30 Random Things About Me

It’s my 30th birthday week… YAY!!! My birthday is actually on Thursday, but I decided to kick off the week with a “random things” post. One of my goals is to become a lot more open on the blog about myself outside of motherhood, so hopefully you will learn something new about me this week.

My 25th birthday cake… I’ve done cupcakes the last few years

1. Although I was raised in Detroit, I was born on an Air Force base in Nebraska. My mom left the military a few years after I was born, so sadly I’m not a military brat.

2. Even though I teach freshman writing and encourage my students to be more confident in their writing, I’m deathly afraid to submit my work for publication.

3. I’m an English teacher who hates grammar. Surprise!

4. I wanted to be an actress when I was little and my grandmother still has the newspaper article where I’m quoted declaring my future career path.

5. I wish someone had explained library science to me because it would have been my career path.

6. My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast.

7. Being a mother is not something I envisioned for my future as a little girl.

8. I’ve never been out of the country. I’ve been to Canada, but since I’m from Detroit I don’t feel like that counts.

9. The first time my mom spoke to my husband on the phone she told him she would be surprised if he lasted three months, since I’ve never really dated anyone for long periods of time. He took that as a challenge lol.

10. I’m not as much of a girly girl as people expect, but I’m slowly trying to break out of my tee shirt and jeans uniform.

11. I love the look of heels and buy them a lot, but I rarely wear them on a regular basis.

12. I learned to ride my bike in my great-grandmother’s housing project. The newly smoothed parking log pavement made it easier for me.

13. I’ve never had a driver’s license.

14. I own more books than shoes and jeans combined and that’s not even including the ones on my kindle.

15. Even before motherhood, I enjoyed Friday nights at home just watching Lifetime while painting my toes and doing my hair.

16. My hair grows pretty quickly, but I cut it often.

My first major haircut in May 2005

17. I own a few eye shadow palettes, but I pretty much stick to the same neutral look no matter the occasion.

18. I am incredibly uncomfortable when people focus on my physical appearance a lot. My husband calls it “ugly duckling syndrome.”

19. I won an award in middle school for reading more books than anyone in the entire school. People I went to middle school with remind me of this when they see me now.

20. Despite being an uber nerd and painfully shy, I was almost suspended in middle school for fighting with an older boy on the school bus.

21. People assume that I grew up middle class and in the suburbs because of where I am now, but I grew up working class and I’m a first generation college student.

22. My mom does have a college degree now, though. We actually graduated from undergrad two weeks apart in 2006.

23. I took an airplane instead of letting my parents drive me to Atlanta when I moved here. I had two suitcases and tons of boxes that I mailed here/sent with my older cousin.

24. I was raised strict Pentecostal, but I don’t currently practice any religion.

25. I was accepted into the University of Michigan after handwriting my application and participating on an on the spot interview at my high school. I had no intentions of applying, but it all worked out for the best.

26. I lived with a couple in Toronto for three weeks participating in a research project the summer after my freshman year of undergrad. Toronto is definitely one of the most diverse places that I’ve visited.

27. I have an unhealthy relationship with reality television and my latest favorites are all about religious communities.

28. I love Jessica Simpson and watched her show with Nick faithfully.

29. I don’t drink the milk after eating cereal. It’s gross to me, but I will add more cereal to try and not waste a lot of milk.

30. Despite going to a big football school, I only attended one game during my five years there. I didn’t get into football until I started dating Mr. S.

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