Weekly Wrap-Up: April 16 – 22, 2017

I’m changing things up a bit this week. Instead of wrapping up my week (which was honestly pretty uneventful), I thought I would share a few things about myself. Some of these you may already know, and some you may not.

12 Things About Me

1. I have misophonia. Basically, it’s a sensitivity to certain sounds that can lead to physical reactions such as anxiety, desire to flee a room (where the noise is), anger, rage, or according to WebMD, “A desire to kill or stop whatever is making the noise.” The struggle is real people. My personal issues are the sounds of ice being chewed and food/gum being smacked (it’s not so hard to close your mouth when you chew). Lord knows I try to keep this in check, but it’s a thing. Also, unless we’re really close friends/family, I’ll never bring it up, but you may see me looking like this:
2. I collect cookbooks. I read cookbooks cover to cover like regular books. I love everything about them – the cooking tips, the pictures of food, the stories that go along with the recipes – it’s the best. If you are stumped for gift ideas for me, I will always love a cookbook – and it can be any style of cooking, food type, etc. I love them all.
3. I lived in Massachusetts for about a year. It is a beautiful state, and I got to visit Boston, and parts of Connecticut and New Hampshire while I lived there. It was a very short-lived experience, but I learned a lifetime full of lessons. Mainly that you can’t run away from yourself or your problems. No matter where you go, you’re always there. ?
4. I was not a NKOTB fan. Gasp! I’m pretty sure I was among the three girls in the US around that time that weren’t fans. I knew of NKOTB of course, but I didn’t know any of their songs or really anything about them. I’m pretty sure I was super into Whitney Houston (her first album), Debbie Gibson and Cyndi Lauper right around that time. Anyway, I think I turned out alright despite the lack of NKOTB music in my life, though, so we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief.
5. I’ve never lived anywhere longer than six years. To get technical, I’ve never lived in any one house for more than six years, and while I’ve lived in the same metro area for more than six years, I’ve never actually lived in the same town/city for more than six years.
6. I love to travel. More specifically, I love road trips. Seriously, there is nothing better to me than loading up the car and hitting the open road. Of course, some travel requires planes, but I love that when you drive, you get to see so much along the way. I have quite the list of road trips that I want to take, but the Pacific Coast highway, a trip to Yellowstone and a trip through New England are at the top of my list.
7. I am a true introvert. I’m super introspective. I’m quiet around others, and in big groups. I’m a really good listener, and like to take in others’ thoughts before sharing my own. If I’m around a bunch of people or at a party or event, I need the next day to myself to recharge. It is easier for me to give a speech to a big group than it is for me to make small talk. People often mistake my quiet nature for being standoff-ish, but really I’m just taking it all in. I love talking to people – I just prefer when I get to know someone, and we can cut through all the small talk. I prefer deep, thoughtful discussions over chit chat.
8. I HATE watermelon. There aren’t many foods that I just can’t stand, but watermelon is one of them. I don’t like the taste or the smell. Typically, if I’m a guest in your home, and you offer me something I don’t like, I will put a little on my plate and eat it anyway. The exception to this is watermelon (and gluten, obvi). If you offer me watermelon, I will politely decline. I don’t want it on my plate, or near my plate – or near me, really. Yuck.
9. I ❤️ New York. New York is my absolute favorite place, and I would live there if I could. Seriously. If I ever win the lottery (that I don’t play), I will have a little apartment there that I can go to whenever I want. There is something about this city that makes me come alive, and my heart is just happy there. My sister and I took a quick weekend trip in 2015. This was taken on the steps of the New York Public Library, looking down onto Fifth Ave. It pretty much sums up everything I love about the city – the people, the buildings, the hustle. I love it.
10. I make the bed every day. There’s just something about walking into the bedroom at night, and getting into a bed that has been made, and it just looks nice. The rest of the house might be a disaster, but the bed will be made! I’ve been known to make the bed even on vacation because it just makes me feel better. I read once that people who make their bed are happier people in general than those that don’t. If you think I’m bitchy now, can you imagine how bad I would be if I didn’t make the bed?? ?
11. In another life, I would be an editor at a magazine in NYC. I love my life and the direction it has taken, but in an alternate universe, this is what I would be doing – working a for a big magazine (think Cosmo, Marie Claire, InStyle) and living in NYC. The fast-paced, high-pressure, all things fashion and beauty, busy city life speaks to me. Maybe it speaks more to the 21 year old me, but it speaks to me nonetheless.
12. I have a deep love for ’90s music. Look, we’ve discussed this before. I have an eclectic mix of music in my playlist – artists from all eras and all genres; however, my love of ’90s music knows no bounds. Maybe it’s because it is the music of my high school years? Judge me if you must, but I’m not apologizing. Ha. In fact, my BFF, Emily, and I got to attend the inaugural (and, as it turns out, only) Rock Fest in 1997 at the Speedway in Dallas. We got to see Jewel, Paula Cole, The Wallflowers, Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Bush…and a host of other bands. We drove 10 hours from El Paso, it was only 120 degrees (literally. They brought in trucks of water to spray on us so we wouldn’t die) on the floor of the speedway, and I walked away with both a sunburn and thermal burn (basically I had been cooked. Not kidding). Oh, but the music was so worth it. Probably.
    And just for fun, the #1 alternative song this week in 1995:

I’m not sure how interesting this list actually is, but you know a little more about me now. Be brave and leave a comment telling me something about you!