The random survey
Hi friends! How’s your day going? Hope you’re having a wonderful one so far. We’re on the road to Tucson (wahoo!) so I thought I’d change things up a little for this post. It’s survey time! It’s kind of giving me flashbacks to the MySpace days when surveys ran amok (and picking your “top 8” was a very critical life decision haha). My friend Brittany tagged me in this one, and it was fun to take a little trip down memory lane.
Four names that people call me, other than my real name:
- G
- Jeans
- Brain. (The Pilot and I called each other this. It makes no sense, but neither do we haha.)
- Mom. Mommy. Mama.
Four jobs I have had:
Quite a few random ones on the list. If you ever need someone to teach you how to time step while folding a stack of jeans and choreographing a Zumba song, I’m your girl.
- Dance instructor. I started teaching in high school, and taught jazz, tap, hip hop and ballet. The classes ranged from 3-18 year olds, and ballet was certainly my weakness. For ballet, I only taught the littles (3-4 year olds) and would pretend to sprinkle fairy dust on each one when it was their turn to go across the floor. A dose of real life: many of the girls I started teaching when they were babies are now in college, or have graduated.
- Retail extravaganza (Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Men’s Fragrance contracting, retail management at Target and Belk). I really loved some aspects of retail (my coworkers, always being on my feet, the planning and organization aspects of management), but in the end, I decided it wasn’t for me.
- Personal trainer and group fitness instructor. My dream job, and an awesome way to fuse my dance and teaching background with my love of fitness.
- Blogger. Kind of funny because I’m not techie AT ALL. Love being able to do this, especially for all of the wonderful people I’ve met and interacted with along the way. <3
Four movies I’ve watched more than once:
- Love Actually. I could watch this movie every day, and love to break it out over the holiday season.
- Pretty Woman. Richard Gere. He’s like a fine wine.
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I watch this pretty much each time I notice it’s on TBS. “The love fern! YOU LET IT DIE.”
- Bridesmaids. We still quote this one a regular basis. “I am Mrs. Iglesias.”
Four books I’d recommend:
- The Kite Runner. This book got into my soul, and despite the many books I’ve read since then, it’s always stayed in my heart. It’s a beautiful reminder that no matter where you are in the world, we all deal with the same needs and emotions.
- Eat, Pray, Love. I’m pretty sure this book is what solidified my deep need to visit Italy.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude. I read the Spanish version many years ago a think it’s worth a re-read. Gabriel García Márquez had a beautiful talent for mixing fact and fictional realms. This book was considered his masterpiece, and for great reason; I was captivated the entire time.
- Good to Great. This is a book that transformed my mentality about accomplishing goals. It discusses the common traits that “great” companies possess, and how to implement these strategies in your business or personal life.
- (I have to shout out my book here, too! Don’t forget to reserve your copy for your free ebook! All the details are here.)
Four places I have lived:
- Tucson, AZ. My homeland! I lived there from when I was born until I moved to Fayetteville with the Pilot after college graduation.
(Blast from the past pic!)
- Fayetteville, NC. We weren’t in Fay for very long, but I really liked it. The weather in North Carolina is glorious, the people were kind and lovely, and the base was pretty amazing, too.
- Valdosta, GA. Oh Valdizzy. It wasn’t my favorite spot, but I made some of my closest friends there, and there are some parts that I really miss. I actually told the Pilot that I wouldn’t mind if we went back there eventually, and he just silently stared at me with question marks in his eyes.
- San Diego, CA. If we could stay here forever, I’d be ok with that, too. 😉
Four places I have been:
- The Bahamas. Our honeymoon spot! I think it would be fun to take Liv for a family vacay sometime.
- Rome and Positano, Italy. Take me baaaaaaaack.
- NYC (one of my favorite places in the world)
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Roll tide!
Four places I’d rather be right now:
- Sleeping on a beach. Sleeping anywhere, really. 😉
- Traveling. There are so many places I’d love to visit and see!
- At Disneyland with Liv. She asks to go pretty much every day, and her face when we’re there is one of the best things ever.
- Getting a facial. It sounds so lovely right now.
Four things I don’t eat:
- Pork, lamb, beef. I stopped eating red meat when I was 7, and even though I went through a couple of times where I added it back in, it’s something that has never been a huge part in my diet.
- Many of the fast food chains (even though I’m ok with a Subway salad in a pinch)
- Soda. If I want to drink something bubbly, I prefer something like kombucha or club soda. I also like the Zevia sodas, but don’t drink them regularly.
