part one: you asked. i’m answering.

back in april, i wrote about how my blogging mojo had been zapped {clearly, it’s still not 100% back} and asked y’all to ask me some questions in hopes that it would help fuel my blogging fire.  well, i’m finally getting around to answering your questions!  better late than never, right?

cole asked:
how did you decide your profession? was it an “a-ha” moment? or something that snuck up on you?
i’m going to assume she means my future teaching career…which was neither an “a-ha” moment nor something that snuck up on me.  once upon a time, i worked as a planning technician {my bachelors degree is in geography}.  i worked for three different local governments within my state before hanging up my map editing hat to become a stay at home mom.  during my time at home with my kids, i’ll be honest, i got bored.  i waited tables at night, but that didn’t really do much except make me realize that the restaurant lifestyle was no longer for me now that i had a family to care for.  back in 2004, i decided to go back to school to get a masters in education.  i had always wanted to become a teacher and i felt that it was the right time to finally go to graduate school.  i juggled a full-time graduate school load with raising two children under the age of five.  then, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and my graduate school dreams came to a screeching halt.  i dropped out and didn’t look back.  finally, back in 2010, my mom reminded me that i promised her that i would finish my degree if she got better.  so, here i am, trying to finally complete my masters degree during a time when public education is getting the shaft left & right.  will i be able to get a job when i graduate in may?  i hope so.  do my friends tease me because i’m still in school?  absolutely.  do i mind being a lifelong learner?  hell no.

cole also asked:
what’s your flip-flop brand of choice?
ha ha ha…i love this question because i’m always in flip flops.  always.  reefs & sanuks are my favorite.  i also own many pairs from j.crew.  one of these days i’ll own a pair of rainbows, but i haven’t taken that leap just yet because – quite frankly – i think they are kind of on the pricey side for flip flops.  but, if i had to pick just one flip flop brand as my “go to” it would be sanuk.  their yoga mat flip flops are divine!  trust me.

and, yes, cole, next time i visit my sister i will definitely make the time to get together with you!!

vy asked:
if you had to leave your house to start a life somewhere else and could only take what you could fit in your car, what would you pack and where would you go?
oh, gosh, i hate packing.  obviously, i would take the kids & the dogs.  i drive a minivan, so you had best believe that joker would be loaded down with stuff.  i would pack clothes {obviously} and grab as many pictures, albums, and books as i could.  i would also grab my baby blanket out of the closet and my laptop, too.  i’m really not attached to any of our furniture, but i would make sure my great-grandmother’s old singer was safe & secure in the van.  where would we go?  i have NO idea.  i still have the key to my mom & dad’s house in northern virginia.  i’m sure their renter would be surprised.  if that home wasn’t an option, i would probably head north to new hampshire and make camp at my sister’s house.  of course, if adam was driving, i’m sure he would head south…probably to florida.

vy also asked:
when you go shelling, what do you think about? what makes you pick up the shells you do?
vy knows me well…i love to go shelling.  unfortunately, it’s pretty slim pickings here in southeastern virginia.  sometimes i get lucky, but i’ve had better luck in north carolina, florida & even mexico.  with that being said, i’m shell snob.  i want whole, or mostly whole, shells and not pieces.  i’m also not looking for oyster shells or clam or cockle shells.  i have plenty of those.  i also like to display what i collect.  shelling is like therapy for me.  and, it’s something that my whole family enjoys doing {although sometimes i feel like the shelling pimp because my kids come running up to me with what they’ve found so i can inspect & decide what to keep…ha ha ha!}.  when i look for shells, not only am i looking for whole shells, but unique shells, too.  i do have a shell book, but i don’t always bring it to the beach with me.  i also try not to be greedy.  i take only what i want and what i know will be either used for crafts or put on display.  two of my favorite things to find while shelling are scotch bonnet shells and sand dollars.  the scotch bonnet is the state shell of north carolina so – naturally – that is the only place that i am able to find them.  i became infatuated with sand dollars when we camped on ocracoke island, north carolina a few summers ago.  sometimes, we find them here in virginia beach, but so far i haven’t had any luck.

i’ll answer the next four questions in tomorrow’s blog post.  promise.