Featured Member: Alexandra
Welcome to September, Featers! We’ve successfully climbed out of the doldrums of summer to bring you our latest Featured Member.
Meet Alexandra…a renaissance soul who loves life, books, and salsa.
1. We think it’s awesome that you’re studying community health and that you’ll be doing your internship with a local children’s center – obviously, community health is something we’re very interested in! We’re curious, how were you drawn into this field?
I am one of those people who loves so many different things, so choosing a major was really hard for me! But I started realizing that the things I valued most in my daily life were health and lifestyle related. Those were the articles I read, the magazines I bought, and the things I liked to spend time thinking about. I was naturally drawn to exercise, healthy eating, the environment, etc. So it was really freeing to realize that! I also really love to work with people, so I liked that this field gave me so many great options and ways to help others.
2. You describe yourself as a salsa connoisseur, which is lucky because we just happen to be salsa lovers. What in your opinion makes the best salsa?
Yes, I am! Mexican food in general is something that I just LOVE! Salsa, though, is really what adds the interest for me! It adds the kick and excitement to any Mexican food, and really many non-Mexican foods as well. For me, a good salsa is fresh and chunky with lots of lime and lots of garlic. I love to experiment with fresh salsas at home. But I’ve also found a few really great organic ready-made options from the store that are pretty darn good!
3. We were perusing your blog (which we so often do) and came across your summer bucket list. How many things have you crossed off so far? Which one(s) were the most memorable?
Thank you! Blogging is a hobby of mine that I really enjoy. I do it for myself, I like to track my goals and record my memories there. But it’s definitely a bonus when others appreciate it as well! The summer bucket list has been a great project for me and my husband. It has kept us busy this summer! So far, we have completed 33 things out of 50! Which I think is pretty great; it is a rather ambitious list!
Definitely the most memorable experience from the list was taking a road trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul to see Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto show. I have been an avid Coldplay fan since “Yellow” came out; I know nearly every song, so the fact that we had an opportunity to go to this show was so amazing! The music was incredible, and the visual aspects of the show were just over-the-top and breathtaking. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
4. Imagine your future self shows up at your house to tell you something. What do you think she’d say?
Hmm, this is a hard one. I think my future self would probably tell me not to worry so much about the future. Right now I am in a place where I am about to graduate with my undergraduate degree, and I really don’t know what is next. I am one of those people who hates waiting around and doing nothing. So the fact that I don’t know what to work toward leaves me feeling like I’m treading water rather than swimming. Despite these anxieties I know that everything will work itself out, I just get a little overwhelmed. My future self would probably say that these few years ended up being really great and that I just need to keep my eyes open for signs and take every opportunity. So that is what I am going to try to do.
5. If you came across a burning library (I know, perish the thought!) and you had enough time to run in and save just one book, what would it be and why?
Oh no! That would be so awful! I love so many books, from so many genres so this is a pretty hard one for me. But I guess if I had to choose just one, I would choose Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One by Margaret Lobenstine. It is this fantastic book for people like me who love so many things that it’s hard to choose what to do. Especially in a world that encourages us to find and follow our passion. Some of us really don’t have just one! So this book is a fantastic comfort to me, and it helps me focus on the values and activities that are important to me at a specific time. By developing those I can meet all my needs and rotate my activities based on that. The author is so great and helps you map out how you can turn multiple passions into a career or income. It’s especially helpful in times like now, when I am trying to decide my next big step in life! I highly recommend it to anyone who feels similarly!
