15 Fun Facts About Me

15 Comments

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15 fun facts about meI say we get to know each other a whole lot better, shall we? In the spirit of sharing, here are 15 fun and quirky facts about me:

  1. My favorite colors are white and beige. Well, they were…until a friend mentioned that those weren’t colors! So it’s a good thing I also love teal, green, blue and purple. Which go great with white and beige (just saying)…in a clean, crisp, bright and happy kinda way.
  2. My first job out of college was teaching arts and crafts at Camp Wyonegonic in Maine. Apparently, I wasn’t quite ready to do the whole “real world” thing just yet. So I lived in a cabin with no electricity for three months.
  3. My most embarrassing moment ever – tripping on a handicap ramp in a parking lot in front of the US World Cup soccer team! (Yes, flinging my body and purse through the air!) And you know why I tripped? Because I was focusing on my newly done acrylic nails (it was 1993, after all!) and not watching where I was walking. Pure gymnastic talent.
  4. I’m a Virgo and ISFJ. And boy do these describe me to a T! That means I’m loyal, hard working, have a strong attention to detail (a nice way of saying I’m a perfectionist), like to help others, grounded, reliable, introverted, empathetic, conscientious and enthusiastic.
  5. I love cheeseball 80’s movies. Like Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Top Gun, The Breakfast Club, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, and Footloose. I could watch these a million times…and I may have done so by now.
  6. I’ve traveled to all 7 continents. And to this day, Antarctica is still my favorite. Because really, how cool is it to say that I’ve kayaked with penguins in Antarctica? But those who know me find this funny. Why? Because I’m the California girl who can’t stand cold weather!
  7. I lived in Afghanistan for a year working for the UN. Clearly, I have an innate ability to jump at crazy opportunities (*see Antarctica). After grad school (MBA) most went the corporate route. And me, well, two days later I was on a plane to Kabul. It’s still one of the best experiences of my life. Oh, and I can now shoot an AK-47.  ;)
  8. I have one cat. From Afghanistan. And it’s a whole ‘nother story on how I got her back to the United States! Her name is Tasha. That’s short for Tashakor, which means “thank you” in Dari. So yes, I named my cat thank you.
  9. When I type, I sometimes like to use three dots…instead of a comma. It just feels more me.
  10. Most heart pounding moment ever? Bungee jumping 141 feet from the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, NZ when I was 17. My dad and brother were going to do it with me, but they chickened out at the last minute.
  11. I became a dual citizen in 2014! I was born in New Zealand but moved to the US when I was two. After 35 years as a kiwi living in the States, I figured what the heck…might as well become an American as well.
  12. I love bacon and dark chocolate. Thankfully, both of these are gluten-free. It’s all about the small wins.
  13. Public speaking = biggest fear. Even though my whole career has been in marketing, the thought of public speaking still turns my stomach into knots.
  14. I have my motorcycle license…though I haven’t used it in 10 years and I’d probably kill someone if I tried! Why did I get it? I thought it would be fun to learn something new. But if I’m being honest, I think it was because some guy said that girls can’t ride. Nothing like a challenge to collect a new talent! (*UPDATE – after riding a motorbike around Southeast Asia for 4 months in 2015, I’m happy to report that all those old skills came back to me!)
  15. My nickname growing up was “smiley.”

 


Alright, now it’s your turn. In the comments below, tell me one interesting, fun, quirky or entertaining thing about you. Enquiring minds want to know!

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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15 Comments

  1. Hi, Lisa. I am a little late to the party. Hope that’s okay.

    In 2013 I went to Korea for a 90-day rain retreat … and stayed for 5 years (long story). :)

    On the way home (more or less), while in Hong Kong, the temple cook had to leave for a short period of time. I was asked if I could cook (for 100+ people). I said, “I can cook, yes (passably). I can cook here on one condition.” Three anxious faces waited with bated breath for my condition. “I must be able to recognise the ingredients!” I had spent years at that pint eating things which I could not name, did not recognise. It seemed like a reasonable (and responsible) condition. P.S. when dinner was served, the guests looked visibly relieved that it was eddible. Their relief made me laugh.

    Your list was charming. I enjoy your recipes very much. I do not have dietary restrictions (thanfully), but I just love your simple, healty, fresh, and gluten-free food. Thank you for sharing.

  2. I am a three dot kinda girl also! And my fav colors are brown and gray, which I am constantly reminded are shades, not colors… haha!

  3. I panicked at the thought of trying to find an interesting thing about me. I’m an introvert and never like to brag or big myself up and genuinely thought I had nothing interesting about me to put down. Went on “ecosia” to find a test that would determine whether I have anything interesting to say. By the way, Ecosia search engine plants a tree for every search people use on them, I’m trying to do my bit for the environment and using ecosia to ‘google’ stuff.

    1 – At 26 years old, I bought a one way train ticket to Wales from Newcastle. Woke up and decided I had enough of ‘that life’ and wanted change. Current husband who was my boyfriend of 4 months had no idea I was moving in with him :-) We got married 4 years later and have been married 14 years. My mother said we wouldn’t last 2 weeks!

    2 – A month later, I bought two one way ticket to Amsterdam and told husband (boyfriend then) that we should back pack around Europe to see if our relationship could stand the test of time. I urge anyone to do so. We were 2 1/2 months into our travels when a car crash put a stop to that, we were stuck in Greece with no car for 3 weeks, but it was idyllic.

