I'm friendly, curious, open-minded, sometimes fickle, and fun.

I like to travel off the beaten path to countries the State Department warns you about, but at the moment my passport is expired. I study Arabic and French, but never seem to get much better at either.

I love to write fiction and humorous non-fiction. Grammar mistakes will bug me for days, but I've come to terms with my horrible spelling. I'm always reading. I'm a big fan of the Oxford comma, but have had to give it up now that I mainly work with AP Style.

I love happy hour with friends. I think drinking at lunch should be encouraged and drinking with brunch is even better. I like to see independent films at the Charles in Baltimore.

I love the sunshine and the water, making summer my favorite season.

We can go camping or hiking as long as I don't get poison ivy, but I would prefer a trip to a museum in DC, Philadelphia, or New York.

I really enjoy yoga, but I don't fit it into my schedule as often as I should.

I take way too many pictures of myself in bathroom mirrors.

And I think I went a little nuts with the brackets.

I'm going through a transitional period. A recent lay-off coupled with my divorce has made me reevaluate what I want out of this life. And I'm not sure I know the answer just yet. But for the moment I'm a freelance writer/editor while I try to figure a few things out and tie up a few loose ends. That's a fancy way of saying I'm currently unemployed.

I'm tempted to call all of this a mid-life crisis, but I simply refuse to believe I'm "mid-life" at only 33. And despite all this, I've never been happier. Go figure.

Procrastinating. Proofreading. Puzzles.

Also, alliteration and assonance.

Maybe onomatopoeia on occasion?

Editors

• Barry_Z_O_F

I'm always being told I have a great smile.

Books: Lonely Planet guidebooks, Jane Austen novels, Anna Karenina, Atlas Shrugged, The Handmaid's Tale, Anais Nin short stories and anything by Anne Tyler. Little Women is my favorite novel from childhood. Non-fiction like The Tipping Point, Blink, The J-Curve and Freakonomics. The Brothers Karamazov is my current read. I would love to chat about it with you if you've read it.

Movies: Secretary is my favorite movie and not just because of the kink. Shaun of the Dead still makes me laugh after repeated viewings. I just saw The Warriors for the first time and I love it. Most recently I've enjoyed Bottle Shock, District 9 and The Hangover. I'll play a drinking game with you while we watch a double feature of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. I'm a sucker for a superhero flick. Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond.

Music: Madonna, Linkin Park, Ani DiFranco, Duran Duran, Lily Allen, The Police, Akon, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Timbaland, anything from the 80's, and embarrassingly bad hip-hop. I'm trying really hard to like Radiohead. Honest. Pink's Funhouse is the current soundtrack to my life.

Food: Mexican, Mediterranean, Japanese. Fresh-baked French bread. Cupcakes with just the right amount of icing. The perfect hand-carved turkey sandwich. Fresh mango and sticky rice. And nothing beats a great steak. But I hate brussel sprouts, lima beans, and organ meats. Blech. I enjoy cooking, but I'm not very good at it.

Slightly less than serious:

1. Podcasts of NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!

2. MacBook w/reliable wi-fi

3. Book Stores

4. Good Coffee

5. Freshly Sharpened Pencils and Unlined Paper

6. Lip Gloss

Happiness.

Career.

Sex.

Things I should be doing that I'm not.

Things I'm doing that I shouldn't be.

Trying to find something fun to do - either on my own, with family or with friends.

I like to pack bento for lunch. People are alternately amazed or concerned about my mental health when they see my intricately packed lunches. If you know what bento is, you probably think I'm weird now. If you don't know what bento is, you'll think I'm weird after you Google it.

You're just dying to see photos of my bento lunches.

I can convince you to tag along to a film at the Charles or brunch at the Visionary Art Museum.

You like to laugh.

You're okay without labels, deadlines or set agendas when it comes to relationships.