I've been giving a lot of thought to the concept of how so many of us wanted 2020 to be over, and the new year to embrace us with arms full of unfettered awesomeness. And yet, for a lot of us, 2020 still lingers on. We're still feeling the heaviness of the previous trip around the sun, and could definitely use a shot of that old "New Year, New You" tonic.
Although I've always thought the new year never truly felt under way until the Lunar New Year celebration (this year, it starts on Friday, February 12th!), I have too felt a wee disappointed by the weight we're all collectively feeling this month. To remedy that, I thought I'd subvert the fog, remove that anchor, and create my own embrace of unfettered awesomeness.
How will I do that, you ask?
By sharing a little more of my authentic self to new (and dear) readers of my blog, and remind you that the sunshine, joy and peace you seek is already within you, and only from there will they grow and flourish.
I've always wanted to work in the arts and entertainment field.
First, I wanted to be a dancer. (You can thank the TV show Fame for that.) Then I wanted to be an artist. Then I wanted to be a dancer again. Then I wanted to be an actress. Then I wanted to be a dancer again. Then I wanted to be an actress again. Then I wanted to be a dancer again. ... Notice a pattern?
I've watched an assortment of British TV series ever since I was 8 years old.
Before The Office. Before Absolutely Fabulous. There was Are You Being Served? on PBS. And this little nerd watched every episode over and over until I could recite the dialogue along with the actors. And when I tired of re-watching those episodes, I moved on to watch syndicated series like Blackadder, Chef, As Time Goes By, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Red Dwarf, and a few others I can't recall off the top of my head right now when they aired late nights on a local college station in my hometown. (Shout out to Butler University.) I guess what I'm saying is ... don't try to impress me with your BBC America watchlist unless you know what to reply when you hear, "Mr. Humphries, are you free?"
I've averaged 5 hours of sleep each night for the past 25-30 years.
Yes, I need more. Yes, I manage out of necessity. Yes, I know this is unhealthy.
I love to travel.
This one seems a bit vague, so let me clarify. I've been enamored with anything outside of my "norm" ever since I was a kid. And for me, travel doesn't mean only traveling internationally. For years, traveling outside my country was prohibitively expensive -- like it is for most people in the US and around the world. So I opted to travel around nearby states via road trips, and to this day, it's one of my favorite activities. As a matter of fact, I'm hoping to take 3 road trips this year once quarantine restrictions are lifted.
I'm terrible at most sports, and I'm not a sports fan.
Not a lot to say about this one. As someone who is taller than the average woman, many people assume I'd be great at basketball. They would be wrong. And when it comes to catching, throwing, pitching, or shooting any type of ball, I'm a lost cause. I am not ashamed of any of this.
I have a lot of music playlists based on a variety of moods and mindsets.
Here are some of the playlist titles: Get Up & Move Your Feet (mostly Hip Hop/Pop/Rock songs); Love Is A Many Splendor Thing (all romantic & joyful love songs); Mellow Out (Lazy Sunday vibe songs); Fearless Femmes (Kickass songs by Badass women); Love Is Bittersweet (songs about heartache and unrequited love); You So Crazy (songs that make me laugh -- think Weird Al Yankovic, Flight of the Conchords, The Lonely Island, etc.). You get the picture.
I fear I will never live up to my potential.
Oh yeah, I said I was going to share a little more of my authentic self. Well, there it is. I know I'm capable of so much more than what I've accomplished so far in my life, which is why I live in fear that I'll never live up to my potential and achieve anything that resembles my many daydreams, grand goals and bucket list items.
I look forward to my birthday every year, and I don't fear getting older.
If I had to say why, I'd say it has something to do with growing up in a family where I was fortunate enough to have 5 generations alive until I was 15 years old -- myself, my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and my great-great-grandmother. Being raised in a family that never treated getting older as something to fear definitely gave me perspective on how to approach those trips around the sun.
I've studied both French and Spanish off and on for over 20 years and I'm still not fluent in either.
Didn't I say I was going to be more authentic? Well, that includes things I'm not proud of too. This is 100% the fault of not committing to learning one language at a time, and not being consistent in my studying. With that said, my American accent on both languages is pretty negligible. I'm often complimented by native speakers that they can barely hear an American accent at all.
I dislike having my picture taken as most photos of me are unflattering.
Sure, you might be saying, "Everyone hates having their picture taken, Candace." To which I reply, "Have you visited Instagram in the past 8 years?" No, I genuinely don't enjoy having my photo taken, I don't like selfies, and the best pics of me are typically candid ones where I'm not looking at the camera. But in the name of authenticity, I'm sharing the photo above despite my presence ruining a beautiful landscape shot. Red Rock Canyon was my favorite part about visiting the Las Vegas area a few years ago, and I highly recommend it to everyone who likes natural history, hiking, or big, beautiful open skies.
Tell me a few fun facts about yourself. What would you like me to know about you?
Top Image: On vacation in Red Rock Canyon in Nevada by fellow tour participant
