43 Random Things You Might Not Know About Me
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- I’m afraid of heights (except when enveloped within the silver cocoon of a jet plane moving at 500 miles per hour at a height of merely 30,000 feet).
- My first ever job was welding handles onto electric fry pans in a sweltering Chicago factory in the summer. My father got me the job. I lasted 2 weeks. It was then that I vowed to earn a bazillion degrees so that I never, ever had to do that again.
- I didn’t earn a bazillion degrees.
- But I did manage to nab two – a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in HRM – both earned whilst a single mom working part time and going to school full time.
- Shortly thereafter, I blew off both degrees in favor of starting my own fledgling int’l tour company – specializing in travel to a country that at the time, few had even HEARD of (Belize).
- I made an art out of financial aid – and subsequently paid off every last cent of my school loans.
- I could easily have been a professional student.
- I’ve visited but a measly 25% of the total sovereign countries on this Big Blue Dot, and I’m totally open to any scheme that can extend my lifespan to 300 years so I can explore the remaining 75%.
- btw, I have no “bucket list”. I much prefer to play this whole thing by ear.
- I once rode an ostrich. I don’t recommend it.
- I will eat just about anything, including fried crickets which I find quite tasty (if a bit crunchy)
- If I were on a desert island and had only a single food I could eat, it would be… potatoes. Luckily, I now live in a country (Ecuador) that boasts 350 varieties of them.
- I only get along with about 30% of the people I meet. That’s actually quite good because I only like about 25%.
- I always root for “the little guy”.
- I got my 1st tattoo just shy of my 60th birthday.
- I’m a “middle child” and I consider it a blessing. For (unlike my older sister and baby brother) I was neither hampered by stereotypes attached to being the “eldest” (e.g. the pressure of early potty-training, go straight to college, etc.) nor spoiled as the youngest. Instead, I was blissfully left to grow up to be utterly ME.
- That said, I’ve always had serious philosophical differences with anything that smacks of r.u.l.e.s.
- My favorite “political” button reads: “Question Authority”. Does that tell you anything?
- I once owned 2.5 acres of wooded land on an island off the coast of Seattle. I moved a double-wide manufactured home over on the ferry, and lived there blissfully for 10 years.
- I have (at least) one flaw. I prefer to let you guess what it is.
- My sister and I once dangled my baby brother out a 2 story window – for fun.
- My parents made each of us weed a full bucket of dandelions every Saturday before we were allowed to run off to play. Now I ask you – is that not child abuse? Or… perhaps the most brilliant parenting in the world?
- I once won 1st place for the best Halloween costume in the entire school. I dressed up as a nun. It was a Catholic school.
- As a teen, my friends and I use to sneak up to Milwaukee on the train (from Chicago) to the 3-2 bars (weak beer) – gasp!
- Yes. I’m ashamed to admit it. I was a cheerleader.
- My first ever flight was a red-eye with my family from Chicago to Connecticut. I shall never forget my wonder at waking up along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The rest is history.
- Massages are all well and good. But I’ll take a back-scratch any day.
- I had polio when I was 6 and I am ever so grateful to have two good legs and not be living in an iron lung.
- Money befuddles me. Always has. An accountant I am not. Luckily, I’ve ever enjoyed being frugal. It’s worked out quite nicely.
- I have no favorite movie nor song. Apparently that places me in the bottom 4% of people worth friending on Facebook.
- I own an iPhone, but I hate iTunes. Apparently that puts me in full agreement with 100% of iPhone owners.
- I understand Google Analytics. Nothing “apparently” about it. That makes me brilliant.
- I can speak about 25 words of Vietnamese, 3 Thai, 1 Laotian, 2 Chinese, 4 Mongolian, 2 Kasak, about 60 French, more than 300 Spanish, and a smidge of Australian.
- I was once an avid art quilter.
- I was also once an avid birdwatcher (complete with a “life list”)
- In fact, I can’t think of a single period in my life when I wasn’t AVID about something.
- I once flew down to Aransas, Texas just to see the (then) last 7 Whooping Cranes on the Planet.
- I play a world-wide game of hide ‘n seek using 12 billion dollars worth of U.S. military satellite technology. It’s called “geocaching”.
- I’ve lived in 5 U.S. states (IL, CA, OR, CO and WA) and 5 foreign countries (France, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand and Ecuador) – so far.
- I still wince when I remember my 7th Christmas: I was absolutely sure my fervently wished-for puppy was hidden in the basement. But all the to ‘n fro basement scurry on Christmas Eve – instead turned out to be a set of luggage for my sister.
- Much later, we did get a puppy. But it jumped out of the car at a gas station en route to my grandparent’s place, and was never seen again.
- Speaking of pets – I’ve always secretly wanted to own a Chocolate Lab. But dogs are high maintenance, and the independent spirit of cats more closely matches my personality.
- Speaking of “high maintenance” – I am.
Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
Hi TravelinLass,
It’s good to see you are so full of life. I’m also a middle child and have always loved to travel and see new places. I sold my house and have been nomadic for a few years now. I was looking for a winter home in South America and settled on Argentina after trying out a number of places. Cuenca was on my “to try out” list and I spent a month there. It’s beautiful, but a bit chilly for me. I love South America and find that it’s sometimes hard to leave there and take the time to explore other continents. A Cuencana friend forwarded me your site and I’ve enjoyed reading it. Keep up your great attitude!
Well hey there Debbie – thanks for stopping by, and glad you’re enjoying the “scenery” here at TL.
Yes, Cuenca seems too chilly for some, but I’m not keen on anywhere (leastwise to live) that smacks of “heat”, and am from Seattle – so what does that say? In short, to me – happiness is a fleece jacket. 😉
And yes, S.A. is no doubt a bit tough to leave, but I’m glad I spent nearly 3 years first exploring pretty much all of Asia. So am quite happy to hang out here, exploring the many corners of South America (just returned from Chile and loved it) for a few years…
Argentina, eh? Just for the winter? The winter, where? Where do you hang out/travel the rest of the year?