Day 02: Something you love about yourself

This is a much easier post than yesterday's.

I love that I'm not afraid to do things by myself.

It hurts my heart when people say that they can't do things on their own. Whether it be going to the movies, or have a meal at a restaurant. I happen to find it liberating.

Maybe it's because I've spent more of my life single than in a couple. Maybe because I tend to tire of people (see Day 1). But I have never let being on my own stop me from going out and explore what the world has to offer.

I especially like traveling by myself. I've toured through Europe, sailed among the ABC islands, and have taken countless road trips. I love the freedom it brings. I can do what I want, when I want. I decide when to explore and when to sit and rest. I can make friends and share memories or I can people-watch in solitude.

The best part of it all are the adventures that I have. Each wrong turn, each car breakdown, each mishap turns into a story that makes the reunion with my friends and family that much more entertaining.

I can't wait for someone to decide they want to join me. When there's something I want to see, some destination I want to visit, I go. If I was waiting for someone else, chances are I'd be waiting a long time.

And I don't want to waste my time.

Day 01: Something you hate about yourself.

Is it arrogant to say that there isn't a whole lot that I hate about myself?

I mean there are things I don't like, the number on the scale, the split ends of my hair, that one zit that keeps coming back... But hate?

I don't like how when I tire of something, even if only for a little while, I tend to shut it out. This can be for anything: a task at work that I need to do, the dishes in my sink, or even sometimes with friendships.

Hmm... let me explore that friendship thing more.

I don't think I have ever had a problem being by myself. Not really a loner, but I didn't feel that I needed to be entertained by someone all the time. Even now, I genuinely enjoy the time that I have alone, but I also enjoy time spent with friends.

But sometimes I just don't have anything so say. I don't want to make small talk about your dog, your kids, the last movie you saw or what you had for dinner. Sometimes I'm content to just sit in silence, reading my book or walking my dog. Instead of saying "I just need some alone time", I'll just shut down, turn uninterested and be quiet.

And it really has nothing to do with the other person. Not usually. But sometimes my aloofness just comes across wrong and the friendship begins to stagnate. Its happened a few times.

Then there are friends who get it, who get me. Who understand that you don't need to be in each others lives every second, every day, recounting the events of the moment. When that text, or email, phone call or visit happens, it's because I genuinely want to catch up and be a part of your life again. Not because its from a sense of obligation.

I don't really like that sometimes my sense of independence shuts me out of some people's lives. But given the alternative, that there's some need to be paid attention to all the time, I'll take what I got.

30 Days of Truth

There's an internet meme that's been going around: 30 Days of Truth.

Given that I haven't had much writing inspiration, I think I'll give this a try. I never know how long I last doing stuff. My 365 Photo project stalled in May. But still, it's something to work towards.

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.
Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

INTJ

I took that Myers-Briggs personality test that's been making its way around Facebook. I didn't take the Facebook version because I didn't want it to pull all my data, so I went and found another one online.

My results indicate that I am INTJ - Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Judging.

What this means is that I'm a mastermind. (Ha! That should scare you.)

Advanced Personality Test

Another personality test at Youniverse.com

Intellect: Thinker
Skills: Listner
Emotions: Theorist
Dynamism: Grafter

Your Core Skills

You are highly academic with a love of complex intellectual challenges that require you to really use your brain and an impressive ability to absorb and synthesise very detailed material. You find comfort in philosophical theory and abstract conceptual thinking. You're very compassionate and understanding and so your colleagues often come to you to share their problems or ask for advice. You are regarded as a sensitive and empathetic team-player.

Potential Areas Of Weakness

You have a low tolerance for inefficiency or lack of clarity which means that you sometimes resist involving colleagues in your thinking in case it slows you down. You may sometimes come across as detached or reserved and it's important that the need to communicate doesn't get overlooked when you are engrossed in analytical work. You have the potential to be an effective thought leader but don't always demonstrate the necessary confidence.

Areas You Might Want To Work On

• practice public speaking in front of the bathroom mirror
• ensure that your natural role as facilitator or mediator does not mean that you fail to express your own opinion
• make a conscious effort to involve others in your work and enjoy the positive impact on your mood and creativity

Careers That May Suit You

data analyst computer programmer research scientist focus group facilitator

Your Detailed Personality Assessment

You are able to apply yourself successfully to pretty much whatever takes your fancy. You owe it to yourself to make sure that your work environment offers you maximum stimulation and satisfaction. You are at your best when you are energised by serious brain-work. Focus on setting out a clear career plan and developing a set of powerful self-promotion techniques that will give you the confidence to step up and achieve your goals.

