Twenty Five!

Today I am officially 25 years old. 

Today I thought it would be fun to share 25 things about me that you may not know...

1.Doesn't matter the day, time, or season I absolutely love rain storms. Some people find rain depressing and sad but I am just the opposite and find it comforting and peaceful. 

2. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal and I could easily eat it for every meal- nothing better then scrambled eggs with feta or waffles or pancakes or a good 'ol bowl of cereal... the list could go on. 

3. I am awful at painting my nails, like embarrassingly awful. My left hand always looks semi decent but the right is a whole different story.

4. As I grow up the thought of going out has become less and less appealing to me. These days I would much prefer to grab dinner or drinks with friends before heading in to bed early... old lady status. 

5. I love doing things by myself- running errands, shopping, laying out, or even seeing a movie. Being an only child I think I got used to doing things on my own and to this day still love being on my own, especially for shopping. 

6. I talk to my mom at least 2-3 times a day. I talk to her on the way to work, sometimes during the work day to check in or ask her a question, and sometimes even 1-2 times at night. Somehow we always have things to talk about and I love our little conversations throughout the day. 

7. I am terrible at spelling and grammar... this probably isn't too hard to tell judging by my posts sometimes but it is a serious downfall of mine. 

8. I still get overly excited about making new CD's and listening to them on car rides. I've always been really into music and in college my friends jokingly referred to me as DJ Dep (Dep is part of my last name.) The title has stuck and I am still in charge of providing the tunes for any of our car rides together. 

9. I miss living in North Carolina every day... literally every day. I am itching to move back to my favorite state and hoping it happens sooner then later. 

10. My all time favorite movies are The Godfather, Father of the Bride, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. 

11. This past year was the first time I took a trip fully funded by myself across the country to visit one of my best friends in San Francisco. I love traveling and experiencing things and new places and being able to make it happen all on my own was a great feeling. Being that I loved SF so much, I am hoping to get out there again this fall and have a few others in mind including Chicago, Charleston, Miami, and Boston. 

12. My love for wine is sometimes frightening. Spring and summer you can find me drinking Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc while fall and winter is reserved for Pinot Noir or red blends. Sometimes having a glass of wine at the end of the day is all I need to get me feeling relaxed and make the distinction from work to home. 

13. I never learned and still do not know how to ride a bike. Shocking I know but at this point I honestly have no desire to learn how, hopefully the future hubby will be able to teach the kids! 

14. I really enjoy reading and always have, even at a young age. My dad used to take me to Barnes and Noble every Sunday and I remember absolutely loving being able to sit and enjoy looking a books for hours. I haven't made the switch from paper books to electronic ones because to be honest I love the feel of a book and the ability to turn the page and weirdo but I also love the smell of library books. 

15. Fresh flowers make me ridiculously happy. I often treat myself to flowers about once a month and love the way the liven a room and make it seem so much more homier and inviting. My favorites are peonies, hydrangeas, and lillies. 

16. Even though I work in a hospital and am surrounded by doctors and health care all day, I am not a fan of going to the doctors. If I have a big appointment or even have to have a small procedure done you better believe my mom and grandma comes with me. I once had my mom, grandma, and two best friends all in the waiting room for me during a procedure but couldn't have been more happy to see them when I got finished. 

17. I love cheese. Any kind- brie, feta, cheddar, gouda... you name it, I love it. 

18. I really enjoy working out and can feel a difference in my body even when I skip just 2 days. I am fully certain if I didn't work out or eat as healthy as I do I would gain 5-10 lbs quickly. It's a pretty scary thought but it definitely helps me to keep on track and be conscious of what I put into my body aka not too much cheese or wine. 

19.  I'm not sure I've figured out exactly what the terms means but many people have referred to me as an old soul. My older friends here in Richmond think I am pretty mature for my age and while I would definitely agree, I also critisize myself for being "an old lady" aka in bed early, being over going out, love of sweaters and the comfier things in life. 

20. Coffee at any time of day is comforting to me. I have about one cup in the morning, another in the afternoon around 3 or 4 and then sometimes a cup of decaf at night. 

21. I absolutely am blessed with the best friends and family could ask for. They mean the world and more to me and I really hit the lotto when it comes to people I can count on. 

22. Even though I am officially at my mid 20's spot I still think I am so terrible with money. I am awful when it comes to talking about retirement accounts, 401k, roth IRAs... couldn't even tell you what they are. Within the next few years I am hoping to get a lot better about managing and understand my finances. 

23. I want a dog so bad I wish I could go out and get one this afternoon. I miss Corduroy every day at home and if I lived in an apartment that allowed dogs, I would easily have bought one a long time ago. Being around dogs just make me happy and I definitely want to get one within the next few years. 

24. My favorite places to go shopping include TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Gap, J. Crew and Banana Republic. I always hit up TJ and Marshalls before I go anywhere because I always seem to have such great luck there and lets be honest, you can beat their prices. 

25. Tonight I will be celebrating my birthday surrounded by my best friends in Richmond at a fun wine bar in Carytown before heading to my favorite restaurant for more beverages and yummy food. Tomorrow it's off to the beach to celebrate with my closest friends from college, cheers to 25!

Yours truly, 

Emily