Happy Tuesday y’all! This week Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl has made this week’s topic a freebie but with a twist. How did she twist a freebie? Because this week isn’t a book-related freebie. It’s a chance for our readers to get to know a bit more about us. I’ve decided to share ten things you may not know about me.
ExPat living in Canada
I was born and raised in the US, but live in Canada. Why did I move to Canada? For love, why else? It sucks not being closer to my parents, but we still manage to see each other multiple times a year, well through 2019. Since the lockdowns of 2020, I missed a big event back home and have only seen my mom in person twice. We hope to change that this year.
Left-Handed but Not Really
How can someone be left-handed but not really? For most of my life, I’ve used my left hand for writing and most fine motor skills. For everything else, especially in sports, I’ve used my right hand. I can also write with my right hand, but that comes from spending two years with a cast and/or brace on my left hand after breaking my wrist the summer after my first year of university.
Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine
Speaking of university, I graduated from a small university with a BS in Sports Medicine. While there, I also minored in Biology. Guess what I wanted to do after that? Yes, I wanted to be a doctor. Life is nothing if not fluid, and plans change. Much to my parents’ dismay, I have never used my degree.
Prefer Sports to TV and Movies
I’m the only person in my household who loves sports. My oldest daughter watches some American football, but she’s not as much of a fan as I am. Yes, American football is my favorite sport (I even played it in high school), but I will watch almost any sport. The only professional sport I’m not a fan of is the NBA, but I do love March Madness. As I’m writing this post, I have a baseball game on. LOL! I have been to an NFL game, an NHL game, and three MLB games.
Can’t Stand Quiet
I’m not sure where this came from in my life, but I can’t stand the quiet. When I was in school, I would always do my homework in front of the television. It would drive my mom crazy, but I always had good grades, so she couldn’t complain. Even when I’m reading, I will listen to music. But with my new shift at work, I have found I enjoy a bit of quiet as work is quite loud at times.
Diverse Taste in Music
When I say I have diverse tastes in music, I mean it in every way–decade, style, and artist. My Spotify Liked Song list has over 610 songs. a few weeks ago, I needed a pick-me-up and turned to Spotify. The first five songs it gave me were:
- Stacey’s Mom by Fountains of Wayne
- Hey Good Lookin’ by Hank Williams Sr
- Killer Queen by Queen
- Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
- Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s original cast recording
Visited 19 States
I’ve been to 19 of 50 States. While not a lot, it’s still more than many Americans. I have been to every state from New York to Florida, except for New Jersey. And as far west as Wyoming. All of this was done driving, with five during one road trip.
Didn’t Get On a Plane Until in My 30s
To be more specific, I was 33 the first time I stepped on a plane. And it was with my then 8-month-old daughter. We flew up to visit my husband and my then 6-year-old daughter. Since then, I have only been on a plane three other times.
Never Been Outside of North America
While I have seen more of the United States than most people, I have never been outside of North America. That’s not to say I don’t want to travel the world because I do. I especially want to see where my husband was born and raised (he was born in the UK). It’s just that I don’t have a lot of experience with planes, and the few times I have flown, I was a nervous passenger.
Fascinated with Iceland
I have no idea why, but Iceland is a country that I have always been fascinated with. And the more I read about Iceland, the more I want to visit.
And those are ten things you may not know about me. Did you know any of these? Did any of them surprise you? What are some things about you that I may not know?
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Fun post! 🙌
I like the sound of your music choices! (pun intended!)
Thanks for sharing these interesting facts about yourself.
These are very interesting facts—I’m especially intrigued with your fascination with a noisy environment.
I’m a US expat living in Canada, too!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-my-favourite-things/
I’m left handed for sports, opening jars, etc. but right-handed for writing. 🙂
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I’m left handed but there are things I will use my right hand for. My taste in music is diverse as well.
This is what I did today too! Great post, I don’t love flying, but I love getting to new places 🙂
I want to visit Iceland, too! I think it would be a manageable trip since the country isn’t very big!
I love March Madness, too. It’s so fun to watch.
I’m not a *huge* sports fan but I do enjoy hockey and football. My team is in the Stanley Cup playoffs right now so that’s exciting. Killer Queen is a fantastic song (as is almost anything by Queen).
Can you suggest any good books to read about Iceland or by Icelandic authors? I know little about the island country.
Last year I read a non-fiction books called Secrets of the Sprakkar by Eliza Reid. And I read a fiction book called Animal Life by
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir. Both a look at life in Iceland from a woman’s point of view.
Fun list of things! I’ve been to 16 US states, though I haven’t seen much of some of them, and that’s not counting the ones that I passed through on a train trip from California to Chicago. Your 19 is impressive! I hope you can get to the UK for a trip soon.
