Friday, March 19, 2010

Ten More Facts

Well, due to overwhelming demand... kind of... here's ten more things.  I admit that, while I'm a huge fan of self-disclosure and can talk up a storm about myself in my head, I had a hard time coming up with this list.  But here they are, ten facts about me:

1. I grew up in Toledo, Ohio and lived in the same house from birth until just after my 22nd birthday (my parents still live there).  Since then, I’ve lived in 7 different apartments.

2. I ended up in Chicago entirely by chance and moved here with no job, no plan and about $100 to my name.  It’s a really long story, but in short I came to visit 2 high school friends and fell so in love with the city that my "visit" turned into job hunting and me living here.  To date, it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done.

3. I love sarcasm, dry wit and self-deprecating humor.  Unfortunately that doesn't always translate well with some audiences or in text form.

4. I play the piano, flute and piccolo all reasonably well.  I was in various music groups in high school, and my dream at the time was to go to Ohio State and dot the "i" in Script Ohio.

5. I attended Catholic schools from pre-school through high school, but I haven't set foot in a church for anything but a wedding or a funeral in years.

6. I have two titanium rods in my back from having spinal fusion surgery when I was 16.  My brother had the same surgery 4 years earlier, and the fact that we both got severe scoliosis from our dad makes our family a medical anomaly.  Nerd that I am, I think that's actually kind of cool.  Also, no one has better posture than me :)

7. At almost 29, I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.  I have a BA in Sociology, which is pretty much useless.  I started at a benefits firm as a temp with a 3 month contract, and 6 years and 3 promotions later I'm still there.  I don't hate my job and I feel fortunate to work for such a good company, but I don't think it's what I want to do forever.  I started grad school to become a teacher last fall, but I'm not sure about that anymore either.  My most recent thought is nursing, since a recent health crisis has reminded me how cool I find medical stuff and how completely not squeamish I am with that stuff.

8. If I didn't live in Chicago, my next choice would be Texas.  I know, we're diametrically opposed on politics (except for Austin), but I've visited my brother in San Antonio countless times over the past 10 years and I absolutely love it there.  The weather is great - no snow, very little humidity and less allergy problems - and it's just beautiful there (the lower cost of living is just an added bonus).

9. The two people closest to me when I was growing up were my dad and my brother.  I believe this has shaped a lot of the person that I've become, in that they taught me to be independent, stick up for myself, love sports, fix things on my own and, most importantly, laugh at myself.  This is also probably why I get along much better with guys than girls (or I just haven't found enough of the right girlfriends who actually live in Chicago?)

10. I secretly love romantic comedies.  I have to sneak them on NetFlix while my boyfriend is at work because they always make me cry or at least tear up, which is pretty embarrassing.

11. I can be extremely long-winded, particularly in writing (yes, #11 done on purpose).

3 comments:

  1. Yeay for Anne's comments! Number 12: Anne is just absolutely adorable and has great tastes in clothes, and has encouraged the more sartorially timid amongst her social networks to be more adventurous! Like a certain cranky professor who fell in love with Anne's winter whites in late 2008/2009. True story!

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  2. I came to Chicago almost by accident 20 years ago, and I never left. I don't regret it at all either!

    Also, I have a BA in Sociology that I've never actually used at any job, but I think it influences everything I do -- understanding the customs/rituals and the whys behind the way people behave in social situations is a useful tool in any job. I do work in healthcare as well but not in a clinical role, and there are lots of opportunities in it if nursing is not your thing.

    Very cool to read, thanks for expanding! LOL, we should get together for coffee some day since we have a lot more in common than just a love of fashion!

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  3. Aww Susan, you're too sweet :) Speaking of winter, it's back today. Ugh!

    Kristen, wow! We do have a lot in common! That's how I feel about my Sociology degree, but I felt like I was already saying way too much... but it does come in handy. I have a friend who is doing medical social work, so something like that has been in the back of my mind too. It would be fun to get together to chat though!

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