I'm just a girl trying to get through life--staying close with family and friends, obtaining an education and working enough to pay the bills and occasionally go out with friends without going insane. :)

I enjoy meeting new people, although I can be somewhat shy--I have a harder time approaching new people. However, once you get me talking, I can have a hard time shutting up--just let me know if I'm talking your ear off.

I'm extremely close to my family and best friends and spend most of what little free time I have with them--hanging out, watching movies, walking or running the park, going out for a drink and some laughs. And now that I'm with a great guy, he gets a good amount of my time too.

I have recently rediscovered my love of writing and as of late have produced a number of new works of poetry, a couple of short stories and slowly but surely I am working on a longer (potential) novel. If you're interested in reading my work, check out my blog at ledbyalittlechild.blogspot.com. :)

I love to watch football and hockey (HUGE Bears and Blackhawks fan), like taking trips into the city to go to the zoo or a musuem and I enjoy working out--even when it's a chore. I like to camp and hike, play with my chocolate lab and every once in a while I return to my childhood by swinging on the swings at the park.

I'm currently attending school to obtain my licensure in massage therapy--loving it!! I also have a background in psychology and music. I plan on eventually doing one of two things with my degree: a) working with the athletic trainer for a professional football team (preferably the Chicago Bears, but I'm open) or b) working with terminally ill children at St. Jude's hospital. (And yes, I am aware that those on on two very different ends of a spectrum.)

I currently do ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapy with an adorable 4-year-old autistic. It is very rewarding work, even when it's frustrating.

I'm also working at Babies R Us. Yes, it's retail, but I honestly really like it there. My co-workers are great, the job is fun (and a heck of a lot less stressful than my last job) and it gets the bills paid for now while allowing me to focus on my studies.

*Listening to people and helping them find solutions to whatever's not right at the time. *Correcting grammar and spelling mistakes. *Enjoying a sunny breezy day. *Procrastinating. :) *I'm told I give a good massage--they will get better now that I'm in school for it. *reading/writing. *I'm a decent singer. *school/education *martial arts *defending my beliefs and the people I care about

I'm stubborn as hell. Lol. And possibly my smile or the fact that I have a cynical and sarcastic sense of humor.

I read a lot...like, more than I should. If I'm in the middle of a good book I will forget everything else until I finish it. I have been known to sit for hours on end (like 10 or more) just to finish a good book. My bookshelves are stuffed...a 6' case plus 4 shelves on the wall--and that's still not enough space.
**Favorite series: Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Inheritance trilogy (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr) Gemma Doyle trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing), Stephanie Meyer's books (The Host, The Twilight series).
**Favorite books/authors: Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, The Historian, Chronicles of Narnia, the Fountainhead/Nora Roberts, J.R. Ward, Nicholas Sparks, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare.

Movies: (war/history): Braveheart, Glory, Saving Private Ryan, the Patriot, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor (romance/chick flicks): Anne of Green Gables, Ever After, P.S. I Love You, Breakfast Club,Pretty in Pink, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park (action/fantasy) Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings trilogy (sports flicks): Miracle, Remember the Titans, Rocky (1-3 are the best) (drama): 12 Angry Men, A Beautiful Mind (horror): The Haunting, Halloween.

Music: just about anything...I like country, rock, classical, some jazz, punk, little bit of metal...as long as it's got a good beat, I tend to like it.

Food: my dad's homemade lasagna and mint chocolate chip ice cream--I do have a more developed palette than that, I promise.

The Triune God, my family/Chaz, friends, pictures, books and music

*How there are not enough hours in the day. *How much longer until I can drive home and crash into my comfy mattress and pillow. *How much longer I can read before I absolutely have to start my homework. *Whether or not I can afford to move out on my own or if I need a roommate. *How do you know if you're settling?

There is no typical Friday night. Sometimes I work, sometimes I stay in with a good book/movie, sometimes I'm out with friends at a movie or grabbing some drinks. It all just depends on who I'm with and how I feel.

in my opinion, there is really no original way to answer this one...i don't announce my secrets to the world in general, but I am pretty honest, so if you have a question, just ask...99.9% of the time, I'll answer it.

....you want to?.....you need someone to talk to?.......for the hell of it?
Pick one...:) Catch you later!