Hi, I’m Stephanie!
Maybe you landed here randomly or you arrived from our about page. Whatever the way, I’m happy you care enough to at least click on my super self-absorbed “meet Stephanie” page! I promise not to bore you, I love talking about myself 🙂
So, I’d say that I am an inherently a shy person, but over the last few years I’ve broken out of my shell a bit and have really enjoyed interacting and connecting with a range of people all over the world. As a nurse, I meet people from all walks of life, literally – ALL SORTS of people.
But what I love more than meeting and small talking with others is connecting with them on a deeper, more personal level- I want this space to give us the opportunity to really get to know one another and become internet besties!
At 31 years old I’d say I have had a very eventful and interesting life. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
Then…
I was born on December 26th…
Yes, that’s an annoying birthday and yes, I often get overlooked because of Christmas and New Year’s festivities…
I absolutely hated it as a child, but my parents always tried their best to make my birthday a distinctive event. I’ve loved every holiday for as long as I can remember and I think what I disliked most about my birthday was that being squashed between two major holidays, it came and went so quickly.
Fun fact – I actually cried for a good while one Christmas because I was devastated it was over and I’d have to wait another year before Christmas, Santa, decorating a tree, making crafts, baking cookies etc. Now that I’m older, I don’t particularly care as I start celebrating my birthday week from Christmas Eve all the way through New Year’s Day.
#liveitup
I grew up in east Texas, around Fort Worth. I am the oldest of four children- two brothers who are close in age, and one sister who is 11 years younger than I am.
I have a huge extended family, particularly on my mom’s side as she is one of five children, her mother was one of thirteen, and her dad was one of seventeen (!) So needless to say I have thousands of cousins who I have never met.
The core group I grew up with was my grandma and her children. Mom’s family all live in Southern Louisiana so I can remember as a child usually, twice a year packing up our van and driving down to spend the summers and Christmas break with everyone.
Fun fact number two- My grandma, who we affectionately called Mawmaw owned a snowball stand off the back of her house. Many days were spent in the stand listening to my aunt yell “Next!” out the window, trying ALLLLLLLLL the flavors, playing with the ice machine, and climbing on the bags of sugar in what we dubbed as the “cold room.”
Fast forward several years to when I was about thirteen – we moved from Fort Worth to Amarillo for my dad’s job. I went to junior high and high school in Amarillo.
After graduating high school I moved about two hours south to Lubbock to attend college at Texas Tech University. I graduated in 2009 with a bachelors degree in biology. Along with acquiring a degree, I acquired a dog.
She is now an 11-year-old Yorkie and her name is Izzie. She loves to dress up for the holidays…
Not.
I started working as a biologist that summer in Ahousat, British Columbia. I was part of their gray whale research team. It was a phenomenal experience and if I could have any job in the world it would be that. Waking up before dawn, piling onto a little boat and watching gray whales, humpback whales, orcas all day was incredible.
After I came home from that job I did a couple other smaller biology gigs in Texas. When the big BP oil spill happened in the Gulf of Mexico I was hired to be a damage assessment biologist. While working at this job I decided that I didn’t like the instability of the field in that I was always searching for a job.
It was a little bit after this time I decided I would apply to nursing school. I started taking the pre-requisites I needed and eventually found myself living in New York State in 2011.
I finished nursing school a few years later and started right away in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit.
Now…
I lived in New York for another year after graduation. I made a quick and random decision to move back home to Fort Worth but only stayed about 6 months. All my family had previously moved to Minnesota and I ended up joining them right before Christmas 2015.
#ladyboss
I love living here in Minneapolis! Yeah, it’s cold in the winter and we get a lot of snow, but it’s not any worse than New York was.
I put up with the winter for the killer summer and fall.
When I moved to Minnesota I didn’t think I would stay very long, but I’ve completely fallen in love with the state and with a guy.
This is Pete
He’s so wonderful.
He makes frequent appearances in my writing as our lives are so intertwined. Besides, I can’t stop talking about him. We moved in together last year and cannot wait for all of the adventures we’ll get up to.
Update- We’re getting married!
Update update – We GOT married!
I’ve never felt so certain that someone is truly my other half. He’s strong in all the places I’m weak; he’s smart about all the things I’m not. He is so kind, thoughtful, respectful, witty, hilarious (I am always laughing when I’m around him), affectionate, loving. He is everything I have ever wanted in a man and I feel so lucky to have met him.
Since being in Minnesota I’ve made so many new friends, rediscovered my old hobbies, tried so many things I never have before (beef tartare, anyone?) For the first time in a long time feel like I’m home. Most of my family is here and all of Pete’s immediate family is here as well. If we ever move, it would be a tough sell.
Other stuff…
Some facts about me in list form (I’m a sucker for a good list)
Favorite colors – teal, coral, and purple
Favorite TV shows – Game of Thrones, West World, The Office, Justified, and The Good Place
Guilty pleasure – online shopping at Amazon and REI
Favorite foods- sushi and Indian
Dream vacation- Churchill Manitoba, and anywhere I can stay in an over the water bungalow – French Polynesia, Maldives – I’m not picky
Favorite movies- The Lion King, Hector and the Search for Happiness, and Bridesmaids
Hobbies- camping, hiking, kayaking, crafty things, organizing, photography projects, sentimental projects, home décor, baking, cooking etc. I’m happy to do anything and enjoy pretty much everything I try.
So, pull up a chair and stick around for a while. If you wanna see more of my travels and be inspired to take your own, be sure to check out the travel timeline! Or take a walk down memory lane with me and my ABCs of Travel!
If you want to catch up with me in real-time follow me below and be sure to subscribe to my emails!
Instagram-I hang out here quite frequently
Pinterest – Who doesn’t love browsing page after page of beautiful travel photos?
Facebook– A fun place to connect with like-minded travelers
Twitter– quickly becoming my favorite hangout!
Nice to meet ya!
Stephanie xx
