If it's good enough for them...

A while back, I tagged a bunch of fellow bloggers to answer some questions. I was thinking it's only fair I answer them myself!

1. You have been awarded the time off from work and an all-expenses paid week anywhere in the United States. The catch is that it must be somewhere you have not been before. Where do you choose to visit?
Hands down, Hawaii. Every time I see photos of it, it looks so amazingly beautiful. I would love to relax there, walk on the beach, play with my camera...

2. Name three of your guilty pleasures.
Magazines - there's something about the non-commitment of a magazine, the fact that you can pick it up and put it down whenever the mood strikes you and not have to worry you'll forget what happens if a long time passes before you pick it up again. Yankee Candles - my inability to choose just a couple leads to an obscene stash of votives in the closet, but they all smell so wonderful and I just can't help but to restock with the new scents that come out each season. Cafe World - It is a silly game on Facebook but it allows me to interact with some of my friends on a nearly daily basis and interaction with friends is never a bad thing.

3. The best kind of Girl Scout Cookie is:
Thin Mints are great, especially chilled. And I love the simplicity of Trefoils (shortbread is so underrated!). But if I had to choose just one to to have for the rest of my life, it would have to be Tagalongs. I am powerless to the lure of peanut butter and chocolate.

4. What do you value most in other people?
Accountability. As the years go by, more and more, I find that accountability is the root of all the other characteristics I value. When people are accountable, they make the effort to nurture their relationships. They don't make promises they won't try their very best to keep. They show up and they don't bail out. They own their choices, good or bad, without making excuses. They realize the importance of sincerity, of kindness, of hard work. When I look at those I choose to fill my life now, each of them is accountable, and they are all awesome people.

5. Be honest. Do you sneak some raw cookie dough when you're baking cookies?
I really don't. The texture just doesn't appeal to me. I prefer cookies warm & chewy from the oven.

6. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise?
Plenty of times. Some big, some (in retrospective) small. It doesn't always show itself right away. Or maybe that sometimes it just takes a while before we're ready to see it. I don't necessarily think bad things happen "for a reason" but I do believe good things can come from the bad, whether it's a lesson I learn about myself, the new strength I gain as a result of enduring, or an unbelievable gift that I wouldn't have been able to receive otherwise.

7. What is the most beautiful place you've ever visited?
Sequoia National Forest is awe-inspiring. Autumn in New England is glorious. But the most beautiful thing I have ever seen is the Pacific Ocean.

8. Are you more of a thinker or a feeler? 
I'm not sure how exactly to answer this. I am a thinker, but I often find myself thinking about my feelings...

9. Name three things you are thankful for right now.
My fiance, who is thoughtful, funny, protective, responsible, and smarter than he gives himself credit for. My friends - I have, absolutely, the greatest group of friends a girl could ask for, people who listen when I'm ready to talk, jump at the chance to celebrate with me, and they make me laugh all the time. This life - and I am not just saying that. I look around at all I have and I get so overwhelmed with gratitude, because there was a time, not that long ago, that I thought I would never reach this place.

10. Have you ever participated in a three-legged race?
Many many years ago, at the annual church picnic. To this day, I have no idea how I didn't injure myself, given my lack of...errr...grace.

11. When you are at an event that plays the National Anthem, do you place your hand over your heart?
Absolutely. And I keep my eyes on the flag. And I sing along. And I get very very annoyed by people who keep their hats on or don't stand up or who talk through the whole thing. No wonder the rest of the world thinks we're spoiled, self-centered, arrogant brats.