I'm a 27 year old student living in downtown St. Pete. I like reading, art, music, foreign films, imported and/or fancy beer, and being adventurous.

I like to be active- yoga, pilates, and occasionally running (though I'm working on making it less sporadic). I also spend a lot of time decorating my apartment and you'll usually find me in the middle of some art project or other.

I am not in any way materialistic- I may sometimes think I have too much stuff, but most of my possessions are either books, bargain basement sneakers in a variety of colors, art projects in various stages of completion, or random treasures mined from garage sales or curbside junk piles. I drive a beater Nissan because I think if you can't pay for a car in cash/pay it off in 6 months or less it's a waste of money. I also tend to be a Luddite, and I hate electric can openers and people that press the handicap button on automatic doors unless their arms are full or they're pushing a stroller.

I'm pretty nerdy as well. I once took a Calculus class for fun.... and actually enjoyed it. Blame that on my family- a recent family dinner for my mom's birthday devolved into an obscure word competition followed up by a Civil War trivia battle. Circumlocution and Admiral Farragut for the win!

Describing my personality is hard, especially when you consider the various faces we all put on for the world. Simultaneously confident and awkward, sensitive and analytical, artistic and practical. See also: stubborn.

I like to have adventures, in the very broadest sense of that word. With the right mindset, exploring a used bookstore, wandering down the beach at night, or venturing into a run-down meat market in the dodgy part of town can be adventures. I have just as much fun debating politics as I do wandering through a museum or swimming at the beach or going for a bike ride. I'm fairly easily entertained.

I'm waiting tables at the moment to make ends meet, currently stressing over my application to grad school (seeking a PhD in medieval European history) and trying to find time to write my thesis on Joan of Arc. Boring, right? Except for the plagues, inquisitions, patricide and fratricide and barbarians and warfare. History's a passion of mine, and I just happen to like the bloody and chaotic kind. :)

Once I finish school I envision myself as a professor, an author, and an artist. Speaking of artwork, I'm actually going to be in an art show (my first ever) early next year, and the prospect is delightfully terrifying.

Traveling is definitely on my to-do list. I've only left the country once, and I'd like to do that several more times. I love immersing myself in new cultures and experiences.

art, writing, decorating, cooking, spelling, learning new languages (French at the moment), remembering trivia, and Risk (anyone up for a friendly game of global domination?) I also seem to have a really good sense of direction.

My big blue eyes are definitely my best feature. Maybe the fact that I look like a porcelain doll? I've been told that quite a few times.

Books: anything by Tom Robbins, Chuck Palahniuk, Isabel Allende. I also enjoy Hemingway, Ray Bradbury, lots of non-fiction, and yes, I've read and enjoyed Harry Potter. Who says I can't be a dork if I want to? And I think I'm in love with Salman Rushdie. I like to read a lot, especially now that my TV bit the dust.

Movies: Amelie, Jaws, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Casablanca, Dr. Strangelove, O Brother Where Art Thou, Fargo, the Ladykillers, Scotland, PA, Running with Scissors, Intermission, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Anything funny, funky or foreign.

TV: I no longer own one, but I did enjoy Law and Order, The Venture Brothers, Lost, the History Channel, BBC America, and the Weather Channel. Of all the things I miss about TV, knowing that a cold front is moving through Milwaukee is what I miss most. For the most part, though, I enjoy my television-less existence. I seem to be a lot more productive.

Music: All-time favorite band- the Pogues; Other loves- the Clash, Gogol Bordello, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mischief Brew, Hank Williams, Stiff Little Fingers, the Clancy Brothers, the Dubliners. I generally enjoy punk, reggae, Irish folk, oldies, folk, some older country, and a bit of what I'll vaguely call indie. I think the radio plays garbage 90% of the time.

Food: Indian, French, Thai, anything healthy and natural or indulgent and exotic. Deliciously spicy foods validate my machismo. I eat raw habanero peppers when I have a chest cold- and then I cry. Guess I'm not so tough after all. Tea is delightful. I love Earl Grey and chai, and always have a stockpile of a dozen or so teas on hand.

Tangibles: books, music, friends, beer, Chucks, and the ocean.

Intangibles: intellect, self-esteem, striving for perfection, love, determination, beauty.

Everything from politics to art to good beer and everything in between. I'm interested in psychology, sociology, and biology too.

But mostly, probably, I'm thinking about myself- now doesn't that sound narcissistic and self-absorbed. I mean I tend to overanalyze things- mistakes, failures, relationships, where I'm going with my life, things like that.

I don't seem to have typical Friday nights anymore. I used to work on Fridays, which left little time for fun. Lately I've had Fridays off, but I've been spending a lot more time catching up on homework than going out and enjoying myself.

My "weekends" are generally mid-week.

I've never been on a roller coaster. This must be remedied.

You're into trying new things.

You love music and books.

You worship Shane MacGowan.

You wanna have a chat over a good beer.

You can tell me what circumlocution means without consulting a dictionary.

You have short hair.

You want to hear a funny story about how a Smiths song inspired both 1) my undergraduate thesis and 2) my best friend's next tattoo.