When it comes to leadership, you are a firm believer in conviviality. You like to be a friend as well as a boss. Job satisfaction lies in building strong relationships with the people you work with. But it's important to always be careful not to blur those boundaries.

You have a very good eye and are naturally attuned to aesthetic beauty. You appreciate craftsmanship and understand the value of true mastery. You have strong ambitions and like to push yourself.

As far as you're concerned, hard work is the best way to achieve your goals. Short cuts to success are just a false economy. You tend to be quite traditional in your perspective and like to have a clear sense of your career milestones. You believe that effort should be rewarded and that if you put in the hours you'll reap the benefits. However that doesn't mean you always follow your own wisdom. It can be hard to maintain intense levels of focus all the time.

Life may feel quite bleak to you right now. It seems like there's not much on the horizon and you could really use some inspiration and positive vibes to propel you into the next phase. It's not surprising you're feeling fraught. Work is taking over your life and it seems that things may be starting to get on top of you. You could really use some time and space to think. Maybe it's time for a change.

The way you approach each day can have huge implications for your success in the workplace. Positive mental attitude comes naturally to you. You definitely seem to have your priorities right in life. You have a strong sense of self and know what you need to feel good. It's just important that you make sure that you can always summon the motivation that you need to pursue your goals with ambition and determination.

The Future

Maybe you've outgrown your current job or perhaps you want make your mark with a big career move. You may not be ready to make a change just yet, but you're definitely thinking about your options and you understand the value of doing lots of research and thinking so that you make the right move when the time comes. Life an feel like a bit of an endurance race sometimes. It's all about making sure that you have the stamina and commitment to go the distance. You seem to be quite pragmatic about the fact that work has its ups and downs, and this is a really healthy way to be, as long as this doesn't dampen your natural enthusiasm for life.

My Creative Self

I took Chelsea's lead and did the Creativity quiz on Youniverse. Here are my results:

Hands On
About Me
For you, creativity is all about getting physical. You like to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Being able to make something with your hands is an important expression of who you are. Art is probably a big part of your life. And you like to use your natural flair for creativity at work and at home. You particularly enjoy the feeling of seeing a project through from start to finish. Nothing beats the sense of satisfaction that comes watching your own creation evolve and grow. Chances are you really appreciate the special skills that you have -- its a wonderful gift to be able to express yourself this way. Bright lights and red velvet. You really enjoy conjuring a true sense of occasion, highbrow and high emotion.

How I Create
You've got a creative head on those shoulders. You grab any opportunity to record bright ideas as they strike. It's all about form, man-made just can't beat the beauty of nature. You're the type that can think better in wilderness. Your strength lies in your ability to record what we all see, but from your own perspective.

How I Think
Deep down you have a curious spirit and like exploring new places and ideas. You seek out your creativity by grabbing opportunities that come your way. Unexpected challenges invigorate your mind and inspire you to new levels.

My interview

My call to meme was answered. Essentially Me sent me the following questions:

1. What types of photos do you find yourself snapping a lot of?
   I've always enjoyed photojournalist style shots. Freezing a moment of daily life in time. When I go on my photo safaris, I like to find mundane stuff and shoot it from a different angle from what the typical person would see it at. The close-up details of architecture, art, nature... it all resonates with me.
   
   
2. If your life was a crazy soap opera, what crazy plot line do you think you'd be tangled up in?
   I'd be the coma patient, stuck in a miserable situation. Everyone around me thinks that I'm unconscious, but I can hear everything going on around me. I'm just waiting for that dramatic moment when I regain consciousness and restart my life better than before.
   
   
3. You recently went on a roadtrip in Canada. What was your favourite city to visit and why?
   In Canada, Quebec City was absolutely lovely. I would definitely go back and do more exploring, but when its Summer. Overall there are a few. In the U.S., New York City is my favorite, hands down. New Orleans is also magical. In Europe, I fell in love with Florence's architecture and food.
   
   
4. What is one thing you hope to accomplish without a second thought in 2009?
   First, I want to finish my masters degree. I'm taking my last class now, so if all goes well, I'll be all done in March. Then the student loan repayments start up. A second accomplishment would be to change my career from project management into instructional design. Now that I'll have a shiny new degree, I might as well use it.
   
   
5. If you had to get rid of watching television or reading books, which would you gladly cut out of your life and why?
   Without question, I'd toss the tv out the window. I've already gotten rid of the cable expanded package and now the only tv I watch regularly is the news when I get home from work and The Office. Anything else I can catch online. I am always reading and have a book on my bedside table at all times. Right before I go to bed is usually the time I reserve for reading. I'm catching up on some classics now. I'm loving Jane Austen and I'm currently reading 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens.

That was cool. Anyone else?

