Since it’s my birthday, I thought I would  bore you to tears interest you with twenty-five random bits of trivia concerning me.

1. Teaching school was on the list of jobs I did not want for quite some time. Then I did it at a little school in Illinois, I don’t even quite know why, and it turned out to be one of the best years of my life.
2. This year I am attempting to do twenty-five interesting things I’ve never done before, in honor of turning twenty-five. So far, right on track, with a few of the items on the list being seeing Charleston and the Biltmore for the first time, getting my HiSET finally finished, learning to waltz a little, coaxing a smile from the smileless neighbor, and living in an apartment in town.
3. Before I was born I was called “Cactus Pete”, because there was the chance I would be born in the Mexican desert on the way up from Honduras. Sadly, I was not.
4. Two best fruits in the world? Pomegranate and passion fruit.
5. I think tall-girl jokes are hilarious, and even better are the comebacks for people who make cliche comments about tallness.
6. Giraffes are the best. My spirit animal. And yes, that’s probably a tall-girl cliché, but so be it. Seriously though, have you seen how adorable their lumpy heads are?
7. There’s no better way to spend a Saturday than by roaming a city’s downtown, trying out all the best food and people-watching and architecture-admiring. Of course, this must also be accompanied by long stretches in a coffee shop or two.
8. I rearrange furniture rather obsessively. This results in my room frequently being in a state of upheaval. But…but, it’s such fun! It’s fortunate I have kind neighbors underfoot.
9. Last time I was in Honduras, I got stung on the head by a black wasp, turning my face into a massive, swollen, round orb. By the time I went back to Erandique where people know me, it had reduced to the point where I just looked nice and chubby. Of course the first person I met that I knew commented on how I’ve gained weight! Tan bella! Sigh.
10. I love etymologies and good (or bad) puns.
11. Kids’ books are the best. I think they take exceptional talent, because the books have to appeal both to the children who read them, and the adults who buy them. And more often than in adult books, the illustrations are superb.
12. Working in the pharmacy at the clinic we had in Honduras was one of the more interesting jobs I ever had. I got to see everything from gruesome machete gashes, to pus-filled sores and cysts, to small surgeries, and even a birth.
13. One of my heroines is my mother. She’s just the greatest combination of depth and wit and shocking comments and wisdom and strength and good cooking. Also hard work. My goodness, can she work.
14. When I’m in a crowd, the best place to be is tucked into a corner where I can watch everyone. Part of my introversion, I suppose.
15. I love boxes and baskets and cubbyholes. It’s true. I guess that makes me kind of like a cat.
16. Dumpster diving is just my cup of tea. And I guess that makes me kind of like a homeless person, but man, it’s so risky and just a little bit scary in spots and such fun!
17. I have ten nieces and nephews whom I adore, and in my opinion, aunthood is the best kind of almost-parenting. I can enjoy them all I want, then send them home at the end of the day. Perfect. 🙂
18. I’m not usually all that adventurous when it comes to things like heights and athletic things, but riding a zipline over the Copper Canyon was one of the better afternoons of my life.
19. Almost all of my siblings had some major upheaval, like moving, when they were thirteen. And when I was thirteen, we continued the tradition and moved to Erandique, Honduras, where we spent the next five years.
20. I have lived about a fourth of my life outside of the United States. I think it might be time to up that percentage again, as it’s lowering with my aging.
21. Pretty much my favorite thing to do in Erandique was the daily jaunt to the high school cancha, where I would play basketball with the other young people that collected there, or have jolly conversation with non-players while watching the game.
22. I also love watching soccer. Goooo Messi!
23. Speaking of soccer, the only bone I ever broke was a toe, broken against my unfortunate sister-in-law’s shin during barefoot soccer. She had a bruise to match mine, and I still have a crooked toe.
24. I hate goodbyes with people I’m not done seeing. I think it’s largely a result of years of constant goodbyes in Honduras- goodbyes to all the people who came to visit us, and the inevitable goodbyes clouding each visit back to North Carolina.
25. Nothing finishes out a Sunday evening better than a cup of mint tea, a massive bowl of popcorn to share, and pickles.