I’ve been tagged by Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living to participate in the meme asking to share 7 random things about myself and then tag other blogs. Hmmmm…. Here goes!

1. When I went to Alaska last summer, I had a few days at a wilderness lodge. I had to fly in a teeny plane. The thought of it scared me. I almost didn’t go. But I had to, since I didn’t know when I’d be in Alaska again. It was an exhilarating experience, one I’ll never forget. And I had 3 of the best days of my life in the Alaskan wilderness.

2. I was the first white female rapper. I was teaching school in Hollis Queens and my students dared me to make a rap record. There were only a few female rappers and no white ones. I didn’t want the kids believing that stereotypes could stop them so I learned to rap and made 2 rap records.

3. I was raised in the Bronx and developed a Bronx accent. After my first year of college I went to California with a friend. Everyone asked if we were from the Bronx. I became determined to get rid of it. I began mimicking people who spoke well. Since I went to school with people from all over, I absorbed bits and pieces of accents from different areas of the country. People often comment about my nice speaking voice. They try to guess where I’m from—usually Midwest with a hint of California. That’s because my accent is a mutt—a bit of here and there.

4. I’m a walk-a-holic. I’ve been walking everywhere my whole life. Living in midtown Manhattan I often walk to Brooklyn and back. Walking give me energy. I get some of my best ideas for writing while I walk. Some people think I’m crazy when they hear I walked over to them. Or walked miles to a favorite café with my laptop. But it’s all pleasure and helps keep me fit.

5. I’ve been doing weight training for 6 years. My trainer says I’m the only woman he’s worked with who can bench press 35-pound dumbbells. I love working on my form. When I was younger I tried going to a gym and hated it. The guys made me feel uncomfortable when I wanted to work with free weights. So I quit, even though I loved doing it. Now I get respect in the gym. I was featured in the weight-training chapter of The Female Athlete’s Body Book.

6. I love being alone. If I don’t get enough solo time, I get frazzled. I’m NEVER bored. There are always many things I want to do and am joyful when there’s time to do what I want. So loneliness is a word that never refers to me.

7. Travel is a big passion for me. I’m a country girl living in Manhattan. My soul is in the Rocky Mountains though anywhere in nature makes me happy—mountains, ocean, forest. I have an amazingly peaceful apartment in midtown but need to get away regularly to feel grounded. If you invite me for a visit, be warned, I may come! ?

Now that I’ve shared something about me I’m throwing the meme out and tagging these bloggers to continue it:

Karen Lynch
Chris Melton

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