I propose a meme...

I saw this idea on Essentially Me's blog where the blogger gets to interview her readers by asking them 5 questions.

I like it. And, I'm out of any new ideas for posting. None that I want to make public right now, anyway.

So here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Do it!

The Politics Test

You are a Social Liberal (73% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (23% permissive) You are best described as a: Strong Democrat Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid.com: Free Online Dating Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Internet Meme Timeline

Dipity created this awesome Meme timeline. Normally songs and smells bring me back to a specific memory, but now you can think about where you were when the first South Park Spirit of Christmas cartoon circulated the web in 1996. Ah... such good times.

The Big Read

I completely lifted this post from another blog, but right now I can't remember where from.
The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed (though the list seems to be missing #44 and #51, and I couldn't find it at the website). How do you rank? I read 24 books on the list.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

The Power of Three

If I had three frivolous wishes to use only on myself, here's what they would be:

1. Be 30 pounds lighter
2. Be $300,000 richer
3. Have 30 more vacation days

What are your three wishes?

A Day In The Life: Photo Journal

Today I took the challenge of journaling a day in my life only through photos.

View the slideshow.

50 things

I have been challenged. Here are 50 things about me.

1. I once cried out of getting a speeding ticket.
2. I got my tattoo on Christmas Eve when I was 19. It's a dolphin near my 'special place'.
   
3. It took me 6 years to admit to my parents I had it.
4. I was the chapter president of my sorority when I was a sophomore.
5. I learned more from that experience than from any of my classes.
   
6. I am thankful I traded in a boyfriend for my dog.
7. I spent two months in a wheelchair after tearing both of my achillies tendons.
8. I would rather text or email than talk on the phone.
9. I can't watch scary movies, especially the supernatural kind. They give me horrible nightmares.
10. I still bite my nails.
11. I've road tripped to Key West, around the Midwest and traveled to Europe and the ABC islands all on my own.
12. I rode in a hot air balloon.
13. I crapped in a sink on my 21st birthday.
    
14. I know how to swing dance.
15. I played the violin in elementary school. I was awesome.
16. I go indoor rockclimbing.
17. I believe God is a woman and she doesn't care what religion you are.
    
18. I have been to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, but don't remember it all because I was hammered.
19. I tend to pick up foreign accents easily, especially when I'm drunk. I do Australian and Irish in certain company.
20. I have been to Stonehenge, the rock of Gibraltar, the Alhambra, the Colosseum and to Mayan pyramids.
21. New York City is my most favorite place in the world.
22. I've been to over 20 Bruce Springsteen concerts and they never get old.
23. I've hacked into an ex-boyfriend's email and got caught.
24. I got certified for SCUBA three summers ago. I love it.
    
25. I love snowboarding but don't go as often as I'd like.
26. I lead my high school softball team in stolen bases.
    
27. In high school, I was nominated for Homecoming Queen but didn't win.
    
28. My first car was an '87 Firebird; gray with t-tops. I loved that car.
29. I said I've been in love many times, but now I wonder how many times it was true.
30. I hate cats.
31. Past jobs include: waitress, movie concession stand cashier and popcorn maker, that person who gives out samples of food at Costco, and door-to-door vacuum salesperson (that didn't last long).
32. My cousins are my closest friends.
33. I've danced on stage at Jenkinsons.
34. I probably think I'm funnier than I really am.
35. I'm guilty of drunk dialing/texting.
36. I'm not as close to my parents/brother as I'd like to be.
37. I bought my own townhouse when I was 30.
38. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
39. This election will be the first where I vote for a Democrat as opposed to voting against a Republican.
40. I can't wait for Bush to be out of office.
41. I do my own Tarot cards.
42. I think I have cute toes.
43. I wish I spoke better Spanish.
44. I have never been in a fist fight.
45. I've tried pot, but didn't like it.
46. I hate puking out my nose.
47. Stupid movies and dog food commercials can make me cry.
48. I have a girl crush on Angelina Jolie.
49. I am a Twitter addict.
50. I get bored really easily.

Ok bloggers, your turn!

my 4's

My 4's
A) Four places that I go to over and over: Barnes & Noble, park around the corner, Stop & Shop, work
B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Josee and my cousins: Jen, Melinda, Michele
C) Four of my favorite places to eat: mom's house, Chili's, Witherspoon Grill, Panera Bread
D) Four places I would rather be right now: Paris, Florence, Australia, Key West
E) Four people I think will respond: Kristen, Skim, Viv, Chelsea
F) Four TV shows I watch (regularly): Family Guy, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, anything on HGTV

What are your 4's?

My theme song

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack, I've been too long, I'm glad to be back" Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos. But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?