I’m not very good at talking about myself; I never have been. I always feel like I’m taking over the conversation. But that’s what I’m supposed to do here, tell you about myself.
There’s not really all that much to tell about me. I grew up on a little island in south Georgia called St. Simons Island. Yes, it is really an island and completely surrounded by water. But no, you don’t have to take a boat to get to it from the mainland. There’s a bridge, sure, but living on an island really isn’t any different than living anywhere else. Minus the biking- you can, and people do, bike anywhere and everywhere. Maybe that’s a little different.
I haven’t seen much of the world outside of my home and the States. And I’ve been to a lot of different states. But outside of the U.S., I’ve only been to Montreal, Canada and Cape Town, South Africa. I want to see more of the world, and I have a heart for adventure, though I’ve never really followed it. Until I decided to answer the call and go on the Race.
Other than this, I don’t really know what else to say about me. If I wrote it out, it would sound like rambles and jumbles. So instead, I’ll just list some of the more interesting (and maybe uninteresting)
facts about me.
- I'm a graduate (as of December 18) of Samford University with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. I’ve also got a minor in Political Science. I want to be a human rights journalist.
- If Jane Austen and I had lived at the same time, we’d have been best friends. I’m convinced of it. Persuasion is my favorite book ever.
- I have the most incredible family: my mom, Beverly, who is always constant. She’s my inspiration for everything and my biggest fan; my sister, Emily, who is one of the bravest, strongest, smartest, funniest, and most beautiful people I know; my grandparents, Dale and Willene, who have encouraged and supported me my entire life; my aunt Laura and uncle Dale, who have always been there for me; and, of course, last, but not least, my pups, Barney (my best buddy forever), Hackett, and my own baby girl Rory.
- I’m addicted to my aviator sunglasses. I have three pair of them, and I wear them ALL.THE.TIME.
- My favorite movie is Braveheart. I also love Blood Diamond, Persuasion, Hot Rod, The Book of Eli, Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland, Into the Wild, Julie & Julia, and Dead Poets Society.
- I love being barefoot. Shoes are overrated (sorta). I don’t like to wear them when I don’t have to.
- Christmas is my favorite time of the year, hands down. Somehow, everything seems peaceful just for that little bit of time.
- Music is a necessity for me. I love all kinds: indie, punk, acoustic, rock, classical, folk, oldies, alternative… Favorite bands currently (and probably for a long time) are Angels & Airwaves and Mumford & Sons.
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I have a huge heart for social justice. And for children. I was the president of Samford’s chapter of Invisible Children for the past three years. And I loved every second of it.
- I’ve been in love with Zac Hanson since I was eight years old. Yes, Zac Hanson from those Hansons. He was the drummer, though, not the singer everyone else loved. (That's me with the band and my friend Sarah >>)
- I have terrible, terrible eyesight. I’m blind without contacts or glasses.
- Nothing’s better than your favorite pair of jeans. And I have about three pairs of favorites among about 15 pairs all together. If I could, I’d have hundreds of them. I live in my jeans. Unless it’s hot. Then I live in shorts, Hanes v-necks, and flip-flops.
- My favorite foods are Mexican and Italian. I’d eat one or the other every single day if possible.
- I have the most incredible group of friends in the world. Shout-outs to come, guys, I promise.
- Finally, Jesus saved me. And I don’t mean that He just saved me from Hell, which He totally did. But He really helped (and is helping) me through a difficult time in my life. His grace and faithfulness have been proven strong and everlasting.
Well, that’s about it for me. I know a lot of that stuff seems random and unusual, but I think it’s that kind of stuff that’s the most interesting. And when else would you ever learn that I’d been in love with Zac Hanson for most of my life? Or that I’m addicted to Mexican food? You’ll learn the rest (hopefully) as you read more of my blog. My hope is that, during the next 20 months, you’ll really get to know my heart for the world. 20 months is a long time for me to write, but I suppose that’s plenty of time for you to learn everything else you need to know. So, in the meantime, I’ll be listening to Angels & Airwaves, eating Mexican food, and watching Braveheart.
