5 Years Later: A Birthday Interview with rukristin
Five years ago for my 27th birthday and during my One Little Word: Write phase, I challenged myself to answer twenty-seven questions for a birthday interview.
Today, on my 32nd birthday, I'm back with updated answers to the same questions, along with five brand new questions I came up with for today's list. The original questions came from a blog post I found five years back, and the five new questions were adapted from questions in my book 100 Days of All About Me, which you can pick up at Amazon.com.
1. What Do You Do For A Living?
I'm rukristin: Feminist Scrapbooker. I own and operate this blog, and the Awesome Ladies Project -- a community for badass women who want to creatively tell the stories of their awesome lady lives. I'm a writer (and now published author), a podcast host, a teacher, a community organizer, and whatever else falls under the purview of being rukristin and the head Awesome Lady.
2. Who Do You Love?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAGoqMZRLB4]
3. Do You Think You Are a Good Person?
This is a bizarre question. I have a set of moral standards, and when I don't live up to them, I feel really shitty about myself. I try to wake up each day and learn from my mistakes (and the mistakes of others) to live better than the day before.
4. How Old Are You?
32.
5. Who’s Your Best Friend?
Jeff.
6. How Often Do You Laugh?
Constantly, haven't you heard how hilarious I am?
7. What Makes You Smile?
All of the jokes that I make.
8. Who’s Your Most Dangerous Enemy?
Anti-bacterial soap (MRSA is a real threat to us all).
9. Where Do You Live?
East Lansing, MI -- Home of Michigan State University -- currently home to the largest ongoing sexual assault scandal in the country.
10. Do You Think You’re Strong?
Yep. Do you?
11. What Was The Most Important Thing You’ve Done So Far?
Move out here to Michigan.
12. What Was The Stupidest Thing You’ve Done So Far?
I don't know if I know how to answer that? Like stupid in the short term? Stupid in the long term? Lately, I guess the stupidest thing I did was not wash my hands every thirty seconds while at Disney World. Clearly, washing my hands every time I went to the restroom was not enough, because I came home with the worst illness I've had in YEARS. :/
13. Do You Love Yourself?
Hell yes.
14. What Is Your Favorite Word?
I have no idea. I don't think I have a favorite. Nothing specific comes to mind. Maybe super -- or like -- those are constantly coming out of my mouth.
15. When Was The Last Time You Cried?
Yesterday when I got super frustrated that I wasn't feeling good enough to get stuff done at the rate I wanted to.
16. What Is The Best Thing That Could Happen To You Right Now?
I could have a full revelation about how I want to tie my branding together with rukristin: Feminist Scrapbooker and The Awesome Ladies Project, and have an ultra clear path and vision for the future, as well as the means and opportunity to pursue it.
17. Picture Yourself In 5 Years From Now
Here in East Lansing. Maybe with a slightly larger family? Maybe not yet? Hopefully still working on making rukristin and the Awesome Ladies as amazing as they can be.
18. Do You Regret Anything?
Not going to the all-women's college at Rutgers.
19. What’s The First Thing You Do In The Morning?
Get out of bed, have a glass of water, and start thinking about eating a high protein breakfast.
20. What Are You Thinking Just Before Going To Bed?
Harry Potter audiobooks. I have the American ones, read by Jim Dale on an iPod next to my bed. I listen to them every night to fall asleep. Tonight, on my birthday night, I'll start over and listen to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone again.
21. What Was The Highest Point You’ve Ever Been To?
We went hiking in Boulder, Colorado last year. It made my headaches go insanely bonkers, it was just the worst. The elevation is SO bad for my headaches.
22. If There’s One Thing In Your Life You Want To Change Right Now, What Is It?
I'd want my house to magically be cleaned and de-cluttered exactly the way I want, and everything to be in the exact right places (I don't even know what those are at this point) and then, I'd love to have enough incoming money on a regular basis to know that I can hire someone to come in on a regular basis and do the dusting and vacuuming and whatnot.
23. What Are You Proud Of?
The women in the Awesome Ladies Project and the ways that choose to creatively tell the stories of their Awesome Lady lives. My Book of Me class is the cornerstone of the ALP and it has made me so proud of the work I've put into it. Also, I wrote a book.
24. Sum Up Your Life In One Sentence
rukristin: Feminist Scrapbooker, living a thoughtful, well-intentioned and authentic life, despite overlapping headache disorders in Mid-Michigan.
25. Name The Thing That Annoys You The Most
Liars.
26. Do You Have Secrets?
Everyone has secrets.
27. What Makes You Laugh?
Myself. Smart things. Other stuff.
28. Are you happy?
Very.
29. Where do you spend most of your time?
In our mid-century modern house. Either in my studio or on the couch. A lot of couch time this week.
30. What are you looking forward to in the next year?
Not watching the World Cup. Elections. Growing more tomatoes and peppers.
31. What was your favorite thing that happened in the past year?
Going to Disney World
rukristin's New Book 100 Days of All About Me is available on Amazon.com