My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2023/04/18/top-ten-tuesday-free-short-fiction-for-a-freebie/
We did a lot of road trips when I was growing up, so we visited a lot of different states. Some were more of a pass through than an actual visit.
I like a good hockey game! And I’m not big on flying although I’ll swallow my apprehension to go somewhere fun 🙂
You should definitely try to go to Iceland if you can. It’s an amazing country. We visited in February 2020. Just sneaked that one in didn’t we?! What part of Canada do you live in? My daughter was studying in Montreal doing a semester abroad at McGill uni last year and thankfully we managed to visit. It was wonderful! Really enjoyed reading your post.
Good stuff! No quiet? EEK! lol I’m with you in being fascinated with Iceland–esp after reading this nonfiction book https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/review-wild-horses-of-the-summer-sun-a-memoir-of-iceland-by-tory-bilski/
You played football in high school? Do tell! We love a good football game here, particularly college football.
Your musical taste sounds eclectic like mine! My iPod might spit out anything from George Winston to Megadeth to the B-52s to Maroon 5 to Dick and Kiz Harp. There is no telling what surprises might show up.
I am the first, and as far as I know only, female to play for my school. I only played one season, and didn’t get much playing time as my coach didn’t like the idea of me on the team. But it was a fun experience, especially at my first game where we were the visiting team and I had to get ready in the nearest bathroom. The other teams cheerleaders came to see me and tell me how cool it was that I was playing football.
Enjoyed your post, not a fan of flying either but had to do it a number of times, but only when I really want or need to get somewhere!
I love this post, and discovered that we have more in common than I thought! I’m also sort-of left handed – I can’t write with my right hand, but my left is for writing and fine motor as well, and everything else I do right handed! I’ve been to 17 states in the US, and after reading some books set in Iceland, I want to visit even more than I did before.
I love your pick-me-up song list!
I like some sports but generally not team sports, I think my dislike of playing team sports at school somewhat transferred into watching it! The sports I like are mainly gymnastics, equestrian (like eventing, dressage, showjumping etc) and athletics, although I do watch quite a lot of different ones when it’s the Olympics!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/04/18/top-ten-tuesday-416/
Hope you can visit Iceland someday~
I love your taste in music, and Iceland is at the top of my must-visit list. I’ve only been to the US, Canada, and Mexico.
I’m not much of a sports person but I used to watch a lot of football (or soccer, lol) growing up and golf as well cos I used to play. 😂 Iceland is on my bucket list of places I’d love to visit one day and so is Canada too! I enjoyed reading this post—thanks for sharing, Pam!
You do have quite the eclectic taste in music. I’m that way, too! Depends on the day or the mood what I want to listen to. 😃 I’m also not a great flier. But mostly because I have a fear of heights. Meditation has helped me a lot with that. 😉 Happy reading!
How fun to get to know more about you! I’m the opposite of you in several ways. I’ve never cared about sports and only ever watched games when my kids were playing in them. I love music, but I don’t listen while I’m reading. Too distracting. I took my first commercial flight when I was in high school and that was only because of a school field trip. I’ve been outside North America several times, but not nearly as many times are lots of other people. I loved visiting the U.K. two years ago and have been dying to go back. My husband and I are planning to go next Spring. Flying is not something I enjoy, but I do like to see new places. I hope you get to see your husband’s homeland sometime!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
While I didn’t move countries for love, I did end up in another state for that reason!
Thanks for sharing facts about yourself. My daughter broke her wrist when she was young and had to learn to write with the other hand for the same reason. Hope you get to travel outside of North America one day. I appreciate your visit to my blog last week.
Diverse music tastes are the best! Always fun to put on a playlist and have no idea what genre will be next 🙂
I’m very right-hand dominant. I say my left hand might as well be a T-rex arm for all the use I get out of it! I don’t mind flying as long as we’re moving and I have a window seat. I get claustrophobic if I can’t see outside or if we’re just sitting on the tarmac too long. We’ve been to Canada a few times and really loved it–Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Banff. Banff is seriously the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I need quiet. When my husband is at work, I will often just keep everything off and putter around in silence. If I want music for some reason, I can only read or write to instrumental music–I get too distracted by two sets of words entering my brain at the same time. I would love to visit Iceland. We managed to see the northern lights while we were in Alaska but I’d still like to go to Iceland and try to see them there, as well as seeing all their volcanic features. I’ve legitimately visited 27 states. Those are the ones where I can tell you about something I did there other than driving or stopping at a gas station/rest area. I can increase it to 40 if we count pass throughs. And then I count DC and the US Virgin Islands as their own separate category that I’ve also visited. Fun list!