CURRENT MISSION

Live and let live - because life is too short.

ABOUT ME

it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

in december 2006, i packed two suitcases and left the house in which i'd grown up in the middle of the night. i spent the night on a bus and the next afternoon in an airport. the next evening, i found myself eating pasta jambalaya in phoenix. my two-week trip turned into twenty-six months, and i think i'm ready to go home now.

i was born and raised in a very small town in central louisiana. if you were not raised in a small town, you will probably not understand how the experience has shaped me. for the longest time, we didn't lock the doors. (everyone knows where the spare key is now.) we left the keys in the ignition. if you need to borrow sugar, you just come in - you know where it is, anyway. we sit out in the driveway and socialize. we bring something (ice, beer, casserole) with us to your house - invited or not. needless to say, i'm incredibly trusting. i am friendly, warm-hearted, and absolutely in love with the beauty of life.

i have also lived (albeit briefly) in largo, fl; st paul, mn; kenner, la; and parts of phoenix, az. i've traveled to a variety of places including scranton, pa; albuquerque, nm; and san diego, ca. (most recently? denver, co!) i now live in a house in tempe, just east of the asu campus, but this won't last long.

i am definitely moving out of my house as soon as i can sell what few possessions i've collected over the past couple years.

i want to drive. a lot. places of interest include states to which i've never been: washington, oregon, idaho, montana, wyoming, north dakota, south dakota, nebraska, kansas, missouri, iowa, wisconsin, illinois, indiana, michigan.

why am i driving around the country? to learn. to be inspired. to find out a little bit more about myself. to push my passat as far as i can before i take it home to louisiana.

Interests

i love phoenix summers, airports, and late night conversations. i like to kick my feet, make waves, and stare at the stars. i send text messages like crazy.

i do not follow politics or watch the news. i don't have a blackberry or an ipod, and i'd like to get rid of my tv. i only own books i haven't read.

i'm really open to the idea of being excited - not necessarily about someone, but just in general.

other things i really enjoy: baking. breathing, sleeping, and eating. living, laughing, loving. being. going, seeing, doing. taking photos and baths and walks and my time. loving phoenix. wanting more. downloading things. making lists. feeling connected. looking out the window. planning. falling into a routine. going along with it. ghost-riding the whip. flying hot air balloons. general jackassery. people-watching. making sarcastic comments. batting my eyelashes. leaving a decent tip. navigating. forgetting to eat. trying new things. reading more than one book at a time. having fun.

• books
• beauty
• beer
• baking
• flying
• politics
• news
• reading
• tv
• socializing

Music, Movies, and Books

* books: "What a novel idea (no pun intended) - dealing with the books question by just not dealing with it. Not only would it be tedious to update the list constantly, but I can never seem to come up with a list that remotely captures the broadness of my interests, so anyone looking for a clue to my personality will be hopelessly misled by it." -my friend zach
* some writers: richard preston, orson scott card, e.e.cummings, douglas adams, chuck palahniuk, janet fitch, don delillo, &c.
* currently reading: the language instinct by steven pinker, house of leaves by mark danielewski.

books i own that i'm willing to part with: http://alwaysourselves.livejournal.com/6466.html

* movies: gattaca, almost famous, fight club, the matrix, the princess bride, gia, superbad, amélie, juno, blow, donnie darko, the way of the gun, killer drag queens on dope, office space, so i married an axe murderer, ferris bueller's day off, among others.
* tv shows i enjoy: house, nip/tuck, dexter, firefly, grey's, private practice, eli stone, chuck, the riches, dirt, in treatment, breaking bad, rocko's modern life, ren and stimpy, home movies, family guy, futurama, etc.
* music: recently: rhcp, the white stripes, incubus, stone temple pilots, sia, and the kaiser chiefs, floyd, the who, tool, deftones, tom petty, freezepop, msi, chevelle, daft punk, garbage, plaid, nin, cake, and zeppelin, among others.
* food: fresh, raw, organic. trader joe's. smartwater, vitaminwater, and mexican coke in bottles.
* restaurants: lolo's chicken and waffles, sushi eye, chez monieux, thai basil, pappadeaux, pei wei, ...

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