Tagged... again

Shannon tagged me, so I've been trying to come up with 7 different things to say about myself. I've got 5 in my head so hopefully as I start writing, 2 more will come to me.

1. I am scared of spiders and heights.

2. I get motion sickness. I remember as a kid that my sisters and I all got carsick. My parents would always say we would grow out of it. Both of my sisters did, but I'm still waiting for that to happen! So I don't love long drives or flights or riding roller coasters. (I like to travel to new places and see new things, but I don't enjoy the process of getting there.)

3. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in first grade. As a young kid, I also wanted to be a ballerina and an astronaut. Then in junior high, I thought seriously about becoming a counselor. But pretty much from 1st grade on, I knew I would be a teacher some day. My mom taught high school math for a few years and hated it, so my family wasn't sure I really should be a teacher. But it is what I was meant to do.

4. Going along with number three, I am pretty passionate about education. I have strong opinions and up until a couple of years ago, I regularly read books about literacy and education for fun. (the last 2 years, I haven't as much. Is it because I'm busier or burned out? I'm not sure.) I know that sometimes I get a little preachy on this subject, so forgive me when I get going. (I probably get a little preachy on other subjects too, but this one is one that I KNOW gets me going.)

5. I was prom queen in high school. That embarrasses me to admit for some reason. Prom queen was different at my high school. It was selected by the teachers and administration (unlike homecoming queen and other events which were voted on by students). I would say that during high school I was well-liked but not popular. I would never have been prom queen if selected by my peers. (Although I think both of my sisters were homecoming queens?)

6. I've always thought I was kind of a chicken. I am totally not into dangerous things and get nervous about trying new things. Yet somehow having Mirielle at home has changed my perception of myself. It's made me view myself as a stronger, braver person. Sometimes I'll think, "If I can have a baby without any medication, then I can do _________." For example, a year ago, I had to have 2 wisdom teeth pulled. They asked if I needed laughing gas or anything and I said no. I figured if I could go through labor, then I could have 2 wisdom teeth pulled. So they just numbed the area and pulled the teeth. Not that big of a deal. My perception of my ability to deal with pain and difficulty has increased. But I'm still not a thrill seeker. I won't be doing any skydiving or bungee cord jumping (besides, I'm still afraid of heights!)

7. One trip I've wanted to take for years is a safari in Africa. But alas, Alfredo says no way will he ever go. He has no desire to go to Africa at all. So it's somewhere I'll probably never make it to. (Not that we do a whole lot of traveling to begin with. Both of us like to travel and did when we were single, but we do a lot less now.)

Well, I made it. There are 7 more things about me. I think everyone has been tagged except maybe Rachel. Carin, if you want to do it again, go for it. If there is anyone else who hasn't been tagged, then it's your turn.