I get asked the same questions over and over and at the end of summer every year I write a post about little randoms things you seem to want to know more about from me. Some of my long time friends might know them, but most people are still a bit stunned by the list. Let me know what was the most surprising thing you learned in the comments. One lucky commenter wins a Starbucks gift card! What else would you like to know that I didn’t cover in 20 Random Things You Seem To Want to Know More About From Me?

The Early Years

1. I couldn’t tell you who any of my teachers were growing up nor the names of the schools I attended until 6th grade. 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. What I do remember is that I was in the Gifted Program in every school I attended. Math and science were my speciality and If I ever received less than a 100% on a test I felt like I had failed. More often than not, you could find me reading a book most hours of the day. Actually, I would read the dictionary and encyclopedia from A to Z. I kid you not – that was fun for me!

I loved that Green Machine! Oh yeah, I guess I liked to win whether it was racing or softball. 

3. My cousin, Vicky Lynn Hoskinson, was 8 years old when she was abducted in Tucson, Arizona in 1984. Her murderer is *still* on Death Row. You can read my cousin’s blog Love Never Forgets about Vicky Lynn. And yes, I do believe in the death penalty.

Vicky Lynne and my Nonas – one of my absolute favorite pictures.

4. I went through Officer Training School with the Air Force and was part of of Air Force ROTC in college. I gave up my commission the day before commissioning for a few reasons. One was that I had a business that was a couple years old and I was making far more money than I ever would as an Officer. In reality though, I wanted to be in OSI, which is the FBI part of the Air Force. I didn’t get it. I was slated to be a Joint Stars Officer and would be up in a plane 270 days a year. Well, at 23 I was naive and thought I would be married and be having babies by the time I was 26, so this career path wouldn’t suit. Funny how life doesn’t work out the way you thought it would. I have had MANY life plans I have set for myself that have ventured way off the path.

5. 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*. What was that business I started in college? I created botanical oil lamps and was the 5th largest manufacturer in the US and landed a huge contract with the Nature Company to be in their stores worldwide when I was 24.

Weren’t they pretty?

6. My first paid writing gig was as a Technical Editor and Writer for the Department of Defense. I did that for seven years and realized I loved editing and writing, but maybe writing about defense wasn’t exactly my calling.

My 30s

7. 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.

{Read: We Built a Dream & Catholic Charities Destroyed It to get caught up}

8. 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.

{Read: How to Live Again When Your Dreams Are Shattered Into A 1000 Pieces – one of the hardest pieces I have ever written}

9. I tore my Achilles Tendon in May 2013 while running the Portland Half Marathon in two places along with my rotator cuff. I was told I would never walk, and would 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 three years, there are days I wake up and can’t even walk 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. I’ve been told that I should be over it by now. Um, ok.

{Read: Why I Hate Portland. Thankfully, the craft beer scene has made it so I don’t hate it anymore… but, I still cringe with the memory every time I set foot in that town!}

Things That Make Me, Well – ME! aka Acceptance in My 40s

10. When I left Phoenix in May 2013 to tour the U.S. running half marathons and to interview breweries, I was only suppose to be gone 8 months. That was over 3.5 years ago! I’ve decided to put roots down in Alaska and make it my home. I’m nervous, scared, and full of hope that my new state will embrace me and accept me for me.

{Read: I Found a Life Worth Living as a Full-Time Traveler to hear what it is like to not have an address and to live out of a suitcase}

11. This past April I unexpectedly couldn’t go on a cruise to Costa Rica so instead I flew to Colombia with a bunch of people I didn’t know. And no, I didn’t have a place to stay when I left Miami on a jet plane! I absolutely LOVED Cartagena, Colombia! While there, I booked my dream trip to the Galapagos Islands for $109 from Miami to Ecuador for February 2017!

{Read: The Advantages of Being a Solo Female Traveler – this pic was taken on a rooftop in Colombia!}

12. I have been greying since I was 16 and if I didn’t color my hair every 3 weeks I would be fully grey. I hate grey hair. I now have to pluck grey hair out of my eyebrows and I want to cry every time I do it. 🙁

I’ve done two posts about grey hair – yep, I hate it that much!

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. I made a list of everything that I was afraid of and set out to conquer every last one of my fears when I set out to travel the US. Dying alone is one of the last ones on that list. No need to cross that one off just yet!

17. Even though I am Mexican, I can’t stand spicy food. Taco Bell Mild Sauce is way too spicy for me! I crave tacos almost daily. Fish tacos to be exact.

{Read: My Taco Obsession Has Just Reached an All New Level if you want to see just how bad it is!}

18. One of my best friends moved up to Alaska with her 6-year old daughter. I make her breakfast and her lunches every day for school. I am often sad that being a parent didn’t work out for me. Now I feel like I am getting that chance to be a good role model for a bright, loving child. Hope I don’t screw it up!

19. I love to fish. Seriously, love salmon fishing in Alaska. I have found my happy place! It is physically exhausting and I have a new appreciation for our food cycle. I would fish every day if I could!

I caught 13 this day: 10 Red Sockeyes, 2 Silvers, and 1 Pink. When pole fishing I use the Ugly Stick 🙂

20. 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 indeed living the life of my dreams! I am a professional writer and blogger, finally.

I have to fight my fear to publish my book – the last fear I haven’t conquered yet. I’m afraid that no one would read it or would judge me for what I share. The fear is real and one I am working on.

Remember:

One lucky commenter wins a Starbucks gift card! What surprised you the most in this 20 random things about me?