Question and Answer

Happy Monday! I had a really wonderful weekend: made some great progress on my WIP with my writing partner on Friday night, went to the Strawberry Festival with my mom on Saturday, and met up with Lisa for an afternoon coffee date on Sunday. (She is just as wonderful as she appears on her blog and seriously, I love the friendships I have made from blogging! Some of my truest friends.)

So after all that, I didn’t have much energy to put together a post that had actual meat to it. I decided to pull this question-and-answer post I’ve been working on from my drafts and publish it. I first saw this on Save, Spend, Splurge’s blog and I liked the questions that were asked so I’m borrowing it from her. Feel free to play along on your own blog!

1) If you could change something about yourself, what would it be and why?

That’s an easy one: my weight. Ideally, I would like to be around 55 lbs lighter and I think it would help me so much with the way I feel about myself, both physically and mentally. I don’t like being fat. I don’t like the way it makes me feel or the way it holds me back from so much. I don’t have this magical expectation that my life will be problem-free and my self-esteem would skyrocket the moment I reach my goal weight, but I think attaining this goal would go a long way to helping me see how capable and strong I am.

2) What’s the farthest you’ve been from home?

That would be Toledo, Ohio. When I was nine, my family went on a road trip to Ohio where we visited a bunch of my dad’s old buddies, went paddle-boating in a lake, saw family we hadn’t ever met before, played some cutthroat games of Sorry!, and slept a few nights in an old trailer. It was an… interesting vacation. I wouldn’t say it was fun, though. (My parents fought the entire time and when you’re nine, visiting people you’ve never met is pretty boring.)

3) What is your motto?

“This moment counts.” I have a bad problem with looking too far in advance and not appreciating every little moment in my life. The little ones – like funny conversations with work friends or taking a long nap with my pup – and the big ones – like taking a cruise or achieving a big goal. It’s also a good reminder for me when it comes to losing weight or saving money. That this seemingly inconsequential moment counts. Saying no to sweets, packing my lunch, buying that shirt that I think I really, really want… all of it counts. These little moments count. They are the ones that add up to the big ones.

4) What are your hobbies?

Reading, blogging, writing, spending time with family and friends, cruising (ha), watching copious amounts of TV, sleeping.

5) What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

I would do bad things for Ben & Jerry’s Half-Baked ice cream. You can also never, ever go wrong with chocolate chip cookie dough.

6) What two things could you not do when you were a child, but you can do now?

Make money of my own and buy a candy bar at the store, whenever I want to. (I mean, is that not the coolest perk ever of being a grown-up? IF I WANT A KIT-KAT BAR FOR BREAKFAST, I CAN EAT A KIT-KAT BAR FOR BREAKFAST!) (Okay, this may be why I struggle with my weight. Perhaps.)

7) If you could travel anywhere in the world – where would you go and why?

I think I would go to Hawaii. That’s one of my dream destinations, more than traveling over to Europe. I’m just an island type of girl! I love the way being in a tropical paradise makes me feel: loose, happy, and free. Just two weeks of fun, sun, and relaxation? Sign me up!

8) Have you ever met a famous person?

The most famous person I have met was Michael Pittman, who used to be a running back for the Tampa Bay Bucs. He had a fitness boot camp and my mom and I joined because of a cheap Groupon deal. It was actually a really great boot camp and I loved it, but then he moved away to California and it just wasn’t the same.

9) What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

Probably my shyness. I’m A-OK with being an introvert, but I wish I wasn’t so darn shy! I cannot make small talk to save my life and it takes me so long to warm up to people to feel comfortable enough to even talk to them about mundane things, like work or what I did last weekend.

10) One word that describes you?

Quiet. And raise your hand if you are also a quiet person by nature and have been asked countless times why you are so quiet. I really hate being asked that question. How do you even answer it?! I just… am. That’s my nature. There’s no exciting reason for it! The same reason other people are outgoing and talkative.

11) If you were a crayon, what color would you be and why?

Turquoise!

12) What is the weather like right now where you are?

Bee-yoo-tee-ful! It’s in the 60s in the mornings and evenings and then warms up to the upper 70s in the afternoon. I can’t even tell you how much I love this weather! We’re having a few cold, dreary days here and there, but mainly? It’s just gorgeous.

13) How tall are you?

I am five-two. Shorty McShorterson!

14) When you were little – what did you want to be “when you grew up?”

I always told people two things – either a veterinarian or an author (never a writer – it was always “author”). I have always been an animal lover, so I thought being a vet would be a logical choice (though I didn’t know how I would deal with the hard parts of being a vet – dealing with sickness and death). The author dream is something that has never left my heart. Someday!

15) Toilet paper. Roll with paper coming off the top or the bottom?

I guess the top? I don’t really pay that much attention, nor do I particularly care that much. Like, it’s toilet paper. Some people are seriously passionate about the way their toilet paper lays but for me? I have bigger things to worry about.

16) Favorite sport you like to watch or participate in?

My favorite sport to watch is football. And my favorite sport to participate in is… um… nothing? Is that a bad answer? I’m really not much of a sporty girl!

17) What kind of food do you prefer eating when you are out?

Italian is usually a good go-to!

18) Last movie you watched?

Oh, goodness. I think it might have been Love Actually! I watched that on New Year’s Eve, ha. I am not a huge movie watcher, apparently.

19) Would you like to be famous?

Nope. I would like to be a successful published novelist, yes, but as for fame where I couldn’t go out in public without being harassed? Not for me.

20) What book are you reading?

Right now, I am reading Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner. I like it so far!

21) If you have $5 million to spend in 5 days, but with the clause you could not spend any of it on yourself or your family, what would you do with it?

I think it would be neat to support lesser-known charities and causes. Like people who run dog rescues. I have a friend who runs one and they rely so much on support from other people, like vets. It’s a very hard, thankless job that you do not for anything but pure love of animals.

22) If you knew that you could try any kind of work/employment and that you would not fail, what would you attempt doing?

I would quit my job to turn my attention to full-time novel writing. Oh, what a dream!

Where is the farthest from home you have traveled? Have you ever met a famous person? What is one word you would use to describe yourself?