33 Things

Today, instead of the typical Thursday Things, I have for you 33 Things. This special edition is a link up to my friend Jessie over at The Right Fits.

I met Jessie through Calhoun Beach Run Club. She is pretty awesome and so is her blog. The Right Fits focuses on fashion and fitness where Jessie writes all about fitness apparel, race reviews, fitness classes around Minneapolis, marathon training, and her and her husband’s quest to run a marathon in all 50 states! If you haven’t checked out The Right Fits go do it right now (or after you finish reading this post).

When Jessie asked if I wanted to link up and share 33 random things about myself, I said sure. So, here I go…

1. I don’t take selfies. I just can’t. I never know what to do with my hands… or my face. Here and there I’ll Snapchat [unattractive] selfies to my sister, but those disappear (hopefully?). So if I am ever in a picture by myself it is either very candid or I am concentrating very hard on trying to look normal.
2. My birthday is April 18. I’ll be turning 28 this year and am super excited about it.
3. I grew up on a farm in Hutchinson, MN. It’s been in the family for over 100 years. Growing up I enjoyed afternoons of building forts in the hay barn, singing to the baby calves, hanging out with my pygmy goat, finding barn cats, and playing hide and seek throughout the farm with my siblings, but then there was the rock picking, unloading bails, sorting cows, chores, etc, etc…
4. My dad is a farmer and my mom is a high school Family and Consumer Sciences (AKA Home Ec) teacher. They are the coolest.
5. I have 3 siblings and we are all J’s: Jon, Jaci, Jordan (and me, Jenna). They are all amazing. We have a lot of inside jokes about The Simpsons. Then there is my sister-in-law Kristin. Her name doesn’t start with a J, but we still love her very much.
6. My two favorite hobbies are (if it’s not obvious from my blog content) working out and baking. I like to think this leads to a balanced life.
7. I tend to be very optimistic and rarely complain.
8. From 1^st through 8^th grade I went to a small Lutheran school in the country. There were 5 people in my class.
9. When I was younger I used to want glasses, so I would occasionally shine a flashlight in my eyes. I still have 20/20 vision, but no longer try to blind myself.
10. In 5^th grade I started band and played the clarinet. In 7^th grade I switched to the oboe, then switched to the bassoon in 9^th grade, which I played through the remainder of high school. I have been playing the piano since I was 5.
11. In high school my friends and I dubbed ourselves as the “Steady Sexy”. We were significantly more awkward than sexy in high school, but we loved alliteration more than we loved accuracy. We are still super close to this day and just celebrated our 11th Annual Christmas Extravaganza this past December.
12. My worst grade in high school was an A-. One was in Keyboarding 1 and the other in PE. My favorite class was AP Calculus. Then I went to college and got a C in Geology fall of my Freshman year. I had other priorities. Don’t worry, it all worked out.
13. When I started college I received a free housing scholarship to live in the Alpha Kappa Psi co-ed business fraternity house. I ended up pledging the fraternity. It truly shaped my college career (the people, the leadership experiences, the professional development, the parties). I lived in the house for 3 years. It was dirty and gross, but I loved it.
14. I graduated for the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management in May 2009 with majors in Marketing and Supply Chain Management and a minor in German Studies. I was super involved at Carlson all through college and currently serve on the young alumni board (GOLD).
15. I drink my wine red, my coffee black, my beer hoppy, and my water lukewarm.
16. I love musicals. I wish life was a musical, but I can’t sing, nor can I dance. EXCEPT for my signature moves: One, Two, and Twone.
17. I have low blood pressure and tend to stay very calm and mellow.
18. During my freshman year of college I won a trip to Europe (crazy, I know!). Since then I have travelled to 15 countries and 22 states.
19. In college I studied abroad in Berlin, Germany. It was the most amazing experience.
20. I still have my wisdom teeth and am scared to get them pulled out.
21. Breakfast foods are my favorite foods. Hands down. Mediterranean and pizza tie for second. All other foods come in third.
22. My best friend and I go on an international trip ever year. Next up: Peru!
23. My first job (outside of working on the Duesterhoeft farm) was corn de-tasseling (for other farms). Other previous jobs include McCormick’s Hostess, JO Volleyball coach, Minnesota Daily Marketing Coordinator, U of MN Child Care Center employee, OMS 2550 Peer Assistant, and GAP sales associate. I like having jobs. Usually more than one. Right now I have three.
24. I started working at General Mills as an intern at our Belvidere, IL plant and then started full time in August 2009. Since then I have had 4 different job titles, 9 different roles, and 10 different managers. In February I just started my newest role as the Customer Service Facility (CSF) Operations Lead for Canada.
25. I became a Certified Personal Trainer in February 2014. Now I am a backup personal trainer at Custom Fitness. I also manage City Running Tours in Minneapolis.
26. My first “race” was a 5K in 2006 that I had to run/walk. My next race was a half marathon in 2010. Since then I have run many 5Ks, 3 half marathons, 3 full marathons, a Ragnar Relay, a Tough Mudder, and other races of various lengths (1 mile, 7K, 10 mile, 30K, 20 mile, etc).
27. I bought my condo in September 2011 and am still so in love with it.
28. I like knitting, cross-stitching, and quilting. Basically, I’m as cool as your grandmother.
29. I am terrible at making appointments: oil change, dentist, doctor, haircut, you name it. I also only check my mail about once a month and wash my car… rarely.
30. I am an extroverted introvert.
31. Will Ferrell is my #1 celebrity crush.
32. I am a terrible storyteller. Sometimes it is too detailed, sometimes it is too vague, sometimes it is too long and I just want to quit in the middle of telling it. BUT I always find $5.
33. I really have the coolest friends.

So that’s me in a nutshell of 33 random things. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks to Jessie – who is, by the way, en route to Tokyo to run the TOKYO MARATHON!!!! – for letting me link up with her. Don’t forget to check out The Right Fits!