Ten Questions at the End of a Discombobulated Week

It’s gray here, for what seems like the fiftieth day in a row. I’m pretty over it. I’m wondering if I should be taking Vitamin D as religiously as I do in the winter– but it’s June, the happiest month!, my inner voice is quick to protest. Oy. It is what it is. In this post-vacation week, I’ve struggled to get back into a good routine (no running!). I was exhausted last night, after working twice as long as usual with the four-year-old– hence my #AskAwayFriday post not going up until Saturday! Again, self: it is what it is.

Ask Away Friday is a wonderful way to connect with other bloggers, and I’m so glad I found out about it via the lovely Tamara. Typically, you swap ten questions of your choosing with another blogger, and you answer those questions in a post on Friday, linking up with everyone else who participated that week. I love not knowing what my partner will ask, or what we’ll find out about each other. A mixed bag post + interviews: two things I love!

Today’s #AskAwayFriday is a bit funny: I crowd-sourced my answers! A bunch of my fellow #AAF bloggers threw some questions at me last night on Facebook. Here’s what we came up with:

1. What is the strangest dream you’ve ever had and what do you think it means? (Rabia of The Liebers)

You know, I wish I remembered my dreams more! I’ve always wanted to have the type of epic adventurous dreams that other people talk about. But mine are always weird (if I even remember them), and only at places I’ve already been: a weird alternate version of my high school, or my childhood home, something like that.

2. What did you regret never telling someone before? (Rea of REAlity Bites)

Hmmm, I’m not sure I have any regrets when it comes to keeping quiet- I’ve surprised myself with saying things that needed to be said and feeling so much better because of it. I’ve been thinking more about mortality lately and I hope I don’t have any regrets, but thank you for giving me pause to consider them!

3. You’re a traveler. Do you usually splurge during your travels? Any budget tips for a traveler wanna-be like me? (Rea of REAlity Bites)

I love this question! I do not usually splurge. On our four-night trip to Maine last week, we did not pay for accommodation at all, something I like to make a point of. We stayed with friends and in my parents’ summer home, and I negotiated a complimentary stay at Timbercliffe Cottage Bed & Breakfast– look for that review next week! All of this allowed us to spend a little bit more on some memorable restaurant meals (and desserts!).

We don’t usually buy souvenirs– I like to come away with useful items that remind me of a place. On this trip, that took the form of a fantastic old-timey French notebook from a shop in East Boothbay.

Sites like Groupon, Living Social, and Travel Zoo feature amazing deals on hotels, flights, and things to do wherever you’re traveling. Follow Facebook pages relating to where you plan on traveling: I followed MaineThingsToDo.com and won a rafting trip for anytime this summer! When I went to San Francisco last year, I found cheap, quirky attractions and on a recent trip to Harrisburg sought out local eats that weren’t along the much-touristed Restaurant Row.

In our everyday life we cut costs by not owning a TV (no cable bill!), sharing a car, rarely going to the movies, stuff like that. As for road trips, I love that we have a tiny Honda Civic- it gets great gas mileage. Okay, I see now that I could write a whole post about this, so I’ll stop!

4. Did you have a favorite cartoon as a kid? What was it? (Stacey of This Momma’s Ramblings)

I had a few! Gummi Bears, He-Man, Rainbow Brite (was that a show or just a movie?) Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers, and Duck Tales are the first ones that come to mind. Oh man, I might have to watch some Duck Tales on YouTube right now purely for the nostalgia factor!

5. If you could go and see one concert…who would you choose to see? (Stacey of This Momma’s Ramblings)

I love live music! My favorite performer is probably Ani DiFranco, though it’s been (gasp!) three years since I’ve seen her live. I started seeing her in concert when I was 19 and proceeded to see her about 12 more times in different states, indoors, outdoors, alone, with other people- it didn’t matter, as long as I got to see her! My tastes have grown considerably- I got into electronic music when I met Andy and we would love to go to the Hudson Project in nearby Saugerties this year, but we just can’t afford it.

6. What cancelled TV show from your childhood would you bring back? (Nancy of The Real Nani)

I loved The Wonder Years! It was on in the 80’s and part of what appealed to me was the late 60’s setting. That, and I could relate to the squabbling siblings and imperfect family. BRB, settling in for an entire series binge-watching session!

7. Who is your celebrity idol? (Jenny of Express Bus Mama)

I’m not sure I’d call her an idol per se, but I love what Angelina Jolie does for the causes she believes in. She doesn’t just give money, she gives her time and energy, too: she has worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for the past thirteen years, traveling to conflict zones all around the world. Recently, she spoke at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, the biggest event of its kind.

8. What profession would you most like to try for a day? And what profession would you most hate to try? (Tamara of Tamara Like Camera)

I’ll answer the second one first, since it’s easier: I would never want to be in an accounting or finance position, even just for a day. Not my cup of tea at all!

As for which profession I’d most like to try…tour guide? Midwife? Personal historian? I feel like I have so many interests and no real ‘profession’ at the moment, so there are lots of possibilities!

9. If you had to pick just one thing, what is your favorite thing about your husband? (Christy of Uplifting Families)

One thing is so hard! Okay: Andy does funny dance routines sometimes. We’re just hanging around the house and he’ll start doing  some silly moves out of nowhere, and I love it so much because it’s the kind of thing he wouldn’t do around someone he’s not completely comfortable with.

10. What has been the most rewarding perk you’ve received because of your blog? (Christy of Uplifting Families)

Certainly the feedback, support and validation I’ve gotten in response to posts about depression and anxiety has been wonderful. And as far as experiential perks, I’m so happy I’ve gotten complimentary accommodation at two B&Bs so far! That is the thing that makes me want to stop and pinch myself, in a I made this happen, this is so cool! kind of way.

Thanks for the fun questions, ladies! The photos I chose for today are all from our Maine trip, and all by Andy except for the food shots. Look for more Maine-focused posts coming up, including a feature on all of our delicious meals, our B&B stay, and on Sunday, an Old Orchard Beach photo essay.

 

*

I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown. Eat interesting food. Dig some interesting people. Have an adventure. Be careful. Come back and you’re going to see your country differently, you’re going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music, culture, food, water. Your showers will become shorter. You’re going to get a sense of what globalization looks like. It’s not what Tom Friedman writes about; I’m sorry. You’re going to see that global climate change is very real. And that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water. And so there are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. A lot of people—Americans and Europeans—come back and go, ohhhhh. And the light bulb goes on.   –Henry Rollins