My name is Elizabeth. I'm a complete contradiction. I'm full of sass. I tend to be assertive and willful, but I have a vulnerable side that some people try to take advantage of.

If I could turn back the clock, I would change some of the decisions I've made. But I can only play the hand I'm dealt. It's taken me a long time to accept myself, my faults, my virtues, my strengths, my weaknesses. I won't compromise myself for anyone, friend or foe.

I still see myself as a work-in-progress; everyday I improve a little more and change into the person I hope to be.

If I don't think we're gonna get along or I believe you are going to bring stupid drama into my life, I'll straight up tell you not to talk to me. Life is too short to waste it on shitty people.

I have a twisted sense of humor. I'm the type of girl who will burst out laughing in dead silence because of something that happened... yesterday.

I never set out to be different from the "norm," but it just turned out that way. I just do my own thing, whether it's like everyone else or not.

Who wants a twig when you can climb the whole tree?

I live in my head a lot of the time and don't have a whole lot of tolerance or patience for most people. I have a small, select group of friends I'm around on a regular basis. There are people outside that circle that I'm cool with, but I consider these people more acquaintances than anything. It's hard for me to invest my trust in someone new because it's been betrayed too many times.

I like getting out of the house, being with my friends. I'm a smoker, so anywhere that I'm allowed to smoke in/at is good. I play video games, but I've only been playing them again recently, so I'm a newbie again. :/ I love watching movies!! I have a Blockbuster account, so I'm always getting new movies in the mail, and I have a ton of DVDs. There are certain TV shows I love to watch (look under my favorites), but I rarely invest my time in a new show because every time I do, they usually get canceled. I love music and love going to local shows, although I haven't been to one around here in a while.

I also like spending time writing poetry (although I think I'm terrible at it - read my journal if you don't believe me), reading (I read a LOT), going to karaoke, and dancing. I'm starting to get into photography and I love taking pictures (strictly amateur!). Pretty simple stuff, really.

I think talking online give someone a sense of privacy and security... It allows people to be honest and utterly themselves at any given moment. However, I'm wary of meeting people from the internet these days. There's always the possibility of unmet expectations or false advertising or just plain disappointment. I've had more than my share of those lately. On both sides.

Unless I want to remain a retail slave or call center phone monkey, then I need a degree. I had to leave after my sophomore year at WKU because of financial difficulties but, after six years, I'm finally going back to college.

For the moment, I'm at Jefferson Community and Technical College but hopefully I'll be getting my Associates Degree at the end of next semester and I can go back to a university. Most people go from community college to a university, but I took a slightly different route. ha!

I give great advice, even though I rarely take any of my own. I can cook really well. I love watching a guy eat food I've prepared for him. It's easy for me to memorize music lyrics and movie quotes. I have large, basically useless amounts of random trivia in my head. I'm intensely loyal to my friends.

Maybe I should list some bad traits or things that I'm not really good at. I'm my own worst enemy at times and I can be very self-deprecating. I tend to procrastinate, especially when it comes to chores. I'm terrible at memorizing names and numbers, but I'm great with remembering faces. I'm almost OCD about spelling and grammar, so I'm a good copy editor, but I find myself correcting people a lot. I tend to interrupt people when they're talking. It's a horrible habit of mine that I'm trying to break. Sometimes I talk way too much, and I can be too honest for my own good. My brain-mouth barrier doesn't always work and I'll say things that piss people off. But I have no qualms about arguing my point, being sarcastic, and saying it like it is.

And I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Perhaps both. But I question everything. I take nothing at face value.

I guess my Middle Eastern features: dark hair, eyes, and complexion. I've been told that I look like America Ferrera but I don't see it...

And maybe my glasses. Supposedly I have that "sexy librarian" thing going on...

I like watching television shows and movies that make me think or evoke some strong emotion, whether it's just to laugh myself silly or contemplate some higher meaning to life.

Some favorite movies: Boondock Saints, Fight Club, The Shawshank Redemption, American History X, The Salton Sea, Donnie Darko, Pulp Fiction, Grandma's Boy, Shaun of the Dead, The Goonies, The Fifth Element, Labyrinth, Dead Poet's Society, almost any Kevin Smith movie, zombie movies.

Favorite TV shows: True Blood, House M.D., Real Time With Bill Maher, Criminal Minds, Modern Marvels, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Psych, ATHF, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Family Guy

Books: I read every day. I can read anywhere from half a dozen to almost 20 books in a week. So listing authors here is pretty pointless.

More and more I'm finding that I not only love zombie movies, but I'm loving zombie books. Who knew? haha!

Favorite comedians: Mitch Hedberg, George Carlin, Greg Behrendt, Lewis Black, Demitri Martin, Lisa Lampanelli, Stephen Lynch

My musical tastes are mostly lyrically driven. If you could see my iTunes, you'd understand. Support local music! I'm always willing to listen to new music that I hadn't heard of or thought to listen to. No music snobs, please. Oh, and Dax Riggs, Ryan Tedder, or mc chris will be my future husband! They just don't know it yet. haha

Favorite food: Persian, Italian, pizza, the marinated feta cheese from Whole Foods. I gave up soft drinks in November 2008 and it sucks. I miss my Vanilla Coke.

