Something terrible happened to me during my first class of the fall semester. Nothing extremely terrible… just something not good. And it happens in 1 out of every 4 classes taken on a college campus (this is just an estimate). I was asked to stand up in front of the class and give a fun fact.

Maybe it’s because I already know everything I could say about myself. Maybe it’s because every other person’s life is more interesting to me than my own. For whatever reason, every time I’m asked to tell strangers something cool about myself the only thing I can think of are the fun facts other people have given that were so much better than mine.

Next time, I want to be prepared. So tonight, I’m going to write out 22 facts about myself that are hopefully more fun than whatever it was that I blurted out in class today.

1. When I was 6 I called for a family meeting with the intentions of changing my name. We voted in an “all in favor style.” Thankfully, I lost.
2. I’ve lived on every coast in the U.S. (East, West, and Gulf)
3. I started off college as a dance major.
4. I ended college as a psychology major.
5. Right now, I’m in grad school for biotechnology.
6. When I’m alone in my car I listen to the classical music station.
7. The only thing I collect are mariska dolls. Most of the ones I own were passed down from my grandma.
8. I’m currently on a mission to read all 100 books on The Great American Read list.
9. Curry is the only meal I can cook for dinner. I found the recipe online. It’s quite good.
10. My favorite thing to do in Baltimore is visit a local farmers market that sets up under a freeway over pass every Sunday. It ends the last weekend of this month and I’m sad about it.
11. I bought a few houseplants when I moved into my apartment this summer. All of them are still alive except for the basil, which is very dead.
12. I don’t own a television.
13. I used to hate essential oils. This summer I read a journal article about the medicinal uses of eucalyptol (a main ingredient in eucalyptus oil) and how it reduces pain and swelling on skin and reduces cold and flu symptoms. Now I think essential oils might be worth trying.
14. I talk on the phone with my sister everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day.
15. My favorite national memorial, with out a doubt, is Mount Rushmore. (People carved detailed faces into a mountain with dynamite. Come on!)
16. Most of the time I am better at writing poetry when I am thinking about how someone else is feeling.
17. I like to walk slowly when it’s raining outside. (Only if I have nowhere to go)
18. Reverie is one of my favorite words, but I get annoyed when authors use it in excess  because I think it’s special.
19. I usually have a hard time picking my absolute favorite thing because I think many things are equally good (although they are probably good to me for different reasons).
20. Organic Chemistry 1 was my favorite course to take in undergrad.
21. I used to want to become a doctor before I decided on going in to drug research as a biotechnologist.
22. When I like the prompts, I enter a short-story writing contest that is held weekly.

 

What this accomplished: me probably posting too much about myself online. Me still not knowing what to say as my fun fact in front of a bunch of strangers.

 

Pictured: Me with my favorite National Memorial.