26 for my 26th : Facts about me

 My birthday is Sunday. Yay for birthdays! I enjoy getting to know other bloggers & feel like fun fact posts are a great way to do it.

I thought I would share 26 facts about me in honor of turning 26. I would love for you all to play along in the comments & share a random tidbit about yourself!

1. I cannot handle green beans. Like, the smell grosses me out. I always try one when they're served in hopes I'll have an a-ha moment & they'll be delicious. NOPE. They still make me want to gag, every time.

2. Really not a fan of even #'s. Wish I knew why.

3. To go along with #2, you'll see me setting my alarm for like 611AM, not 610 or 615. That would be too easy.

4. If I could eat one food every day for the rest of my life it might be soft pretzels with cheese. Beer cheese, super fake-y nacho cheese. Whatever. I love it all.

Soft pretzel stuffed with cheese & bacon. Life does not get better than this.

5. I don't carry a purse. It makes it too easy to be a hoarder. All of a sudden I've got like a box of granola bars, 2 bottles of water, a pair of (clean) socks, Tums, my planner, a pen & a library book in there. Trust me. It has happened.

6. I always end my gas purchases on the same cent value. My Dad always told me to do that when I was younger & it stuck. Not sure if it makes any difference, but it would be very easy to spot a gas purchase I did not make.

7. I ran 2 full marathons in 2011, but didn't run my first 5K until 2015.

8. I've owned 2 cars, both have been manual transmission. The first by force, the second by choice. I call it my built in anti-theft protection.

9. A D1 rowing scholarship is what brought me to college in Pittsburgh.

10. My first job was as an attendant at a combination laundromat // tanning salon, called the Wash & Tan. My second job was re-shelving books at the local library. I got to wear jeans + t-shirts, & listen to my iPod all day, it was pretty much perfect.

11. I picked my college major, Supply Chain Management, because I saw a house built out of shipping containers that I thought was neat. & I knew SCM could maybe help me get my hands on some old shipping containers. Bless my crazy brain because I'm so glad I picked it.

12. I was named after my great-grandfather. No, that's not a typo. Yes, my parents knew I was going to be a girl.

13. I've been to 48 states. It was my parents goal to get my brother & I to all 50.

14. I biked across the country (Jacksonville, FL to Monterey, CA in 2012, all 4,199 miles of it). And I have the grainy old cell phone picture of my tan lines to prove it.

15. I climbed (and summited) Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2015, find those posts here & here.

16. I'm not a lefty, but you'll usually find me eating left handed, or using my mouse left handed. Which I didn't notice until someone asked me about it a few years back.

17. I have a younger brother, who, proud big sister moment, hiked the WHOLE Appalachian Trail last summer. From Georgia to Maine. Crazy runs in the family.

18. In 2012, right after college graduation I chopped off all my hair & donated it. It's finally back past the length it was, 3.5 years later & I'm considering doing it all over again. Sans faux hawk of course.

19. I've never dyed my hair.

20. My parents are the king & queen of unique vacations. In 2011 we went to Minnesota & drove old retired war tanks. I got to use one to crush a car, which was pretty damn neat.

21. I found out I was allergic to Penicillin AFTER it was given to me following wisdom teeth surgery.

22. I'm living in my 5th house since 2012. I'm pretty much over moving.

23. I've spent several seasons coaching local rowing programs here in Pittsburgh. I loved every second of it. I hope to one day return, but right now my schedule just will not allow it.

24. My random roommate assignment for my freshman year of college was already a friend of mine from back home. We had originally decided not to room together, but student housing had a different plan. It worked out great.

25. I got locked in the zoo as a kid because my babysitter didn't pay attention to the announcements that the zoo was closing. Luckily it only lasted a few minutes before they unlocked the gates & let us out.

26. My 21st birthday consisted of going gambling & drinking strawberry daiquiris with my Mom at midnight. She's pretty much the best.

Share a random fact about yourself.

Can you relate to any of my tidbits?

Any former rowers // coxswains out there? 

I'm linking up with Amanda today to share.