25 Random Things about Jen...

1. I swore I wasn’t going to do this and it took a few people telling me I’m a “creative genius” to get me to. So random fact #1…if you ever need me to do anything, give me a little ego boost, even if it's a total lie. Or a dollar. I ended up as one of the only freshman with a speaking role in our highschool musical because Sarah Kelley said she’d give me a dollar if I’d audition for the British tourist in “Crazy For You.” I accidentally got the part.

2. I won tickets to see Wicked in the front row on Broadway. I got to see nearly the entire original Broadway cast, except Idina who was out sick. Instead I saw Eden Espinosa who was better in my opinion. It was one of the most amazing opportunities I’ve ever had and I barely remember it because I was in shock the whole time.

3. Nearly everyone whose opinion I asked for about what to put on this list told me that I had to put that I have a fascination with nuns. That’s not really random anymore because most people know about it. That being said, I think nuns are amazing and for that reason the Vatican City is like heaven on earth for me.

4. This past Christmas my white friend Emily and I played nuns in a black adaptation of A Christmas Carol. We were the only white girls. Oh, and we performed the “Joyful, Joyful” rap from Sister Act 2 while wearing our instant nun kits…numerous times.

5. The motto of my life is “These Things Don’t Happen to Normal People” and my friends tell me this all the time. Apparently strange things always happen to me, like the time I accidentally caused a squirrel to trip, fall and scrape its knee, but I didn’t know these things didn’t happen to everyone until about a year ago when Sarah pointed it out to me.

6. I can’t swim despite the fact that when I was a kid we had a boat and I was a little tubing beast. When I worked at camp two summers ago I wasn’t allowed in the lake because I refused to take the swim test.

7. I saw my favorite singer in an airport and recognized her by her perfume. Later in the year when my best friend surprised me with a ticket to one of her concerts, her pianist told me I was a stalkerazzi.

8. It used to make my mom crazy that I was one of the least affectionate kids she knew but I’ve become insanely cuddly and sometimes have to remind myself to give people physical space because not everyone is a snuggler. One of my favorite things to do is teach people how to hug. (Side hugs are not hugs.)

9. I’ve been bitten by a snake and chased with an armadillo. Snakes terrify me, but strangely being bitten by one isn’t nearly as scary as being chased with an armadillo. And for being terrified of snakes, I’ve had numerous encounters. In high school I once went to my best friend’s house and found her and her mom screaming and standing on their couch because there was a snake in their living room…I had to get it out, and to this day Sarah’s mom tells people of my very courageous rescue.

10. I get really anxious around large animals, even when they’re caged. Things like T-Rex displays at science centers and museums make me really uncomfortable. And I mean that in all seriousness.

11. I played soccer year-round for years and played varsity my freshman year. But I quit so I could be in show choir.

12. I love parallel parking, airport layovers and doing laundry.

13. When I moved to Switzerland I thought I was going to be living in a convent. I ended up in an apartment in the Red Light District.

14. I’ll pretty much participate in anything if it’ll make for a good blog story.

15. I’m an only child and I’m left handed and don’t understand why people are fascinated by either. Lots of people ask what it’s like to be left handed and what it’s like to be an only child and while I definitely don’t mind the questions, I don’t really know how to answer them.

16. Someone is named after me.

17. I’ve had three dreams that have maintained consistent for nearly my entire life: to write a book, to learn how to play the piano and to own my own coffee shop/bookstore.

18. I worked for a photographer for a few years and it was one of the best and most missed experiences of my life. He taught me a lot. I was going to get a photography minor in college (which would have been a great compliment to a media communications degree) but I took one photography class and realized that studying it made it lose its magic for me.

19. Before I could really talk I told my mom, “The King is coming.”

20. I used to direct children’s theatre and that opportunity taught me more than probably any other single experience in my life.

21. I’m okay at a number of things but have never been the best at anything. I’ve learned to really embrace that and enjoy it and sometimes wonder if I don’t subconsciously put myself in that position. See #11.

22. I was nominated for (but didn’t win, see #21) a St. Louis Arts for Life Award for my 6 line role as a scrubwoman in How to Succeed…

23. My best friend in high school and I spent a summer telemarketing for the company my mom worked for. Some of my most amazing random stories come from that summer including some of the games we made up like “Synchronized Mexican Restaurant Calling.”

24. My senior year of high school I competed in our local Jr. Miss “Scholarship Program” (Pageant) and actually had a ton of fun. See #14.

25. I love being around old people and find something really comforting about it. It’s one of the things I’ve missed the most since moving to Austin.