My Rambling Autobiography

Over the past few days, I’ve read many slicers’ “rambling autobiographies” that have piqued my curiosity (see Heidi’s, Denise’s, Peter’s, and Elisabeth’s versions ), so I figured I’d give it a go. Everyone’s has been a bit unique, and there doesn’t seem to be a ‘right’ way to do it, which is exciting and terrifying at the same time.

I’m a child of the 80’s, which means I know what it was like to both grow up with the internet and without it. I love that my childhood wasn’t documented on social media. Growing up, I rode my white and yellow Huffy everywhere I went, my younger brother and I always pushing the boundaries of going too far. When I wasn’t climbing trees or riding bikes or getting into mischief, my nose was in a book. Reading was, and still is, my favorite hobby. My favorite place was Mamaw and Granddaddy’s house out in the country, where I spent most of my weekends and summers, shellin’ peas on the front porch swing, watching Wheel of Fortune after dinner, and playing in my secret room under the stairs. My Mamaw’s nanner puddin’ fresh from the oven was the best dessert in the world, and as her official taste tester, I always got the first spoonful. My first car was a dark grey ’91 Ford Mustang 4-cylinder hatchback that cost me $4,000, and I earned the money for it working as a carhop at the local Sonic Drive-in. I was born an Aggie, so there was no question about where I’d go to college. My life changed completely when I moved abroad. You wouldn’t even recognize the 2010 version of me, the fresh-faced, small-town, shell-shocked young woman who moved to China to teach at the little school in the Shanghai Zoo. I live to travel, where I get to experience different cultures, try new foods, meet new people, and get lost somewhere new. I’ve always known I wanted to be a teacher, and I truly can’t imagine not working in a school or with children. Nothing is better than good bread and salted butter. Paris is somewhere I want to go again and again. But so is Inle Lake, Myanmar; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Fez, Morocco. My friends call me “the hostess with the mostest” because I love to entertain, whether it’s hosting parties, cooking dinner, or welcoming guests into my home. I’ve broken three fingers at different times, my left ankle twice, and both arms at the same time. I’m both a rule follower and a rebel. I seriously doubt I’ll ever have children of my own, but I love to spoil my nieces and nephew and my friends’ children when I get the chance. I’m a Texan by birth and an expat by choice.

Today I hit a milestone on my blog…it’s my 400th post! 🙂