Hey hey friends, it’s good to see you again 😀
I’m glad I didn’t scare you off with my profession of love for the sweet & savory oats, and it’s great to hear that some of you want to try them yourselves! It’s not always easy to admit to being an oddball, but what can I do? It’s who I am. I’ve wasted too many years of my life feeling ashamed of who I was, and trying to mold myself into the kind of person that I thought the world wanted me to be, and for what? It certainly didn’t make me any happier… If anything, those were probably the unhappiest years of my life…
Maybe it comes with getting older [and wiser], or maybe it’s because recovery taught me so much about who I was and I learned that I’m not so bad after all, but I’ve become so much more comfortable with myself over the past few years – to the point where I’m actually proud of all of my quirks and oddities.
So on that note, and because the beautiful Jenny and Chelsey tagged me with this baby…
… which requires me to share 7 facts about myself, I thought I’d share some of what I think are the most important things that make me who I am. Hope ya enjoy 😀
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1. I’m extremely introverted… I was never the popular girl at school who had tonnes of friends and went to all the coolest parties. I was quiet, I generally kept to myself, and I had a small group of close friends. This used to bug me a lot. I would spend hours agonizing over why I couldn’t be part of the in-crowd, why I couldn’t be friends with everybody. And it wasn’t until many years after graduating high school that I finally realized… because it wasn’t what I really wanted – it just wasn’t who I was. Sure, that type of lifestyle looks appealing, but it wasn’t for me. I enjoy the company of others, but I’m also perfectly content when the only company I have is myself. In fact, although I do love seeing my friends, I also need a lot of quiet time to myself where I can just escape from the world.
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2. I’m a big kid at heart… I remember being a little kid and not being able to wait until I grew up so that I could finally do “big people” things. Well, I grew up and came to discover that “big people” things really aren’t my cup of tea. Sure, it’s not all bad, but I miss the carefree days of my childhood where I had no worries and my biggest responsibility was to make sure that I brushed my teeth before bed. Can’t bring those days back, but I can remind myself of them with Disney movies and teddies.
… and I often do.
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3. My mom and dad are my best friends… Although we didn’t always get along so well, and I gave them endless amounts of grief during my rebellious teenage years, I’ve come to appreciate them so much now that I’m older [and, once again, wiser…]. They stood by me through everything, and were always there with their love and support no matter how crazy things I got. I truly believe that they were a huge part of the reason that I was able to recover from my ED, which was actually one of the things that made us even closer. Ok, I’ve gotta stop now… I’m getting all choked up over here.
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4. I’m a closet video gamer… You probably wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at me (it actually surprises most people), but I’ve been into video games since I was a tiny little thing. I grew up playing Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo, and it’s pretty much progressed from there. Super Nintendo. N64. X-Box. Wii. I mostly stuck to the Nintendo brand because I may or may not have had a slight crush on Link, from Legend of Zelda. God I sound like a geek. These days, I don’t play many console games anymore because most of my gaming time is spent living in the World of Warcraft. Yes. It sucked me in 6? 7? years ago, and has yet to spit me out…
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And now to [hopefully] redeem some of my coolness factor…
5. I’m incredibly good around cars… Not only can I change the oil and fix a flat, but I’ve actually rebuilt the engine on my car twice. I blame my dad for this one. He loves cars, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he originally wanted a son that he could pass that love on to, but when God blessed him with a baby girl, he decided to work with what he had and pass that love onto me instead. And it worked – the oily/greasy smells of a garage are just as appealing to me as the smell of cookies in the oven. I adore cars, I love to drive, and I have an insatiable need for speed. I did a lot of [legal] drag racing and [not-so-legal] street racing in my late teens and early twenties, and although I don’t race anymore, my shiny red sports car is still a source of endless enjoyment.
No, that’s not my shiny red sports car… It’s the one I wish I had. A Saleen S7.
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6. I love food… and I’m constantly eating it. No joke. I absolutely gotta, hafta, must eat something more substantial every few hours, and I often randomly nibble on things in between those times. Sometimes I wonder if people think I do anything besides eat… The staff at the grocery stores that I visit pretty much know me by name, and it’s not uncommon for people that know me to give me comments like “You’re eating again. Didn’t you just have something a little while ago?” It used to make me want to throw my food at them, but now? Now I just give them a big old smile and say “Yeah, you jealous?”.
