Eleven Things About Me

Kaylanaut tagged me to answer eleven questions last week, and I didn’t know what to blog about this week caved so I figured, why the heck not? Plus, with packing going on, it’s been a bit chaotic around here. I could use a bit of fun!

Kayla’s Questions:
1. What is one thing you geek out most over and why?
It’s so hard not to list every fandom ever xD As much as I want to say The Avengers, or Sherlock at the moment, or even my lifelong love and passion for everything Harry Potter, I’d have to go with hockey. Which seems silly, for someone to be so geekily obsessed with a sport. But I love my team, they’re part of home, they’re part of Pittsburgh. It’s so hard to explain such a relationship with a sports team, and I don’t feel like any other sport has the same relationship as hockey does with its fans. It’s a much more down to earth, personal connection, even though my “personal connection” with the Pittsburgh Penguins includes having Hal Gill stare at us/almost hit us with his car as my friend jumped out to pick up a giant ball of snow at practice. But my Penguins are my boys. There’s a sense of connectedness that runs through the players and fans as a whole – a loyalty – that goes unrivaled elsewhere.

Doesn’t hurt that they do hilariously dorky crap too xD

…like Flower hiding in Colby’s bag. Which is kind of an amazing feat.
2. What is your favorite type of weather?
I’d give anything for a brisk fall morning, drizzly and overcast, but without the deep puddles that cause the hem of my jeans to get wet. It’s perfect walking and coffee weather!

3. What is one thing that everyone seems to be into, but you just can’t get behind? Explain.
High-low dresses and Channing Tatum. People drool over these high-low hemlines, and I just dont understand the appeal. Similarly, people drool over Channing Tatum and I just don’t get it. Why are we hyperventilating? Is that really necessary? He’s not that good-looking.

I also apparently don’t understand what “one thing” means.

4. What was your proudest life moment so far?
Stepping off of the airplane at Narita Airport was surreal and stood for – and continues to stand for – an incredibly important dream and goal that I accomplished. There I was, by myself, after a plane ride around the world, landing in an airport where I didn’t know a soul, where every speck of grammar and vocabulary I had feebly tried to acquire in a classroom was in my face. Where I was on my own, doing what I had dreamt of doing all my life. Stepping off of that plane was a breath of the most thrilling air I’ve ever tasted; it was freedom, it was adventure, it was accomplishment, it was terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

5. Why did you start blogging, and is it the same reason you continue to now? How has it changed for you?
I started blogging just because, really. I was sick of writing on LiveJournal where I felt compelled to vent and focus on the negative. Not every post was pessimistic, but it was a place of frustration. While the venting helped, I wanted not only something more productive to channel my thoughts into, but I wanted to keep writing, and write, not just rant.

And here I am, three years later, with a productive outlet for my thoughts that’s become a job that I enjoy. I write for me, I write to share, I write to record things that I feel are worthy of recording. One thing that’s changed is that I’m no longer solely writing for me, but for my readers too. Not to confuse this notion of not being “true” or honest with what I want to write about, but rather taking my audience into account too. I don’t just want to write about my crap day because when I honestly think about it, it’s not something even I would want to read! I suppose it’s more of an effort to be conscientious about what I’m putting out there, and making sure that I give it my all. Because I want to write things that I’m proud of, and that I enjoy, and I think if I do that you guys will enjoy it too!

6. What is your current computer wallpaper?
I’ve got it on rotate, but at the moment, and probably my favorite, it’s on this gorgeous illustration of the lantern scene from Tangled, by http://alicexz.deviantart.com/

7. What is your favorite book of all time? (And convince me to rush out to buy it, please.)
This is the hardest question I ever have to answer. I love too many books, it’s impossible. Plus, my favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby and you’ve probably read that xD My favorite is a toss-up between Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, which I can’t tell you much about without spoiling it, and Murakami Haruki’s Norwegian Wood, which totally isn’t the type of novel I typically go for, and while I enjoy some of his other works more, reading Norwegian Wood was like a punch of feels in the face. It’s real and raw and still manages to be otherworldly and profoundly poetic. American Gods is more magical-realism and also dark, but is an incredibly well-thought out premise that really speaks to today’s culture while still feeling like a fantasy novel. I need to get better at recommending books, not just gushing over them in my head.

8. If you had a “theme song” – a song that played every time you entered the room – what would it be?
I’m so picky with this one! There are so many songs with so many feelings, and for so many occasions. I don’t want to pick a song that just embodies what I’m feeling at the moment, so one of those that I’m thinking is out. Plus then you start thinking about lyrics versus melody – I find lyrics to be too fleeting, so I usually demote them when thinking about this type of question (yes, I’ve pondered this intensely before). When I hear “walk into a room” I’m naturally inclined to pick something that’s more upbeat, like I’m about to get the party started. But let’s be realistic, when do I ever get the party started? I usually lull people into an introspective internal monologue, so I picture my “theme song” as more a song that plays when I walk down the street. So naturally, that’d be the Decemberists’ On the Bus Mall. It’s a perfect balance of everything me rolled into one moving, exciting, thoughtful theme song

9. What is your biggest fear?
I really hate feeling like I’m trapped, without control with no way out. It’s hard to explain – and not what you’d probably consider a traditional “fear”, more a psychological one, I suppose. And it gives me tremendous anxiety. From waking up at other people’s houses (sleepovers always made me antsy and I was always the first one up in the morning and out the door) to dreams with an oppressive, confining feeling, I hate not having control.

10. What meal could you eat day in and day out and never get sick of?
Can we talk about how heavenly homemade, cheesy, creamy macaroni and cheese is? I’ll take eleventy-billion platefuls, please and thank you.

11. Be honest – how are you feeling today?
To be honest, I haven’t been feeling a whole lot of anything lately, which worries me. I feel like I’m in stasis, and not one of good equilibrium. I feel stuck, I feel unmotivated, I feel apathetic. There’s a lot on my mind, and I’m just trying to truck through it the best that I can. Otherwise, I’ve got some mad Downton Abbey feels going on as I catch up!

My Questions:
1. If you were given a one-way plane ticket, where would you go?
2. What’s the first thing you do once you wake up in the morning?
3. If you could go back to live in any time period or era, which would you choose?
4. Who’s your literary character crush?
5. What is one challenge that initially terrified you, but you persevered through to overcome?
6. Tell me a story about the most cherished of your senses (a particular memory tied to the scent of baking gingerbread, a sound that strikes fear into your heart, be creative!)
7. What is one movie/show/book/video game that you’re looking forward to seeing/reading/playing in 2013?
8. Favorite pancake flavor? (I’m partial to blueberry!)
9. What is the last book you read?
10. Who would you choose to play you in a movie of your life?
11. If you had to choose a single word to serve as a focus or goal for 2013, which would it be?

And I tag…
Wildflower at Heart
Whimsical Poppysmic
Chocolate & Cream Cake
Brighid’s House
MiaMoore
le fancy geek