Interview me!

This is a long one, folks! (that's what she said)
The lovely Rahree sent me five interview questions! And if you make it to the end of this very long post, you too can play along...

Here we go....

1. Do you have a favorite possession? What, if any, significance does it hold?

hmmmmm…..I have been living out of suitcases for about 3 years, and prior to that, did a few in an Airstream (hence the blog name!), so the last ½ decade has been about divesting myself of possessions. I have made a conscious (sometimes painful) effort not to take on more than I need, and to get rid of things that are not really necessary or special. A packrat by nature, this still leaves me with a fair amount of stuff! I was a part of the evacuation of Houston for Hurricane Katrina, and as I packed my car at 2am, the list of things that made the cut was surprisingly short: my cats, my computer, some old pictures and journals. The rest, I realized, could be replaced. It was a freeing moment.

2. Have you had an experience that has changed the way you view the world? ("world" on a grand, global scale, or on a day-to-day scale, your choice.)

I’m sure there were many “ah-ha!” moments along the way that I am not remembering right now, but this was a biggie: when I was a sophomore in college, a professor mentioned to me that he had heard of a grant that paid for study abroad. The deadline was in 2 weeks, and there were a lot of hoops to jump through. I set my mind to it, and made it happen. Getting the grant, then planning for and taking the subsequent trip really opened my mind. Yes, all the “seeing the world” stuff, but in a way, it was more about realizing that there was almost nothing I could not accomplish if I was determined enough, and that I could do it all myself. If I could navigate the local train schedule in rural Italy by myself, I could do anything!

3. Where is home?

As I mentioned before, I have been a vagabond artist type for several years, and only recently moved into an apartment and unpacked in Houston. I know I will always have a special fondness for Georgia, where I grew up, but really, I love love love my hometown-of-choice. Not in the summer, but the rest of the year. hehe. I came here for grad school and never expected to stay, but here I am, and I seem to keep coming back for more. It is the most wonderful combo of metropolitan experiences and small town community.

4. How do you face challenge?

Head on, usually. I am a big fan of gathering information and considering the best option, but I find if I only listen to it, my gut will always point me in the right direction.

5. What's your go-to guilty pleasure?

geez. I am a bit of a hedonist, but luckily my pleasures are simple: good food, good conversation, beautiful music. Here is a perfect evening: dinner with a funny and interesting pal (would be nice if this was a man pal with a hand-holding component, but that is not a part of the story right now), maybe a movie, home to a bubble bath, then curl up in bed with a great book (or alternately, aforementioned not-as-yet identified male).

Bonus question: What's your favorite thing to cook/eat?

Man, popcorn popped with butter on the stove the old-fashioned way is up there these days. I’ve also been making a mean lamb chop lately. Perfect meal: Rare ribeye, spinach w garlic and lemon, fried onion strings, flourless chocolate cake. It should be noted that this ideal changes hourly.

If you'd like to play along, just follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. Be sure you link back to the original post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.