7. Words are my life… Reading. Writing. Nothing gives me more peace or joy than transferring the world around me to the blank pages of a book. My dream job has always been to be a writer, and although I’ve toyed with the idea countless times, self-doubt inevitably gets in my way. What if I can’t hack it? What if I can’t support myself? What if no one wants to hear what I have to say? What if, what if, what if… But who knows. My self-confidence is constantly growing, so you may one day see a book from me yet 😉 Until then, I’ll keep adding to my growing library…
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And those are some of the things that make me, me 😀 I think one of the most important things that I’ve learned is to accept myself for who I am, and rock what I got, instead of trying to force myself to be someone that I’m not. It’s okay if I don’t live the kind of life that’s so highly glamorized by society – I live life my way, by doing what works for me. I think that everyone would be a lot happier if they redirected some of the energy that they devote to trying to make themselves fit some “perfect” mold, and used it to try and learn how to accept themselves for who they are instead.
Just my two cents.
Do we share anything in common?
Or, are we completely opposite in some things?
My parents are my best buds too. I am an only child, so I was just always included in conversations, special dinners, and vacations. I mean, I didn’t go to *everything*, but I never felt left out. For that reason, I’ve tried to keep them in my life as much as possible too. Luckily, my hubby is now my #1 best friend, and he likes to chill with the fam too. Thank goodness!
I love this post because it reminds me of who I am! Through my recovery I have also learned to accept and love my quirkiness (trust me, there’s a lot). Fun fact: I also love video games (Zelda, Half-Life, Harvest Moon woot woot!). Also, I was never into dolls, or Barbies, or dress up as a little girl. Nope, instead, thanks to my dad, I grew up with Godzilla, Transformers, and Dragon Ball Z. No shame, no shame 🙂
We have SO much in common! Well, besides for the whole car thing – I wish I knew more about cars, but I’m pretty clueless. 😉
My husband plays WOW too. lol That’d be hilarious if you knew each other somehow. I LOVE all these. A lot of times I also feel like I’m constantly eating. haha But hey, whatever works 🙂 I’ve realized I need to do what my body tells me is right, rather than what other people tell me is right.
Also, I’m very introverted as well and need that alone time to recharge. I never used to understand why I would get so bogged down after socializing a lot…then I realized that for me, it takes a lot of energy to socialize. Now I know that if I’ve been on the go, with people all the time, socializing a lot, talking a lot, or etc, that it’s OKAY for me to go home, sit on the couch and not talk. Or go home, get in the kitchen and bake for a few hours, without talking to anyone. lol It’s how I recharge, so I can get filled up and energized again.
Hi beautiful! I mis you so much! Miss reading your blog every day! I cant wait to get back full swing with blogging again! I love the 7 things!
My mom and dad are everything to me, I love food as well!
I hope you are fabulous! Miss you!
p.s. cinnamon puffins are amazing too!!! love u!
we are alike by being extremely introverted, being a big kid at heart, having mom and dad as best friends, and loving food. 🙂
i will admit though..i am an ex-video gamer.
and i pretended to know everything about cars. but i really don’t know anything. the damn mechanics try to take advantage of the fact that i’m a girl and it pisses me off.
– Sharelle
Introverted, kid at heart, words are my life — yep, we have those in common. Mom and dad as my best friends, not so much. (We get along a lot better when we’re a few thousand miles apart.) And while I’m not good around cars, I did used to have somewhat of an obsession with them — before I could even drive, coincidentally! Then I got mad that I wanted a $200K car that I’d never be able to afford, so I gave up. :p
<3 <3
I loved reading this and getting to know more about you! I am definitely with you on the last one. Words are my life. In fact, part of why it took me so long to land a job after graduation is because I was ornery and insisted on having a job that let me write, no matter what.
Damn, I also really really want to make those coconut chocolate chip cookies because of you! You make em look so damn good!
Have a faaab wednesday! xo
ZELDA?! N64, Ocarina of Time is officially the best game ever. I’m also very introverted and best friends with my mom. Yeah we are a lot alike haha
Truth! To this day, that’s probably one of my favorite games 😀 But Twilight Princess is pretty freakin’ amazing too.
Oh I love to read too! Your book collection looks awesome. Do you have any recommendations?
I wish I was good around cars…and technology, but I think I’m just an old soul who prefers not to text/tweet/facebook. It’s a sensory overload!
I loved reading these things about you! I’m a nintendo kind of girl, I’m introverted, and I’m sooo close to my mom she’s my best friend, and I’m a HUGE kid at heart. 🙂 That’s so awesome you’ve rebuilt an engine! Surprisingly both of my parents are really into cars but that love was never passed down to me. Now I just let the boyfriend do all of my work but I do know how to change a tire!
Ahh it’s so lovely to learn more about you!! It’s actually kinda scary how much we have in common..in fact, I’d probably say the same about myself for ALL of them believe it or not! I’m extremely introverted, a HUGE kid at heart (gah I HATE being 20!!), my parents are my bestest friends ever after all that we’ve been through with my ED and stuff, I played video games all the time with my brother and his friends as a kid and teen – I was such a gaming geek. I got addicted to warcraft too LOL. I love love cars too – my Dad has two Ferrari’s which I drive *ahem illegally*. I love food, being creative with it, eating it, GAH it’s amazing – can’t believe I denied myself of it for so long. Now I’m definitely making up for it! And I adore reading too. Scary hey?! We could be twinnys 🙂
That would TOTALLY explain why I love you so much <3
I love your book collection. I adore reading and writing too. I just I had more time to do more of it.
