30 Things About Me

It has been super interesting to read the other blogs going around with this idea, so I thought I would hop on and give it a go! Here are 30 things you never knew you wanted to know about me:

1) While I grew up riding, I ditched horses all together in high school. Instead I did competitive whitewater slalom in the C1W division which stands for women’s closed canoe. Back then this wasn’t an Olympic event even though the male division was, so it was small and hard to compete in due to the lack of interest. I haven’t followed it in years so I am not sure if that has changed or not. Either way I loved it. What I lacked in brute strength I made up for in technique and I killed at the more technical courses. I even won the Junior National Championships one year in Southbend, Indiana.

2) My entire high school and early college years were filled with camping, canoeing, caving and hanging out with the few others in my school that were into those things. Out of the 750 people in my graduating class, I was the only one who joined the Lifetime Activies Club. Most of my friends were in the year or two ahead of me. Our group was small, but tight knit with the main core being four of us. It made for a sad senior year when they were off to college.

3) I don’t drink. Not because I look down or anything on alcohol. It’s because I don’t like it and see no point in consuming something that tastes awful.

4) I spent my junior spring semester in Rome, Italy. It was amazing and I hope Wyatt chooses to do a semester abroad as well.

5) The summer I came home I met Dusty and we married the next October.

Taken on our honeymoon in France. Hubby had only taken a few lessons prior to this trip and then rode for five days all over the French countryside from mountains to coast. Now that’s love.

6) Wales was my favorite place I visited. I went to Cardiganshire because I had a Cardigan Welsh Corgi back home. Any better reason to travel to a foreign country? It was quaint and perfect and was the first time I experienced the ocean hitting green cliffs instead of white sandy beaches. I want to retire to that same village some day and live the rest of my life in a slow and peaceful manner.

7) My best friend died three years ago of metastatic colon cancer at the age of 33. Even now I catch myself reaching for my phone to call her and laugh about a memory or ask her to verify something. She was an inspiration. After her first diagnosis at the age of 26 she took up 5ks, travelled the world, got married and became a model for the Colon Cancer calendar all while still working and suffering through chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries. I miss you Christy!

8) Owning my own business has been both the best and worst thing I’ve ever decided to do. It’s hard. It’s rewarding. It’s like an abusive boyfriend.

9) Food is my weakness. Spending money on stuff is hard for me. I don’t hoard and I don’t care for the next newest thing. But I’d gladly hand over all my money to eat out and have to seriously stop myself from doing it or else I’d eat out breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. It’s a problem.

10) I live by the sun. Ever since I was a kid I’d wake up as soon as it was daylight and crash once it got dark. It makes me really fun in the winter when I curl under the covers at 8pm 🙂

11) I became a podiatrist because I was bored. I had graduated with a highly useless biology degree and got married. The whole stay at home wife thing got old real fast. A 1,000 sq ft home can only get so clean. Six months later I went and got a job as a receptionist and it happened to be at a Podiatry office. Two years later I went to Podiatry school.

12) I’ve lived in PA, OH, WI and now SC. In total we have lived in 7 different cities and in 8 different houses. I plan to live in our new farm until Wyatt goes to college and then move to a smaller plot in the mountains along the NC/SC border.

13) While I rarely ever swear on the blog, in real life the F word comes out of my mouth nearly every other word unless I’m with a patient or around Wyatt. Dusty used to care that I swear more than a drunken sailor but has gotten used to it.

14) I’m a very straight forward person and I despise drama more than almost anything. Solutions are my game: if you come to complain to me be prepared for brainstorming and a way to fix it.

15) I come by that honest though. My paternal side comes straight from Italy and Sicily. My grandmother, great grandmother and great great aunt on my dads side were all tough as nails, don’t mess with me women and I am proud that they consider my a worthy successor. Not everyone can handle it but those that can will find a friend for life.

16) Things are not my thing. I don’t collect anything and knick knacks drive me crazy. This is the first house since OH (circa 2006) that I have put anything on the walls even. I’m enjoying slowly decorating now though and really love art and family photos.

17) Reading used to be my favorite thing before medical school, residency and being a mother. The Disc World Series by Terry Pritchett is my favorite series and each time I read through it I find nuances I had previously missed. Terry Pratchett is the only famous person who has died that I cared about.

18) Speaking of famous people, I ditched cable in 2010 and haven’t looked back. We only got Netflix a few months ago for Wyatt and the only show I’ve watched on there has been 13 Reasons Why. I don’t follow pop culture and name dropping makes me want to vomit. Degrees, names, and positions do not impress me. Behavior, attitude and work ethic do.

19) If I could have any job on the planet, I’d be a drummer in a rock band. Totally random I know but I love percussion and think it would be awesome to be a part of a rock band but not in the spotlight as a singer or lead guitarist.

20) While I love public speaking, I despise being the center of attention. I wanted to elope to avoid the ceremony. I don’t like everyone around the arena during a jumper round watching. Judge me all you want. That I could care less about. It’s the watching that gives me pause.

21) I’ve been published in two medical journals, presented over a dozen scientific abstracts/posters and was awarded a presentation spot of an original manuscript at our scientific conference. I’m very proud of the research I did. It makes me a snob though when I read articles as most are under powered, draw poor conclusions based on the data given and are skewed by significant author bias.

22) The woods are my soul place. Give me a trail through deep woods and I could walk all day long. Something about it recharges me.

23) My parents and older brother with his wife and kids moved to SC a year after I did. Prior to that I hadn’t lived close to them in 7 years and really missed it.

24) Bones has been gone for two years now and I still get tears in my eyes if I think about her too much. She was my heart.

25) I have two tattoos and a plan for a third. In college I had the cartilage in my ear, both nipples, nose, belly button and my lady bits pierced as well. They were all out before I met Dusty.

26) All my clothes are over a decade old. I hate clothes shopping and couldn’t pull an outfit together off the shelves if paid to do so. My mom tells me I mannequin shop: if I see an entire outfit I like on an mannequin I will buy it all. If it isn’t on a mannequin I walk out with nothing.

27) At 36 I am finally learning how to cook thanks to Hello Fresh.

28) I hate tomatoes. Tomato based products are fine though.

29) I’m forgetful. It’s usually because there are a dozen completely unrelated things running through my mind at any given time. I tend to read texts and forget to respond for days. Emails are even worse. If it wasn’t for my bullet journal I’d probably forget to do anything at all. I’ve locked the keys in my car numerous times, the last being the truck when at a hunter paces couple of years ago. It’s bad.

30) I love this planet. I used to wish magic was real and while I still wish that magic wands were around, the simple fact that this planet even exists is magic enough for me. Gorgeous sunsets, flowers blossoming, snow, rain, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the music of birds singing and ocean waves crashing, the majesty of tall mountains and the hidden life of the desert. It is all so special and it kills me that we are ruining it. If I had only one wish it would be to protect this planet and the nature it houses.