I wanted to have a little fun today and share a few facts about myself to help new and long-time readers alike get to know me better. I love finding out silly or random things about others so I thought you might enjoy it, too. For more fun facts, check out 50 Random Facts About Me and another 20 in my Snowflakes and Margaritas post. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll have a good time, I’m sure of it.

So, in no particular order, here are ten (more) random things about me:

1. I haven’t always wanted to be a mom. But now that I am one, I love it. I wrote more about it in this post but to the major takeaway is that when I was growing up, I had no desire to have children. But one day, that all changed so Nick and I decided to go for it. Now that we have our sweet Sebastian, I couldn’t imagine life any other way. I love being a mom and watching my son grow and how our little life has turned out. It’s the best.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

This photo is from about a year ago; look how little Sebastian was!

2. I’m intrigued by the spirituality of some pagan beliefs, including Wicca & witchcraft. Really, I love the focus on connecting to and honoring nature. I have a soft spot for the Earth; after all, it’s the only one we have so we need to take care of it, and these religions (if that’s what you even call them) teach you to respect nature and each other. I still need to learn so much more about them, but that’s a belief I can get down with.

via GIPHY

3. I had a heart attack at 32. I’ve written a lot about this, so it’s probably not random but it’s pretty significant and has made a significant impact on my identity even a year later. It’s so important that folks know the warning signs and risk factors. I don’t have heart disease and I had no other risk factors except pregnancy, however, I made it a point to know the warning signs (I can thank my anxiety for that) and it really did save my life.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

4. My mom and I have the same first name. I’ve gone by my middle name my entire life. My mom has also gone by her middle name her whole life. Even though our middle names are different, she’s Denise and I’m Nicole, we have the same first names! It has caused a lot of confusion on forms, especially as I got older and signed up for credit cards and stuff. You would think it wouldn’t be that strange to folks, seeing as how men have always had the same names and have been juniors, seniors, “the thirds” forever, but when women do it, it blows peoples’ minds.

5. My favorite subjects in high school were English and Spanish. What can I say? I love words in many languages! I had an amazing AP English teacher who really taught me to analyze the meaning of words and how we use them in writing and expressing our thoughts and ideas. And the word that started it was “amazing.” I also had an amazing Spanish teacher who encouraged my learning and fluency, who really wanted me to attend trips abroad or at the very least, Spanish camps. I never did, but her enthusiasm encouraged me to minor in Spanish in college and becoming mostly fluent today.

via GIPHY

6. I really enjoy cooking but hate the clean up afterwards. That’s why I often prefer to dine out instead of eat at home. That, and I love food. When Nick and I first moved in together, we spent almost every evening cooking together, and that continued up until I went to graduate school in 2013. Cooking with him in the evenings was one the things I missed most when I was in all those evening classes. Now, one of us cooks while the other looks after Sebastian. However, now Sebastian LOVES sitting on the counter and “helping” by putting veggies in a bowl or stirring any and everything so maybe soon we’ll all be in the kitchen cooking together!

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

7. My first childhood memory was picking a turnip out of the garden and showing my mom my “purple carrot.” She then cooked it up for me and I loved it, so I went out to pick more. I still like turnips and other root vegetables, and I used to prefer turnip greens over other greens (like collards) but now I’m equal-opportunity greens. While I love dining out and eating things that aren’t so good for me (like anything fried), I often crave vegetables and am always on the lookout for new veggie recipes. I could *almost* be a vegetarian, except I really like meat a lot, too.

8. I think bats are pretty cool. They’re one of the cutest animals alive, second only to puppies of course. If you look at their faces, they are actually quite adorable, and knowing that they eat pesky bugs makes me very grateful for them. We have a few that fly around the street light in our front yard during twilight, and I love watching them. Just look at that little face!

9. I try to always have fresh flowers in my house. I usually keep some in a vase on the dining room table and a few small vases with a bloom or two on the mantle and/or other little spots around the house. I feel like the fresh blossoms lighten up the house and bring in a little cheer. Who doesn’t love that in their house?

10. I became a belly dancer because of Shakira! It’s no secret that I love Shakira. And it might not be a secret that I took some belly dance classes. So it probably makes sense that my love of Shakira and her honest hips (they don’t lie, people!) lead me to taking belly dance classes and participating in two performances. My instructor moved away so I haven’t taken any classes nor danced in a while and I’m starting to miss it. Maybe I can get back into it soon.

Nikki by example | www.nikkibyexample.com

Dancing by example (on the left)

What are some fun, random facts about you?

 

 

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