I can’t believe you ever wanted to be anything different because you are so AWESOME and amazing just as you are! 😀
I LOVE words and I live in bookstores and libraries, cool that I am hehe! And I am SO with you on the food thing!! Seriously, I eat every few minutes and people are always commenting on it which used to annoy me a bit but really I know they’re just jealous 😉 Thankfully my friends are actually used to it and sometimes bring food FOR me! 😛
ur a video gamer? I LOVE IT! totally would not have guessed that!!… one thing about me is that IM SO HARD on myself.. thats the one thing i hope to change in the future… it just takes away the fun from life!
I love that you also have an entire shelf section devoted to Sophie Kinsella books 🙂 And I’m also a closet video game freak- in middle school and high school all I would talk about was Tomb Raider walkthroughs and World of Warcraft…hahahaha…:)
Sometimes I need me some good chick lit 😀
While I can totally relate to you in point 1,2, 6 and 7, I have to say I love what you say in point 2! I´d love to have such a great relationship with my parents!
I really hear you about the adulthood and responsibilities thing. Especially since finishing my masters degree I am often thinking about the easiness of childhood years.
I also never was the most popular kid “around the block”, but I always had close friends, even if only two or three (or one). It made me sad sometimes, but later I realized that it had actually been exactly what I wanted.
Loved learning about the girl behind the blog that I love oh so much! That is totally awesome about the car thing, I know almost nothing about cars at all. My madre is my best friend too, she’s my rock and I love her so much. And I feel you on the food thing, I seriously am constantly eating, we call it my marathon eating- then I sleep and rest up for another marathon. People literally ask me all the time where it all goes and how I can eat so darn much – I was even pressured to go see a doctor because someone was worried that a girl my size could eat more then a large man, but its all cool.
favourite post yet 🙂
i really enjoyed reading this amanda! i feel like i’m getting to know you more and more, which is a very good thing =) my mom and my dad are two of best friends as well – i don’t know what i’d do without them (and here i am choking up toooo!) words are my life as well. i like reaidng the dictionary. i’m kind of a nerd in that way. unlike you though, i HATE video games, muahah. i think it’s cool though that you are so good with cars. i wish i was better with cars but unfortunately i am a total DUD when it comes to them. it’s quite sad.
I think I love you even more? And girl, I am IMPRESSED about the car stuff!
I used to be big into video gaming! I blame my cousin, my used to be bestest friend. Remember Pokemon? Yeah. Just a slight obsession. A slight…
I’m kind of jealous about how great you are around cars…
However, I too love the Legend of Zelda. In fact my sister and I pitched in to get gamecube JUST because we could get Zelda. It’s ALL we used to do growing up. I haven’t played in years though…perhaps it’s time to pull that back out?!
One of the greatest parts (for me) about reading your blog is your pride in being able to eat so often. Everytime I’m at work I get “picked on” for always nimbling on something. I actually got YELLED at once because I was in the back of the house eating when I should have been out front working! But I literally can’t function if I’m hungry, and I try to explain that to the managers…but they just don’t understand. Oh well…we come first, don’t we?
Plus I like being able to eat a lot…although sometimes it’s tough to accept. Knowing that I’m not the only one out there that eats constantly is nice. =)
I bought my N64 JUST for Ocarina of Time, and that’s still probably one of my favorite Zelda games to this day 😀 And I had a hard time accepting how much I need to eat as well, but honestly… any less and I feel like crap, so why not embrace it and enjoy it as much as I can?
True! There’s a definite shift in my mood when I’m eating even a little less than I need and eating what my body needs.
I usually don’t say this to bloggers that much, but I think I’m in love with you and this blog 🙂
You’ve just touched upon the subjects that I personally have been feeling insecure about.
Thanks,
Stephanie
Awww don’t feel insecure. For reals. Rock what you got and who you are, and be proud of it 😀
Amen sister!! 😀 Food is the bomb! Healthy food especially.
all of this made me love you even more. and i think we’d get along quite well…before we got sick of each other and needed our alone time 😛 haha. really, though – i’m the same there, and absolutely adore my mother, too. i feel like i’m ALWAYS eating something, too. whether it’s at work or at home i can’t help but wonder if people think “you’re eating AGAIN?!” but are just too afraid to say anything, lol.
