Introductions

Hey!  I supposed introductions are due, so here we go!  I’m Natalie, a blonde gal wandering through life’s adventures looking for that one spot where everything just seems to fit.  I enlisted in the Army on 17 September 2001 (I was 19) and am coming up on my 11^th anniversary this fall.  I’ve traveled the world and the country, met a lot of awesome people, experienced plenty of different cultures, and overall, I’ve enjoyed my service.  Although my service has become a large part of my life, it doesn’t define me as a person.   

Through my travels and adventures, I’ve learned that I absolutely love the outdoors.  I get cabin fever pretty quickly, so even if I go out back, dig my camp chair into the snow, brave 20 below temperatures, and throw snowballs into the woods for the dog, I have to be outside. 

I also love to eat.  I suppose it’s more than just eating and more like enjoying food.  Cooking and food didn’t interest me until I came back from Afghanistan and swore that I would never eat another grilled cheese sandwich with butter painted on the bread, steak boiled then fried on the same grill as bacon and eggs, or deep fried crap.  Now, when I travel, I eat and drink instead of buy knick knacks.  It’s a much better way to develop friendships, meet great people, learn the culture, and enjoy the culture. 

My love of food means that I love to work out, too.  When faced with slowing metabolism and hips (damn you, puberty), I realized I had to give up my crème brulee and paella or start working out a whole lot more.  I decided on the latter.  It compensates for my love of beer and wine, as well. 

And a few more boring pieces of trivia:

I love rom coms.  Yup, I cry, too.

Although I haven’t cried out because of a double rainbow, I get pretty caught up in the amazing beauty that surrounds us in nature.

I love my dog.  Laugh at me, go ahead.  His name is Lance, which is short for his official name, “My Knight in Shining Armor.”  He saved my heart from the abyss of bitterness and anger after deployment.

I don’t do CrossFit.  I don’t like CrossFit.

Doing things alone doesn’t bother me.  Going to eat, seeing a movie, shopping, hiking.  I find a certain strength in solitude.

My family means the world to me.  My family goes beyond blood, always has and always will.

And, finally, my nephew has told me, “You know, you’re pretty cool.  Why do you always come off as a standoffish bitch?”  Hah.  Take that for what it’s worth.  J