Beyond the "About ME"

I give full credit for the inspiration of this post to Teresa (via Laurie’s post, which is where I found the idea initially! :)).

I love the notion of going beyond our short bio lines or ‘about me’ pages to really connect with readers. I enjoy reading acknowledgement pages—not so much to see who is acknowledged, but to see what I can learn about the author in how he or she acknowledges other people—especially family.

So, here we go! I’ll share some random facts, and you’ll see pretty quickly that I have some OCD issues. Don’t judge. ;)

1. I have to finish anything I’ve started (a song, a book, a TV show, a movie, a series, etc.). Apparently Sheldon Cooper has a similar problem—a compulsion for closure. 
2. I only eat one food item at a time, in a particular order on my plate, and I’ve done this for as long as I can remember, although I am somewhat ‘reformed’ for some dishes (as a child, I ate the fruit loops by color—all reds, then all greens, etc.). 
3. I hate for my feet to touch the floor or the bathmat when they’re wet. It grosses me out! 
4. I don’t like heights (but I love rollercoasters).
5. I was the youngest person in my cohort for my PhD program, and I’m the youngest person in my department, and sometimes that makes me feel ‘less than.’ (Come on, 30!) 
6. I wish that I loved to work out as much as I love to eat—but I don’t. 
7. I love Kate Beckett, Ziva David, Sydney Bristow, Jane Rizzoli, and Lorelai Gilmore. (See a pattern? Strong, beautiful, independent women! As my best friend loves to say: Power to the SHE! ;-))
8. I was not initially a good reader; in first and second grade, I was in the lower reading group.
9. My childhood dreams consisted of becoming a large animal vet, a physician assistant (PA), or a famous writer. (Which of these is not like the other!? :)) 
10. I was in the audience for the Oprah show when I was 11—and I was on TV for about 15 seconds responding to her guests on the show: Hanson. (*squeal*) 
11. I would consider myself moderately introverted, and I’d say I’ve grown from extreme to moderate as I’ve learned to be confident in who I am in Christ! :) (#INTJ!) 
12. I admire Amy Sherman-Palladino’s witty writing, and I am stoked that Netflix is bringing Gilmore Girls back! 
13. I started keeping a journal in the second grade, and I have filled over 100 journals from cover to cover with my writing, prayers, and blogs. (Yes—from cover to cover; remember #1.)
14. When I was 12, I caught the drummer’s drumstick during an Enrique Iglesias performance on the Today Show. 
15. My family is ‘blended’—and I’m so proud of who we are. (More on this someday! :))
16. I love sentence diagraming. I diagram sentences in my head or to de-stress. (Before you think I’m crazy, plenty of math people like to do math problems to de-stress!) 
17. I'm very much in favor of the Oxford comma. 
18. I live by sticky notes, and I love that they were created by accident! 
19. I became a professor because of a professor I had in college who inspired me and encouraged me to go to graduate school. 
20. I am obsessed with duct tape. I’ve duct taped high heel shoes, picture frames, and even the fender on my car. 
21. I am a planner, but sometimes all my plans get thrown out the window. I'm still learning how to be at peace with change and uncertainty. 
22. I love to travel! At 29, I’ve been to 17 countries and 23 states. 
23. I kept my nephew for one day every week for his first 18 or so months. (I've been a little less consistent since then, but I still try to see him every week; he holds a HUGE place in my heart!)
24. I’ve driven through a tropical storm with landslides, and I’ve witnessed the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. 
25. I’m guilty of screening calls—often. I hate the phone because I have to do the impossible like talk and stuff. 

Thanks for reading about some of my quirky traits. :) Share some of your random facts in the comments below!

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