You and I share our relationships with our parents in common. They are seriously my absolute best friends, and no matter how many times I mess up… they’re ALWAYS the first to help me get back on my feet. I feel so lucky to have them! I’m visiting them right now, actually, but I leave tomorrow… I’m more than a little bummed 🙁
You and I are pretty similar 🙂 Im an introvert, my daddy is one of my good friends, and I love to read and write!! Oh ya and I love food 🙂 I wish I knew more about cars, Im pretty sure my hubby would really enjoy that one!! He is always talking about cars and I have no idea what he is saying!! I mean I do like cars, my dream car is a 65 mustang, but I dont know anything about the internal parts at all! Wanna teach me?? 😉
I loved this post. I’m a reader too. That was actually going to be one of my ten things in my next post! If I was only given one source of entertainment for the rest of my life, it would be a book.
And of course, we have the love of food in common.
I can ‘t believe how muchwe have in common! M parents too are my best friends – they are my biggest supporters! I too consider myself to be an introverted person. I don’t however know a lot about cars – but I wish I did – especially during those timeswhrn the “check engine” light pops on!
Great post! I love hearing more about the blogger behind the blog!
P.S. You totally deserve this award!
HMM I am a huge reader and writer (like you- go Twilight Series on the book shelf lol) and I am ALWAYS eating. ALWAYS. The old ladies and farmers at the market do know me, and we are always chatting haha. I am not good around cars or play video games that much. I come from a fam of girls so we dont even own a system. My fam and I are verryveryy close as well…uh think thats it 🙂 haha
I was definitely that quiet shy girl in high school. I wish I was the girl who went out every weekend with tons of girlfriends but who am I kidding I’m pretty antisocial lol My best friends are still my high school friends. I went through all 4 years of college without making a true friend. And I love to eat too. If I go a few hours without food I definitely get some serious anxiety.
1, 2, 3, 6, 7 are me to a T! 🙂 especially number 7, I can never get enough of my books!! I’m with ya sister, I love being unique. Recovery sure taught me to love myself for me 🙂
I know absolutely nothing about cars or video games… but I agree with all the rest of your answers! I was the exact same way in HS, wishing I was “cooler” with a huge group of friends. But looking back, I’m so thankful for my small group of really close friends. I’m still best friends with them today!
I love to read and quite enjoyed trying to read as many spines as possible on your bookshelf. I’m not a car person, I don’t even have my licence…but, I am an introvert, I love disney movies, and love food…so I would say we have a lot in common 🙂
I’m a kid at heart, I love food, and words are my life!! Girl we could be twins but I have no talent for cars :/
There’s really nothing wrong with being an introvert, if you’re an extrovert you could get into a situation where everyone knows you and hangs out with you but you don’t really have any “close” friends and then EVERYBODY starts talking bad about you behind your back. Trust me it sucks.
I totally relate to you!!! I’m definitely an introvert and have always been really shy, my husband is the exact opposite and is totally an extrovert – somedays he just can’t understand me!!! I need lots of quiet time – and he can’t stand one moment of silence!
One of the hottest things ever is when you know a gorgeous girl who knows what to do around cars! (That’s YOU, by the way 😉 ) I USED TO LOVE PLAYING DUCK HUNT ON THE OLD NINTENDO, TOO!! It was pretty much one of my favourite games. And then we got a Sega (remember those?!) and I played sonic the hedgehog instead. Then came the playstation and crash bandicoot took over my life. Now I don’t play video games and I’m kind of glad because I don’t need anymore excuses to procrastinate 😉 Your book collection is impressive but…where is Harry Potter?!
xxx
Lol I remember Sonic! My cousin had it and I was always kind of jealous because I never had Sega. And if you can believe it, I’ve never read any Harry Potter books…
We are definitely alike, haha
1) what would u like to write? fiction? nonfiction? drama, youth, adventure? i love love books and all things stories.
2) i am also introverted..i have been going out more to a friends (spent this afternoon swinging on a swing while we chatted)…but people say i’m socially isolated and its not good…but i can’t help but think its just “the way i am” u know?
3) i can’t accept myself right now bcuz my shame and guilt and regret for the last few years is so intense…i guess that is fuel to do do do better and be better. taking things one step at a time is far better. i think guilt and regret and confusion are my biggest things right now…they clutter my head and don’t seem to want to vacate.
I’d actually love to write a fantasy novel first. Those tend to be my favorite because my imagination can really soar 😀 But I like nonfiction a lot too.. And yes, guilt and regret are useless… just do better and you’ll feel better.
True. The Hunger Games series blew me away. Terrific.
LOVED these things about yourself. I used to be the girl on the outside skirts of the “in crowd” – desperately wanting to be in it, but not quite there. I’m glad I didn’t get too sucked into that though because I like who I am much better than I would have if I was a part of their crowd!
My dream is to write a book – or be published somehow.