- Fruity candy. If I’m going to have candy, I want chocolate.
Four of my favorite foods:
- Egg burritos with lots of salsa. The day isn’t a “day” unless I’ve had eggs.
- Dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt. The Ghiradelli sea salt soiree is SO GOOD.
- PIZZA with an egg cracked in the middle.
- Enormous salads with lots of veggies, goat cheese, dressing, chicken and nuts
Four TV shows that I watch:
- Scandal. Olivia Pope is my spirit animal.
- The Voice (I’m behind right now, though!)
- Kardashians. I used to keep it on for background noise, until I realized Liv was paying attention haha. Now I’ll watch pieces every here and there.
- HGTV. We love “Love It or List It” (even though they always seem to love it?) and “Flip or Flop.”
Four things I am looking forward to this year:
- Christmas and spending time with the family
- The book’s release!
- Liv’s birthday vacation
- Getting started on some new exciting projects
Four things I’m always saying:
- “Right?” or “You know?”
- “Lift up from your chest, drop your shoulders, tighten your core, and breathe!” (aka the cues you can use for any class)
- “Let’s go eat.”
- “Helloooooo.”
Four People I Tag:
Please feel free to play along in the comments section! What are 4 jobs you’ve had, your 4 favorite foods, and 4 things you’re looking forward to??
xoxo
Gina
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Oh fun!!
4 jobs: carhop at sonic (haha), Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy, personal trainer, and now Beachbody Coach
4 foods: EGGS!!, trader joes sea salt and turbinado sugar chocolate almonds, sushi and reeeeeally good pizza
4 things I’m looking forward to: watching the bond form between Tripp & Ryleigh, my sisters wedding, Christmas and a mama’s-only trip to Nashville in July!!
Hi Gina! I love this survey, and I completed it a couple weeks ago on my blog too. Such fun! So no red meat? I don’t think I ever noticed that before from your writings and recaps. And I’m not much for fruity candy either. I’ve lived allover Florida and in San Francisco, but that’s it. Looking forward to adding San Diego to the places I’ve visited tomorrow. Have a great holiday! 🙂
FUN! I think I’ll fill this out for Five things Friday! Or well, FOUR things!
I love these surveys!! I love italy too— Florence is my favorite area and the food… well you can’t beat that! Especially for pizza lovers!
4 things I’m looking forward to: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Seeing my boyfriend and going to London (home!)
I was tagged to do this survey too! It was so much fun to fill out!
This post just made me dig through your Italy posts and now I am dyyying to go. All the pizza and all the wine is truly heaven.
Love this!
4 Jobs: Design Intern for an outdoors company, Promotions assistant for a triathlon company, Recruiting specialist, and Business Partner at Google
4 Foods: sweet potatoes, guacamole, sunbutter, and breakfast burritos
4 Things I’m looking forward to: expanding my circle of friends (after a recent move), traveling for work and fun, kicking a$$ at a new job, and finding new ways to volunteer in my area
I love how Scandal obsessed you are! I always ask myself What Would Olivia Do?!
4 jobs.: waitress, cashier (3 places), internal audit intern, accountant (currently)
4 foods: warm bowl of oatmeal, Greek yogurt & fruit bowl, Indian cuisine in general (omg….chicken korma, butter chicken, samosas, yummmm!), and apples…..oh, and just one more…. Nuts!
4 things: my Hubby’s 30th bday surprise (tomorrow!!!), putting up Christmas decorations, traveling to see family, and dowton abbey new season!
I did this survey a couple of weeks ago – so fun!
Have a safe trip to Tucson, I’ll be headed there myself later this week! xoxo
Fun! I’ll play along with one…
4 jobs: Nanny, nursing home diet aide, librarian, and…an elf at the mall during Christmas shopping season (I’m pretty sure this was the most effective form of birth control ever).
Safe travels to Tucson! Tucson is definitely on my go-to list, I’ve never been 🙂
I’ve done this survey a few times and it never gets old! My four favorite foods are carved turkey, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes and dark chocolate!
Ha ha, very cute Gina! I love your imagination(sprinkling fairy dust? I love you already!) Why couldnt you be my dance teacher, or any teacher for that matter?
I was just telling Josh we need to watch Love Actually for the season! I watch it every year!
What are 4 jobs you’ve had, your 4 favorite foods, and 4 things you’re looking forward to??
