28 Little Things You Probably Didn’t Know

Hello, dear reader.

If we know each other in real life, it’s likely that you already know a few of the things that make me tick (or make me twitch, in some cases). It feels a little strange to write about myself, I’ll be honest. Self promotion and talking about myself are two of the things that make me the most uncomfortable. But I thought this might be a fun way to document some random little bits & bobs about myself at age 28, and hopefully it will be at least somewhat entertaining to read as well! Some of these things may be relatable, and some may leave you wondering if I’m just a bit kooky. Onward!

1. The idea of starting a blog and putting myself out there totally freaks me out, but I’m hoping it will be a fun, creative outlet and a helpful resource for others.
2. At all times, I am in the middle of at least 3 or more TV shows. It is a curse. I’m currently watching The Great British Baking Show, Case, The Bridge, Homeland, and The Affair. And maybe some other shows I forgot about.
3. I have packing down to a science (shout out to packing cubes!) and genuinely enjoy the Tetris of fitting everything into a carry-on.
4. I use far too many parentheses (I mean, hi, here’s another one.) I just can’t stop!
5. I think that Beyoncé’s 4 is a seriously underrated work of art.
6. I was on a synchronized swimming team as a teenager. (I’m very glad that footage of this does not exist.)
7. I grew up ravenously devouring the Harry Potter books and movies, and went on the Warner Brothers studio tour in London in 2015. I had two butter beers. Best money I’ve ever spent.
8. When I get out of the shower, I put my hair up rather quickly, because I hate the feeling of slimy, wet hair on the back of my neck.
9. I have a horrible habit of replaying things I’ve said and done, and agonizing about what I should have said or done differently. Thanks, anxiety.
10. My favorite donuts: a tie between the coffee cake doughnut from Doughnut Plant and the blueberry glazed from a place in Westport, Connecticut called Donut Crazy. Both drool-worthy.
11. When I was little, I used to be so scared of the dark that I’d RUN (full-speed) back from taking the trash out at night.
12. I used to be pretty afraid of flying. Probably because of that one specific time I thought my plane was surely going down in a lightning storm. Since then, I’ve become a much calmer flier, though I still get fairly freaked out by heavy turbulence.
13. I learned Spanish at a very young age (thanks, Mom and Dad!) but have lost a lot of my fluency since then. I took Italian in college, and am planning to dive back into practicing both languages soon on the Duolingo app.
14. Even though I’m a terrible dancer, I recently started taking dance classes at Broadway Bodies in NYC and am having the best time fumbling my way through the choreography!
15. I have lived in New York City for 7 years now, and while I see an end in sight, I’m just not ready to let this place go yet.
16. Chocolate soy milk is my kryptonite. (Yeah, I’m weird.)
17. One time, I very nearly collided with Gwen Stefani backstage at Madison Square Garden.
18. I try to fly out to California to visit family and friends at least once a year.
19. Every month since June 2013, I have made a monthly playlist of my favorite songs on Spotify.
20. When babies smile at me, I get tunnel vision and melt into a puddle.
21. I graduated with a B.A. in music management but currently work in property management. (Lesson learned: life is not as straightforward and linear as I once thought.)
22. When I was in middle school, I went to Junior Lifeguard camp. I hated (almost) every second of it.
23. I need quite a bit of time to fully wake up in the mornings. I’m not a grump, I just can’t open my eyes fully for 10 minutes or respond to basic questions for about 30.
24. One of my favorite things in the whole world is the feeling of climbing into a fresh, clean, slightly chilly bed at night.
25. I hate scary movies (i.e. horror) but enjoy psychological thrillers. Go figure.
26. The most high maintenance thing about me is that I order my lip balm from Germany. I’ve been using the same kind for the past 2 years every single night, and now nothing else will do.
27. Summer is my least favorite season. I love the idea of summer, but when it rolls around to the sweaty, hot garbage-y reality of it all, I’m no longer on board.
28. Walking in the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. in January 2017 was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. There is still so much work to be done, but the act of coming together en masse like that was wild and wonderful, and I’ll never forget it.

Well, that was…interesting? I hope! (Or perhaps incredibly boring, depending on your point of view.) Hopefully this helped you get to know me a bit better! I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts and stories with you in this space soon. And if you made it this far and actually read all of this, you are a true hero. Thanks for sticking with me.