    3 – We have three cats. Husband isn’t an animal person, I am a cat lover. I dreamt of having three cats. Husband refused. 5 years ago, husband adopted two cats – brother and sister – as a surprise for me and the children. 6 months later, my son found an abandoned kitten. Nursed him back to health, husband delayed on giving him to the cat shelter, then decided to keep him. Which brings our number to three, the dream I had.

    4 – Swam with a hammerhead sharks in Florida. Couldn’t believe they had ample opportunity to bite me but they were so serene, majestic and beautiful.

    5 – gah! just realised you said one thing….I’ll shut up now..

  4. OK. Here goes. I have an innate, fundamental, inexplicable, irrational fear – is that the correct word? of frost on metal. Maybe “visceral aversion” is better? As in, if I see one of those old time-y ice trays… you know, the metal ones where you have to grab that – oh God, my spine is crawling already – metal tray & then also the frost covered pull handle & then grab all of it even harder to break the ice? & then your skin is stuck to it? I really don’t like a thin layer of frost on anything, truth be told. I’ll even shot put a big fat frozen chicken across the room before I’ll carry it to the sink (if I forget to bring a big fluffy beach folded in enough layers so I can’t feel it, that is). It’s in my DNA, I promise. Or left over from a past life or something. No proper explanation for it, as I’ve had no traumatic experience with frost in this lifetime. There you have it. A very quirky thing about Yours Truly.
    ~ Suzi

    1. Oh Suzi – I could totally picture the layer of frost as you were describing it. Ha. Too funny! :) x

  5. Lisa,

    Now I know why I like you. I’m a Virgo too, and your point No. 4 describes me almost to a T as well! ;) I also went to grad school (MBA), also have been in marketing all my career… love, love, love to travel: passion number one along with food. I haven’t been and not sure I plan on visiting Antartica, but I have been above the Arctic Circle and in all of Scandinavia. I love the snow and the colder countries, yet I also prefer the warmer temperatures… and well, I do the three dots a lot too! (PS: I love these 15 facts!)

    Debra xx

    1. Thanks Debra! Like attracts like. ;) Especially if you’re a wanderlusting foodie gal (my people!). I’ve never been to Scandinavia but would love to go. And as I’m sure you can imagine it’s “on the list.” Still figuring out my travel plans for next year, but I’m thinking I may start with Spain (food + culture + fun). And some wine! ;) x

  6. I have been your online friend for almost a year now, I have enjoyed your weekly
    updates, although it has been completely amiss of me to not learn your 15 fun
    facts, your video post directed to me this. Well done by the way, and very courageous!

    What I learnt today is that you are a fellow ‘kiwi’, a New Zealander for your global
    community friends and also a Virgo and fellow perfectionist. So I can appreciate how you would have toyed with your first video diary!

    I wanted to share with you and friends, an experience I had today. I went to the supermarket ‘or the grocery store’ for Americans. It was amazing to see someone in a wheelchair doing their shopping on their own. We need to encourage stores to make key items easy and accessible and when we do see people with these challenges, ask if we
    can help, they may be making choices that are based on accessibility. For an able bodied person, it made me feel humble for what we take for granted.

    Some interesting facts about me:

    I went to Peru several years ago and had the opportunity to go up Wayna Picchu
    the beautiful hill above Machu Picchu and with someone who has a fear of heights
    it was a unique challenge. It had a shear cliff face on one side, and a very narrow walkway with people coming up and down in both directions. I made it up (phew) and then you have the opportunity to go to the top, on a vertical staircase to see where the high priest and religious rites where held. To come back down, I had to go down on my
    butt, scary and invigorating at the same time …

    This year for me, I was made redundant from a big corporate extremely heart breaking
    and sad. But I decided to take a punt and set up my own business. The best decision I ever made.

    Like you, Lisa I decided experiencing life was worth it … I booked a trip to Cuba
    for four weeks over Christmas earlier this year. For me an amazing country to visit and one that I have wanted to experience for a few years now. The people, the culture, the architecture, the way of life and the fact that they have not allowed privatisation to an
    extent, is completely fascinating.

    I look forward to sharing these experiences with you and to hear of your travels

    in this hemisphere.

    For friends of Lisa … if you want to experience life, grab it with both hands and
    don’t put obstacles in your way, you will reap the rewards …

    All the very best for your health, travels and life experiences

    Your kiwi friend Bec xxoo

    1. Thanks so much for sharing @rebecca_churchill:disqus! Yep – I’m a fellow kiwi. :) Can’t wait to hear more of your travel adventures as well. Both Machu Pichu and Cuba are on my list! Keep living life with that vigor and go kick some butt with your new biz! :)

  7. I enjoyed reading your 15 fun facts, Lisa! That’s rough about the short “flight” in the air in front of the US World Cup soccer team, but it sounds like you’ve had a number of great experiences in life so far.

    One quirky thing about me: I once ripped my left nostril after dunking a basketball and catching a loose chain link (shaped in a hook) on the way down. It ripped my nose open, requiring surgery. When I showed my parents, I told them it wasn’t that bad. My mom was the first person to see it and almost passed out.

    All the best!

    Robert James Collier

    1. Ouch! That’s definitely a quirky fact that I don’t think will ever be duplicated (thankfully!) ;) Thanks Rob!