4 jobs – bank officer, cashier, tutor, engineer
4 foods – french fries, chicken wings, chili, anything with cheese
4 things I’m looking forward to – finish my novel, new job hopefully soon, finishing handmade gifts for Christmas, my next blog post
omg twinnie!!!!!!!!! i need eggs daily too 😀 <3
4 jobs: I was a soldier in the ARMY, then I was a police officer, then probation and parole officer and then an Investigator for the Department of labor.
4 foods: I am Puerto Rican so I love, love, love RICE, Plantains, Avocado and Chocolate
4 Things looking forward to: 1) Moving to Mississippi (new adventure) 1) Growing my blog 3) Decorating my new place and 4) New adventures with my husband and children
It was fun to think about the past jobs I’ve had. Four highlights are: library worker, writing tutor and editor, musician, teacher. Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you not eat pork because you don’t like it? Because pork it white meat not red so it might be another option for dinner!
Also, didn’t you work at Lululemon?
The things I am looking forward to include the holidays (with everything there is to it: a christmas carol concert with the family, giving gifts to loved ones, making chocolates and truffles), and finding “HIIT it” as a Kindle purchase. (The release date is at the end of January in my neck of woods and despite wanting the book, I have to confess I do not want to pay overseas shipping costs.)
Love these quizzes!
4 Foods: Bacon, egg, & cheese bagel sandwiches, Pizza, Spicy Thai food, and ice cream!
4 Jobs: Lifeguard, Hostess (one time at a retirement community, which was ahhh-mazing!), Graduate Teaching Assistant (I taught a research methods lab), and Researcher/Statistician
You just brought me waaay back with the myspace “top 8” – totally forgot about that!! The Kite Runner & Eat, Pray, Love are two of my favs, too!
I’ve had so much fun reading these! I didn’t know you were a dance instructor or that you had been a dancer. It all makes more sense now!
Four jobs I’ve had:
-Horseback riding instructor (high school)
-Bakery/barista gal: (one of my most fun jobs in high school making drinks, filling cannolis, slicing bread, dipping biscotti, decorating cakes, and all those other fun things)
-Chiropractic assistant (college)
-Clinical research coordinator (current position, LOVE)
I always enjoy reading these surveys and learning something new about the blogger! Four favorite foods: 1) any kind of nut butter 2) avocados 3) kale 4) chocolate cake. It’s all about balance right? 😀
Hey!! Fun post-it’s fun getting to know you better! I super hope I get to go to Rome someday!! I’ll have to check out your book list too–I LOVE The Kite Runner–all except for how I cried the whole way through!
I did this survey recently too! So fun. Have a great holiday!
Ummm hiiii….phoenix is on the way. Pit stop for a facial
omgggg. yours are the BEST, too. but, if i stop to see you, we’re not doing facials: we’re doing wine 🙂 miss you friend.
Let’s go eat. Yes. And I’m hungry haha
love you!! this looks fun we will have to work on ours 😉
xoxo
so excited for your book!!
What great throwback pic of you and the Pilot! I love Ghirardelli sea salt soiree! Have a great time in Tucson with your family!
4 fave foods: kale, Thai red curry, Lebanese rice and peas dish (bazella ou riz), and coconuts!!! And now I’m hungry…
I feel like I could totally hear you saying “right?” 😉 Have a lovely Thanksgiving, my friend!
haha! happy thanksgiving! 🙂 xoxo
Completely agree with you on the fruit candy! What’s the point when there is chocolate 😉
I loved this post (yes, I’m just now catching up on my blog reads, haha!)
4 jobs: pole dance instructor, retail & fast food cashier, daycare teacher’s assistant, Human Resources rep
4 foods: kimchi (I’m blasian so it’s a must!), any smoked cheese, ground turkey (chili, meatballs, meatloaf…), and grapes (in the form of wine!)
4 things I’m looking forward to: holidays w/my friends & family in my new place, using my crockpot a little bit more, holiday shopping and bringing in a new year!
your comment reminded me that we need more kimchi around here 🙂
also, i took like 3 pole dancing classes. i was not very good at it haha
Kimchi is so good but can be smelly! My mom’s trick is to leave used coffee grinds in the fridge (uncovered) to absorb the odors…it really works!
OMG! How to Lose a Guy is hands down one of the best movies EVER! I’m laughing in my office just thinking about it. Now I’m going to have to go home and watch it!
Love some Scandal too. It’s the only show I require my husband to be silent and not bother me.
Would love to meet up on your next visit to NYC. If the pilot is coming, he can chat with my pilot. 🙂
Hope you had a nice holiday!