Tagged!

Travis tagged me for the self-revealing meme, so prepare to be ... er ... revealed to.

1. What were three of the stupidest things you have done in your life?

Oy. This could be so much longer than three things. And I should note that some of these stupid things have resulted in really good things. But here goes.

a) Not valuing myself/sticking up for myself more in high school.

b) Going straight through school (BA-MA-PhD) before figuring out if/why I really wanted to.

c) Putting off writing my dissertation for so many years (copped this one from Travis, but it's oh-so-true for me, too.)

2. At the current moment, who has the most influence in your life?

Living people: My husband Chad. Hands down. Parents would be a close second.
Dead people: George Bernard Shaw (who I'm currently writing about) and C.S. Lewis (who I'm currently reading)

3. If you were given a time machine that functioned, and you were allowed to only pick up to five people to dine with, who would you pick?

a) Joan of Arc
b) Jane Austen
c) Angela Thirkell
d) Socrates
e) my maternal grandfather

4. If you had three wishes that were not supernatural, what would they be?

a) To die at the exact same moment my husband does. (Is that supernatural?)

b) To have two happy, healthy children.

c) To live in a country with universal health care and fundamental respect for human rights.

5. Someone is visiting your hometown/place where you live at the moment. Name two things you regret your city not having, and two things people should avoid.

Two things it's a shame we don't have:

a) more than two months of decent weather
b) greater ethnic diversity

Two things people should avoid:

a) 35W during rush hour (which apparently sometimes happens at 3 pm on Sunday ...)
b) the Mall of America on a weekend. C-R-O-W-D-E-D.

6. Name one event that has changed your life.

Studying abroad in Salzburg for a semester when I was a senior in high school. I almost didn't go, but I'm *so* glad I did. Trips to pre-velvet revolution Prague and Budapest were eye-opening, and I soaked in Europe's art, music, and language like a hungry plant. Made me a life-long travel whore.

7. Tag 5 people.
Lisa
Christopher on his other blog
Bitch, PhD
Lauren
Pepper
Hope they haven't been tagged already!!