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Likes, maybe even loves: chocolate, pubs within walking distance, pubs in general, walking everywhere, public transportation, travelling, Guatemala, board games, reading, Taylor Swift, being outside, peanut butter, charity shops, England, Tegan and Sara, gymnastics, laughing so hard it makes her stomach sore, PhotoBooth, David Sedaris, dry senses of humour, spelling things British-ly, The Weepies, Life is Good, the sun, the phrase ‘man up’, watching (European) football.

Does not like, in fact, hates: people who eat loudly, people who slam doors, people who do all of those things and live in the same house as her, fish, gross bathrooms, not having a dryer, whiners, people who can’t kiss.

I moved to England on May 12, 2010, the day after I finished my Master’s program and my student teaching placement. If it seems rash, it’s because it was. Most of my family lives here – my aunts and uncles and cousins – and it’s the first place I’ve ever lived that felt right.

I did gymnastics my whole life, until I was about 14, and I coached it for seven years. I went to about nine different schools before I graduated high school; the perks of being a Navy brat, although I wouldn’t change it. I like writing letters, and it terrifies me that one day handwriting might not be taught in schools. I love Tegan and Sara and the Indigo Girls and The Weepies and Florence + the Machine, but I have a serious soft spot for Taylor Swift. I didn’t own a blow dryer until about 4 months ago. I run about 15 or 20 miles a week. I hate when people tell me to ‘relax’. I am happy about 99% of the time, but you don’t really want to be around that other 1%. I may have OCD. There are, like, no lesbians in Cambridge. I always wanted to be a writer. I majored in International Relations, but I have a master’s degree in teaching. I spend my days attempting to teach 11 and 12 year olds how to read. I definitely believe that we are in charge of making ourselves happy, and that things have a way of working out. I can’t walk in a straight line. I used to ride horses. I love red wine. I never got so drunk that I couldn’t remember anything until this year. I hum all the time. I love not taking my phone with me when I go out. I read books written for kids. A lot. I can’t stand bad grammar and spelling.

I recently read straight through Barbara Kingsolver’s entire works, highlighting and underlining all the while, and came across this quote from Prodigal Summer, which should pretty much tie up anything else that I haven’t covered:

“‘Feminism’ was a test like some witch trial she was preordained to fail.”