Meme

I've been tagged by Elizabeth, aka Veggie Girl, to participate in a meme. It's similar to those 'poems' in elementary school where you write your name vertically on a sheet of construction paper and write one word for each letter. But this is without the construction paper. Here's the rules:

# Players must list one fact, word, or tidbit that is somehow relevant to their life for each letter of your first or middle name.

# When you are tagged you need to write your own post containing your first or middle name game facts, word, or tidbit.

# At the end of your post choose one person for each letter of your name to tag.

# Don’t forget to leave a comment telling them ,they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

# If I’ve tagged YOU (the bloggers that I've tagged are listed at the end), please join in on the fun!


T is for tropical. There were a lot of words I was choosing between, but this one seems the most appropriate for my life, right now. Maybe it's just because it's super sunny out right now, but I love the tropical lifestyle. I love having fresh fruit and veg all year round, from local farmers. I love going to the beach, even in winter. I love the slower pace of life. In my experience, the closer I get to the equator, the more relaxed I get.

H is for home-body. I tend to be pretty anti-social, and I have been all my life. I'm just as happy with a good book as I am with a group of friends, and crowds make me a little uncomfortable. Shortly after I turned 21 I gave up on the bar scene, and now Andy and I spend most of our time at home.

E is for eating! Specifically, eating vegan food. Because cooking and eating without animal products is one of the most important decisions I've made in my life. Of course, my veganism doesn't stop at the dinnertable; I don't buy products with animal ingredients or testing, I don't wear wool, leather, etc. But eating is the most obvious and regular reminders of my commitment to a cruelty-free lifestyle.

R is for roaming. It may seem contrary to being a home-body, but I love to travel! I love spending time in new places, especially areas that are off the beaten track. I was bitten with the travel bug when I was 19 (I'd never even been on a plane before then!) and now I've been to 6 countries (not including airport stopovers) and I live on the other side of the world! It's only been 4 years. I can't wait to see more interesting parts of the world.

E is for easy-going. I haven't always been--I was ridiculously high-strung when I was younger. I used to freak out about little things, and I was the kind of person who wrote 3 drafts and still turned things in early. What calmed me down? The letters R and T--when you're roaming round the planet, things are bound to go wrong. Flights are late, traffic is crazy, plans go awry. When you're living in the tropics, it's hard to get stressed out. Something about the perpetually blue skies and the fresh air keeps me much more sane these days.

S is for simple. My lifestyle, that is. Andy and I live in a two-bedroom unit with no TV, no phone, no internet, and no frills. Our kitchen is stocked with essentials only. For example, we use an old wine bottle for a rolling pin. I don't know how to drive, so when Andy isn't behind the wheel I ride my bike. We listen to the radio, watch the fishtank, and have conversations. It's lovely.

A is for academic. Because, basically, my whole life so far has been in school. I went to Head Start when I was 3, started kindegarten when I was four, went straight to uni after graduation, and took only a year off before starting my PhD. And the rest of my life will likely be filled by academia, as well. After I get my PhD, I hope to get a teaching/researching job. I totally understand that it's not for everyone, and I don't judge people who don't excel in institutions like these. But it's definitely the path for me, and I'm looking forward to an exciting future of researching, writing, and teaching.

So, there I am. I'm going to tag some bloggers I don't know much about yet. So, Kumudha, Paulina, Doug, Monika, Tippitappi, Amy, and Bethany, consider yourselves tagged.