Every year I write a post about the little things you might not know about me. It seems to be a hit with those that are new friends and others that have known me most of my life. I often get – I didn’t know that!?! What is the most surprising thing on this list or do you have your own story of me you’d like to share? Let me know, as one lucky commenter will win a Starbucks gift card. Did you know these things about me?

1. I have no idea who my teachers were in school and I can barely tell you the names of the schools I attended. You see, I didn’t go to one school for an entire school year until I was in 7th grade. I went to two high schools and still have friends from both – Clark High School in Las Vegas for 9th & 10th grades and graduated from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix.
2. I was in Air Force ROTC in college. Well, honestly I started out in Army ROTC, but they wanted me to crawl around in the mud over cactus and scorpions. I have my limits people, and at the age of 21, I thought I was the shit. I just couldn’t fathom crawling around in the mud with bugs. Nope, couldn’t do it. So they thought I would be better suited as an officer in the Air Force. 🙂
3. I started my first business when I was 20 years old and sold it at 25. Actually, my first business was a lemonade stand at around 7. I might have also thrown keg parties in the desert to fund my first year of college when I was in high school. *might*
4. My first paid writing gig was as a Technical Editor and Writer for a Department of Defense contractor for seven years.
5. I ran over a women in a wheelchair. In a crosswalk. She got the ticket, not me (wasn’t my fault!). Her name was Dorothy. I should have paid attention to this sign and not bought Dorothy’s Flowers. A few years later I lost that flower shop because I was sued over a sewer line built in 1958 by my neighbors, Catholic Charities. I have not been back to a Catholic Church since. I ended up having to bankrupt $1.4 million and lost my building, business, house, my car, eventually my husband and dog. It is a sad country song. Those were some of the worst years of my life.
6. I was married for 3.5 years, together for a total of 7. I knew I shouldn’t have married him but I wanted the dream – the white picket fence, the kids, the dog, all of it. We tried for years to have a child. I get asked ALL the time if I am one of those feminist women who never wanted kids. People have NO idea how their simple words can affect me. Yes, I am a feminist, as I think women should be treated equally and fairly. I also went to college first and did the career thing, but that doesn’t mean that I also didn’t want a family of my own as well.
7. I tore my Achilles in May 2013 while running the Portland Half Marathon. I was told I would never walk, and definitely never run again. I came back from intensive therapy to finish my goal of running 10 half marathons in a year. Even though it has been two years, there are days I wake up and can’t walk even just a few feet and cry in pain trying to stand up. It is an injury that isn’t suddenly just going to go away, as a lot of people think. I’ve been told that I should be over that by now. Um, ok.
8. I live my life in the moment. I used to plan every second of every day. When I started this full-time traveling gig, I decided to hell with planning, that I am just going to wing it. I wanted to be present in each and every moment. I have found though that I went too far the other way and I need to bring the two sides of my personality into better balance together. I am working on planning for three months at a time and see how that works out for me.
9. I’m a contradiction. I’m highly creative and highly analytical. I’m a deep thinker and appreciate the simple things. I am an outgoing introvert. I find happiness in the mountains photographing wildlife and want the fastest Internet possible. You expect me to be one way, and often times you find I react in the exact opposite way that you thought I would.
10. I value intellect and empathy in people more than what is in their bank account. I have a pretty serious personality so love to pair up with others that can make me laugh and smile.
11. I believe that no one can make you happy, but that they can enhance your happiness. We choose how to react to every situation in our lives. I sometimes fail miserably at this, but boy do I try to stop the negative self talk and react in a more positive way, even to adverse news.
12. If there is an emotionally unavailable man in a room, I will attract him over to me. Scratch that, it happens with women too. I am an Emotionally Unavailable Magnet.
13. I have visited 49 states. To answer your next question… North Dakota is the last on the list.
14. I made a list of everything that I was afraid of and set out to conquer every last one of my fears. Dying alone is one of the last ones on that list. No need to cross that one off just yet!
15. Every year I accomplish one thing on my Bucket List. Usually though, I keep adding more to it. There is so much life out there worth living. No time to sit back and let it pass me by!
16. Even though I am Mexican, I can’t stand hot spicy food. Taco Bell Mild Sauce is way too spicy for me! I crave tacos almost daily. Fish tacos to be exact.
17. My dream job was to be a writer when I was younger. Not for money, not for anything more than to write words on a page and have someone read them and relate to them. I’m a storyteller. I won my first writing award in the 4th grade and won a nonfiction competition my Freshman year of college at the University of Arizona. I never thought to pursue a career in writing as I was a big time science geek back then (still am!). I mean, who makes a living as a writer? I am happy to say that ever since I fully embraced the idea that I am the master of my own ship, that I am living the life of my dreams. I am a professional writer and blogger, finally.