Aside from essentials such as food, water, air, shelter, etc.: my electronics: iPod, PS2, car, and iPhone; my friends, books; and cigarettes (I'm a Malboro Lights kinda girl).

Editors

• sidjaman

What I should get for my next tattoo... Sometimes I think it would be great to know the answers to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything... but life is a journey. If you knew the destination, what would be the point?

Well, I hate staying home. Anytime I'm here, I feel like I'm stuck. So on a Friday night, you probably won't find me there. And it's not even about going out and partying. It's about getting out of the house. I like going over to a friend's house and playing video games for hours.

I hang out at the Mag Bar probably more than I should.

There seems to be this pattern to my love life. I meet a funny, interesting, intelligent guy who I can talk and laugh with. The chemistry is great and there's all kinds of sparks. But once sex is involved, the guy becomes crazy or an asshole (or both) and I'm left with nothing but another failed attempt at finding some kind of companionship. It's the story of my life.

Before December 2007, I was celibate (by choice) for almost three years. And I can definitely see advantages to going back to not having sex. Because since then, it sometimes feels like my life has somehow turned into a bad episode of Sex in the City (only with less sex). Recently I've compromised my own sense of right and wrong, my own moral code. I've let my libido make decisions that contradicted my mind. It's made me question my judgment and I've started to re-evaluate my decision-making paradigm. So I think it's time to just stay away from sex until I can trust myself not to make stupid mistakes.

As much as value my solitude and as wary I am of being burned by another guy, I do miss certain things I had in my past serious relationships. Things like companionship, intimacy, comfort. I miss being held in someone's arms and feeling safe. I miss staring into someone's eyes and seeing the whole world. I miss holding hands and late night phone calls. Having someone kiss my forehead. Laying my head on someone's chest and listening to them breathe. It's like I have a case of skin hunger. I can ignore it sometimes, but it never really goes away.

You like talking about music, movies, politics, poetry, books, and philosophy. I'm here for the journey, not the destination. I have a thing for tattooed white boys. I'm looking for serenity, inspiration, and intelligent conversation. I've always been drawn to the creative and passionate types. And if you can make me laugh, I'll adore you forever.

People always ask what I'm "looking for" (as in what kind of a relationship I want) and to be honest, I always believe when you're looking for something, you rarely find it. It's usually when you're not looking for anything is when it comes along.

I do want someone I can spend time with, but I'm not ready to "settle down" and get serious with anyone. At the same time, I'm not looking to casually hook up with anyone either. I do want someone with the same priorities as me... who looks for the same things in their significant other as I do. Maybe I'm looking for all the benefits of a relationship without all the hassle of potential heart break and humiliation. I have a massive fear of rejection, which keeps me from making the first move. I don't message, text, or call first.

In finding the right person you need someone with all the right similarities, yet all the right differences. Someone to read your mind instinctively, yet cover your weaknesses. Someone who understands the darkness in you, as well as the light.

I'm not looking for happily-ever-after or some fairytale prince. I just want someone I can relate to on several levels. A man who is confident (not cocky) and strong-willed, assertive but not aggressive. He needs to have a great sense of humor and be able to laugh at himself. I want a man who is goofy at times but mature when called for. Someone to watch cartoons and play video games with. A man who is honest and open and with whom I can have a good time.

I do like people with a backbone. If you don't put up a fight or at least make your stance known, you get no where with me. I'm not saying that a constant struggle is the ticket. But when everyone gets along and no one has a difference of opinion, it gets boring. No pushovers needed.

And I'm tired of getting involved with hot jerks with nice asses. Not saying looks aren't a factor because we all have our own physical preferences, but I always seem to spark with the wrong type of guy. Bad things seem to happen to me when I get involved with guys currently or formerly in the military. I'm just a little scared to get close to anyone because every guy who ever said, "I'll be there" left. And I'm definitely not looking for someone who blows me off after I meet them.

I guess I always imagined falling in love to be like one of those romantic comedy movies where the handsome lead man meets the lovely female opposite some strange place and the lights dim except for spotlights on them and they have a magical night followed by the typical comedic arguments and frustrations which leads to the big fight and the break up, but through friends, family, and well-placed soundtrack music, they realize they're truly in love and live happily ever after with the love fern and the silly pet names...

What I'm NOT looking for: violence, attention whores, drama, elitists, Mr. Personality turning into Mr. Multiple Personality, weak jawlines, liars, ignorance, fake people, people who are overly sensitive or get pissed off easily, music snobs (Yes, I DO sometimes listen to mall metal!), cheaters (I will NOT be the "other woman" for you!!), flat bills on baseball hats, codependent people (I do NOT need or want to make all your decisions for you), someone who tries to tell me what I should like, posing with alcohol bottles (that's retarded), religious freaks, bad spellers, randoms messaging me for some hookup (I am SO not interested!), hypocrites, show hos, and people younger than me - I'm tired of dealing with fucking jailbait (there can be exceptions to this, but not many).

Fucktards need not apply. Seriously.

Oh, and not all my "personality awards" actually describe me. Some don't even come close.