Some of the most beautiful things in my life have ended ... but endings bring about strength and teach lessons that could never have been learned otherwise. And I can definitely appreciate that.

50. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a purpose ... that it is up to us to discover that purpose ... and that more often than not, we won't understand ... even if we find an answer. Regardless, I believe that everything works out for the best. Always. What's meant to be will always find a way.

If you're reading this, you should try writing 50 things about yourself! I'd love to read it :-)