27 things you may or may not know about me

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday! Instead of complaining about how old I'm getting (which I know drives anyone who is older than I am crazy), I decided to compile a list of fun facts to give you a better sense of who I am when I'm not blogging about skin cancer and sunscreen. Enjoy!


1. I've been blogging (and making online "zines") since AOL dial-up.

2. I was a vegetarian for 12 years and just started eating red meat again a year ago.

3. I interned at two magazines in NYC the summer I turned 21.

The House Beautiful intern cubicle. I remember talking this photo on my 21st
birthday because my mom had the flowers delivered to the office.

4. When I was a senior in high school, I didn't apply to college anywhere in my home state.

5. I ended up at Lehigh University where I majored in English and journalism.

College graduation in 2008.

6. I attended an all-girls, Catholic high school.

7. I love cats - lions, tigers, and the more domestic variety that you find on your lap and in YouTube videos.

8. I paint my nails about 2x per week before I go to bed. I own enough nail polish that I could probably open my own salon.

My fingertips on Sephora's nailspotting Pinterest board.

9. My favorite movie is Love Actually.

10. I learned how to drive on a 1995 Nissan Sentra and finally just upgraded last summer to a 2011 Nissan Rogue. It was the first car I've ever purchased in my own name without a co-signer.

My baby!

11. But I take public transportation to and from work every day.

12. I manage the Research Funding & Development Services program at Oregon Health & Science University. That means I help scientists find grant funding and do a lot of internal communication with faculty and other biomedical researchers. Part of my job includes editing a blog.

13. I fly several times a year and yet it is still one of the most terrifying things in the world to me.

This is how I fly.

14. I did professional theater when I was a kid. My favorite role was Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

15. I could eat cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My favorite foods include homemade macaroni and cheese and fondue.

16. Once upon a time, I knit a sweater. It look an entire year!

I knit this!

17. If I didn't have to work, I'm pretty sure I would be nocturnal.

18. I want children someday, but babies still kind of scare me.

19. I drink tea in the mornings, not coffee.

My beverage of choice.

20. I love befriending strangers, even if I know I'll never see them again.

21. My mom is my best friend in the entire world.

22. Places at the top of my travel bucket list include Egypt, Greece, and Bora Bora.

Dream vacation? Yes, please.

23. I rarely pay full price for anything.

24. I can't lie. You will know when I'm lying.

25. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who cancel at the last minute.

26. I read 33 books in 2012. If you're on Goodreads, please be my friend.

The Lovely Bones is one of my favorite books.

27. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist.