1: Due to my educational interests (primarily English, French, and Music), I will probably one day live in a box. I don’t mind really...as long as I don’t end up working in a box. Cubicles are one of my greatest fears.
2: I feel inferior every single day. I am friends with published authors, fluent francophones, musical geniuses, mathematicians, and so many more intelligent, well-rounded, gorgeous, wonderful people. I have never been more glad to feel inferior.
3: When I was little, I rarely wore shoes. I’ve been told by my mom that I had a bad habit of not wanting to wear clothes either. When I did wear clothes, I didn’t like to match by color. Instead, I matched by texture. To this day, I am an extremely tactile person, and fabric shops are pretty much the best thing ever.
4: I have strange families. The Mihuta family could effectively produce a TV drama about their lives - amusing, but messed up. As for the Grimm family - even I don’t understand my father’s family tree.
5: I rarely speak to my brother, but I still love him.
6: I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I was about 6 years old. I went through a period of self-rebellions, attempting to find a suitable career for myself where the concept of “job security” actually applied. A few of these included: plant pathologist (like my mom), marine biologist, pilot (like my dad), photo journalist, greeting card designer, and fisherman. Needless to say, I resorted back to the original plan.
7: I loathe the number seven. I am also relatively obsessive compulsive. The more you get to know me, the more you realize my quirks. Don’t worry - none are dangerous.
8: Above all, I am afraid of vulnerability. I like to be in control of myself, my surroundings, and my situation. Losing that control freaks me out. I am also afraid of trains, and spiders.
9: When I am depressed, I destroy my body. Sometimes in healthy ways (such as intense physical activity), more often times, not in healthy ways.
10: I am what Dr. Andre Gribou would call a “music snob.” I love my music (and so should you). I have nearly 6000 songs on my iTunes, and I still feel as though I need more music. If I could spend all my time discovering new bands, I probably would.
11: Our Dying Valor (www.odvkills.com), and Goodnight Wednesday (www.myspace.com/goodnightwednesday) have both been like family to me. It’s the least I can do to give a shout out to them both (and do a bit of marketing).
12: Other than to my friends and family, I have said “I love you” a grand total of four times, to only one person. I remember each time very vividly. Three of these four times, I meant it.
13: In high school, I did more activities than I have fingers...and toes. Let’s see. Outdoor track. Indoor track. AAU track. Cross country. Concert choir. Chorale. Women’s chorus. Choralation. Jazz band (very very briefly). Musicals. Preproduction. Drama makeup. Marching band. Speech. Drama. French club. STAND. Tutoring. Das Dutch Kitchen. Solo & Ensemble. Witmer Farms. Church youth group. Piano. And on and on. How I did not die, I do not know.
14: I am a track fanatic. I love polevault with a large part of my heart, and if I could fit track into my schedule at Ohio University, I would in a heartbeat. There’s just something about it that’s absolutely exhilarating, and completely addicting. Could be the endorphins...could be the adrenaline. Regardless, I miss it.
15: Lani Stutz is partially responsible for changing my life. She introduced me to Christian Harbor Church, and I’ll love her for that forever. CHC has been such a family to me, and I don’t know what I would do without them. It’s impossible to explain everything that’s happened to me at CHC, but I know that my experiences there changed my life forever.
16: I have been playing piano since I was five years old, and I will probably be playing piano until my fingers no longer function. At that point, I’ll become an innovative composer and write songs that don’t involve the fingers, so I can still play.
17: I have a bad habit of attempting to rationalize the irrational, and ignoring blatant logic. This contradiction has been the cause of many bad decisions in my life. Similarly, I have expensive tastes, yet I’m incredibly cheap. I really should reconcile these disparities...but I probably never will.
18: In my life, I have regularly attended Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalist, and Pentacostal churches, and I have gotten something out of each and every one of them. I consider myself a very spiritually open person...and I think that’s probably for the best in the long run.
19: I am going to France in 48 days (yes, I have a countdown). I will be arriving in Paris on March 23, where I’ll stay for a few days before heading to Avignon until June 12. After June 12 there is some random time that I have yet to plan what I’m doing. Around June 19, I’ll travel to Brussels, Belgium, where I’m staying with family friends (the Crutzens) until August 6. I will probably be keeping a blog, and I’ll post a link as soon as I get it up and running. All logistics aside, I am EXTREMELY excited about spending so much time in Europe. I’ll miss you all, of course, but this experience is going to be spectacular. I hope to come back to the United States fluent (or close) in French...which will be sweet.
20: I consume more ibuprofen than the average person. That and coffee. Both are a staple of my diet. I also get déjà vu and/or vertigo at least twice a day. This may or may not be related.
21: For a good month and a half, I listened and sang along to the Riot! album by Paramore every time I drove. Since Hayley Williams’ voice is slightly higher than mine, the amount I sang Paramore songs effectively raised my vocal range about a step and a half.
22: I love driving. I know where things are not because I have an internal compass, but because I get lost...a lot. While it’s somewhat of a time inconvenience, getting lost is one of my favorite things to do. I think my lifestyle parallels this to some degree. I’ve learned the best lessons not by staying on track, but by ignoring rules and directions.
23: I have a soft spot for small animals, candles, balloons, ice cream, burt’s beas, new crayons, thick rimmed glasses, boys with guitars, boys with cameras, nerds, used book stores, shoes, all things French, sunflowers, climbing trees, metal shows, band buttons, The Phantom of the Opera, long drives, Johnny Depp, musicals, and the Beatles. If I could put all of those things in the same room, my life would be complete.
24: I am terrified of getting fat. Unfortunately I love food. These two do not get along well.
25: If my educational goals (as seen in #1, conveniently) do not work out, I’ll be okay with that. I have worked in a bakery since I was fourteen years old, and I have come to love the work, as tedious as it often is. It is one of my greatest dreams to abandon all my lofty intellectual goals and work in a Parisian chocolate shop.
