Love this blogging trend… and it makes me think hard!
The A to Z of Brie! (look, I rhyme.)
A – Airplanes. I spend a good portion of life on them (or so I feel like), and the funny thing is that I’m really not the biggest fan. I used to be deathly afraid, and with my hip issues I’m always uncomfortable, but I know that they always take me to a place that is wonderful.

B – Bread. My favorite thing.. what I always crave.. and the bane of my self control. So many things in one! My favorite types are sourdough and spongy oat/wheat combinations, and I really love making homemade bread.
C – Coxing. I mean, let’s be real, how could this NOT be my “c”?
D – Dessert. I always crave something sweet after finishing lunch and dinner. Oftentimes, a great yogurt or fruit hits the spot, but sometimes you just need that spoonful of marshmallow fluff. Yum.
E – England & Europe. The place where my heart lies, and where my body will soon follow! Come September, I’ll be settling in merry ole England to study at Cambridge.

F – Family. My parents have supported me through everything, and I can’t wait for them to hop the pond to visit!
G – Gates. As in, Mr. Gates himself. The Gates Cambridge Trust is paying for my entire PhD at Cambridge (living costs included), and I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this network. I’m looking forward to meeting wonderful, world-changing individuals, and having the opportunity to expand my knowledge at, arguably, the greatest university in the world.
H – Hard-boiled eggs. I might regret using my “h” for this later, but right now, I’m obsessed with hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes I medium-boil them (so that the yellow is solid but delightfully fluffy), and sometimes I soft-boiled them so that they split open on my salad or toast. Now I’m craving one.. crap.
I – Ice cream. The thing that hates my stomach, but that I love most. My favorite flavors include Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and recently, Ben and Jerry’s Greek Yogurt varieties. I just did recently did a product review of Blueberry Vanilla Graham.

J – Joking. About 95% of what I say is sarcastic or humorous. Don’t take life too seriously!
K – Kitchen. The best place in any home. I have no idea how I lived without a kitchen in my immediate vicinity in college for two years. Seriously, I feel like I practically live there.
L – Long books. Whenever I walk into a bookstore, I ignore any book that appears to be shorter than 300 pages. I don’t know why – I just gravitate to the longer novels, etc. It’s something that I’ve always done.. as if I judge quality by length?
M – Music. I have a downright huge range of musical loves, ranging from classic rock to bluegrass, and with a raging love of rap. Some of my workout playlists should be rated R.
N – Neuroscience. What I will pursue for my PhD – specifically, stroke rehabilitation. It’s such a cool, growing discipline, and I can’t wait to learn more!

O – Opportunities. I’ve had so many wonderful ones, thanks to school, Red Cross, etc., and I can’t speak enough to people about making the leap. Go for things even if you have a hesitation. The worst that could happen would be for something to not work out – but how would you know if you don’t try?
P – Pumpkin. My favorite fall flavor. I love pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin muffins… no, really, just feed me pumpkin.
Q – Quirky. Me.
R – Red Cross. I’ve volunteered for these guys for almost 7 years, and have loved every minute. Their mission is incredible, and they treat their volunteers with immense respect.

Meeting with South American Red Cross societies in Barranquilla, Colombia.
S – Sammy. My cockapoo (cocker spaniel + poodle) mix, who isn’t the brightest creature on the planet, but is certainly the most kind hearted… and darn cute.

I also have a few more animals in my household…. (minus my cat)


T – Thanksgiving. Most say Christmas is their favorite holiday, but I prefer Thanksgiving because of the family and the food!
U – University. I like to think I’ll be in University, somehow, for the rest of my life. My brain flourishes in this setting, so hopefully I’ll be a research Professor as a career!
V – Volunteering. Love the rush it gives me, and love meeting new people.
W – Working Out. Ah, the obligatory “fitness” shout-out. I’m trying to figure out the best way to get a good workout with my hip limitations.

X – X-ray. I get so many of them!
Y – Ya’ll. A hilariously Southern phrase that I think is hilarious, and probably overuse.
Z – Zoo-school. I went to a special program during my junior year of high school that sent me half-day to the Columbus Zoo to study the drill monkeys. By far one of the coolest experiences of my life!

