So I’ve been seeing these little “Seven Things” surveys floating around the blogosphere on some of my favorite blogs lately, and they’ve been a fun way to learn more about some of the ladies whose blogs I consistently read. It’s always fun to learn something new, right? And what the heck, I’m game.
1| What is the best piece of advice you have received?
A few of my favorites – “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” “We must take adventures in order to know where we truly belong.” “Say Please, Thank You, and I Love You, every day, over and over and over.” “Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.” “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.” “The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for.” “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” “You are a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do.”
2| What’s your biggest struggle in life?
To not let my desire for adventure, travel, great food, trying new things, or decorating our home to carve out our own special space in the world overwhelm the gratitude and joy I have for the wonderful life we already live, with exactly what we have, and who we share it with, just the way things are right now. As a person who consistently yearns to see, explore, experience, and fully appreciate the world and all the beautiful, wonderful things in it, it can be really easy to get carried away and unintentionally turn that positive desire to experience and appreciate into unsavory emotions, like greed, envy, frustration at our tiny budget that doesn’t allow for much other than our basic living expenses, or an all-consuming desire for ‘more’ – even if that ‘more’ isn’t necessarily about materialistic things, and even if it is born from a place of good intentions. For me, it can be a daily struggle to find the balance between experiencing as much as I can of this world because I’m so grateful to be living in it, and enjoying everything and everyone simply as it is, because our current everyday life is also beautiful and I’m truly grateful for that too. I think the trick is to focus on enjoying life now instead of waiting for the future, but to also keep your eyes, mind, and heart open to opportunities. Also, I realized while writing this, if this is my biggest struggle in life (other than our usual job insecurity with both of us working in the theatre industry and our consistent medical expenses), we’re doing pretty good and have a lot to be thankful for.
3| If money were no object, what are 2 things you’d buy for yourself right now?
I’d treat myself a luxurious full salon package – a pedicure, manicure, full-body hot stone massage, shampoo and deep conditioning treatment, and a haircut with blow dry and styling – in Door County. I’d also splurge on a stylish yet comfortable new wardrobe of essentials that are appropriate and can be mixed and matched for both work and weekends. Because finances are tight, my wardrobe is pretty limited and I haven’t bought new clothes in a long time (many of my clothes and shoes are still from college – which I realize every dude out there is like “so…?”), massages and nail appointments happen only on special occasions (like my wedding), and I usually only get my haircut once or twice a year at somewhere quick and cheap, but a new look to usher in the fall would be welcome and it feels so nice to look and feel fresh and put together on occasion. I’m not a girly girl and I’m not usually about salons, style, or shopping…but once every few years I get the urge for a revamp that will hopefully last me for the next 5 years.
4| Pick 3 bloggers: who’s your biggest blog crush, who would you like to meet in real life, and whose wardrobe would you love to steal?
Amanda of Marshalls Abroad (biggest blog crush), Bonnie of The Life of Bon and Rebecca of Girl’s Gone Child (meet in real life), Taza of Love Taza and Megan of Freckled Italian (wardrobe I’d love to steal). For the record, I wouldn’t mind meeting any of these cool and bold women!
5| It’s your last meal…what are you eating?
When you like food a lot, this is a terribly difficult question. Are you ready? Today, I’d go for a fresh and perfectly balanced gourmet salad with all kinds of fantastic mix-ins and dressing to start, an appetizer of steaming artichoke hearts with lemon butter, a soft hot fresh-baked roll with warm honey butter, followed by a meal of a robustly seasoned and perfectly tender seafood and steak platter bursting with flavor, some kind of creamy out-of-this-world mac n’ cheese, fresh steamed broccoli of the perfect texture and seasoning, and a double-dessert of a warm and sinfully rich flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of devilishly creamy ice cream and a tangy lemon bar. I’d sip on a sweet and bubbly glass of cold moscato with the salad and appetizer, drink milk during the meal, and top it off with a small sweet butterscotch martini served with dessert. Ask a dangerous question, get a fully loaded answer.
6| You’re road tripping across America. What 3 cities, landmarks, or tourist sights do you have to see?
Arizona (Painted Desert, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Havasu Falls, and the Wave), Oregon (Thor’s Well, Crater Lake, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Mount Hood, West Coast Game Park, and Sea Lion Caves), and Colorado (Continental Divide, Royal George Bridge, Dunton Hot Springs, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cliff Palace, and Crystal Mill).
7| If you could pack up all your belongings and move to a new city or country, where would you move?
Someplace with a very different culture and way of life that I know nothing about. I’d never even given a thought to what life must be like in Lansing, Cincinnati, or Rochester before I moved to these cities, and each time I explored my heart out, experienced the good and the bad, and fell in love. I’d love to have an opportunity to live overseas, in a country with people, foods, customs, and a lifestyle I know very little about, so I can discover what life is like in another place I’d previously never given a thought to – like Cambodia, Chili, or Poland. There’s no better way to learn than to just dive in with both feet. I can’t stay I’d stay there forever, but I’d definitely give it a try for a year or two. Also, we’re finally getting settled in Rochester after moving five bazillion times between college and now, so I kind of hope to give ourselves a break and a little stability by moving nowhere for the next three to five years. I know Ted echos my sentiments. After that, I might be up for some new adventures.
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Got a blog? You should play along too and then let me know in the comments below. Pick some questions that you wouldn’t mind answering or answer the ones I or someone else answered. Tag other bloggers in this post to answer these questions, or just leave it as is. Answer two questions or answer twenty. No rules, no pressure.
Happy Thursday!
