Fact Sheet

*I'm a little nutty* (Free factoid!)

I'm still on track, you guys. On track for the writing challenge and here comes a list I have no idea how to populate or finish. This pains me. 10 Interesting Things About Me. Right? Ok, I can come up with 10 things, but interesting? Wellllllll. I think I might be lactose intolerant now. See how "interesting" doesn't work that well? I'll try harder though.

10.  I've only lived in two states, but I've lived in about around 10 to 12 different houses. Maybe 13 now? 

Nothing sinister there, just a single mom trying to keep improving our life. I actually don't hate it. I've had lots of different rooms to make my own, lots of different neighborhoods and yards to explore, and as I got older, new towns to get to know.  It helps me with the whole "home is where your rump rests" concept, so I can make myself feel at home wherever I land.

9. I've had tons of different types of pets- started with gerbils and cats, then when my mom remarried, we had lizards, pheasants, chukar, quails and ducks, dogs, lovebirds, parrots...and I'm grateful. I love getting to know animals, and I don't know what life would be like without furry friends around. Lucky for me, there's plenty of those here. 

8. I like travelling on my own. A lot. - I love travelling in general, and I love sharing adventures with friends, family and especially my love, but I'm also totally ok and even cheerful about exploring on my own. I love a good day trip, and I can be a tourist just about anywhere. When I'm alone, I worry less about looking touristy or dallying too long to get a picture or read a book.

7. I'm in love with the desert.  Probably something most of you know already. But when I hit New Mexico, after a few months, it was home. It felt like where I always should have been. I have dreams about the mountains I lived in, both north and south. I can't get away from the flavor and smells. I have this stupid desire for the intensity of the desert sun all.the.time.  I need it. It feels necessary. I hope one day I can have it again, because it will always be a part of me now, of that I'm sure.

6. I love storms. I love studying them. I was TERRIFIED all the time of every thunderstorm when I was a kid, but it turned into a fascination, and a bit of an obsession. Later this month, I plan on taking a class to turn it useful, and become an official storm spotter for my county. I'm *really* excited about that.  

5. I am full of artistic ambition. If I had more time, I think I'd take all the art classes. I learned a bit about acrylic painting from my mom this year and now I really want to get paints and go for it. I want to try all the Pinterest things. I want to draw better. I do calligraphy and lettering.  Sometimes I wish I had unlimited funds for art supplies and more time to get involved in projects.

4. I'm bad in person. I'm not a good communicator, not really. I've written emails after fights to explain what I was trying to say countless times. I can fake it sometimes, but in reality, I came to writing because expressing myself vocally is both intimidating and immensely hard for me. Words don't tend to come out right, or they vanish in thin air before I get to arrange them right.  

3. I feel a little lost these days, even though I feel like I'm in the right place.  It's weird. I have a relationship more stable and loving than any I've had before, but I'm a little floaty.  I have the start of a career but I haven't been able to weave it into something more solid yet. I don't want to go back but I've been not great at going forward. I need to do different/more.

2. I'm a freelance writer/photographer. I think this might not be interesting, but it's important for me to say here. Sometimes I think i don't do more because I still feel like a fraud here. But I really am a writer, by trade. I really am a photographer too. I've literally sold my work. 

1. I love my job. Having said that, if I could make this full time, and even now when it's not, I really, really love this job. It has its moments, like anything else, but going to these events, seeing the art, exhibits, nerdy things....then sharing it at Chicagoist? It's pretty amazing. I want to do more. Believe it or not, this is a means to that end.  

Speaking of ends, there's one. This list is over! Ha!