I never know how to start these…

Happy New Year! After many years in Maryland (and two in Michigan), I am moving to Washington sometime this year to be closer to my family. (Most likely some time between April and October.)

I’m as white as it gets, which is probably why I’m attracted to diversity. I love discovering foreign foods, music, culture, etc.

Metal is my favorite musical genre, and I love how diverse it has become. Over the past two years I’ve seen bands from India, Japan, Belgium, Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, the UK, Germany, and Italy. I love that people from different cultures and different parts of the world come together to play and enjoy metal. (I like plenty of other music, too. Jazz, synthwave, reggae, some hip-hop, Christmas music, and pop punk. Love me some Beatles and Johnny Cash, too.)

I have a cat named Chani. She is a brat, because she’s also beautiful and adorable, so she gets away with pretty much anything. She’s also my shadow half the time. I want to get her at least one companion cat at some point.

I got annoyed with the streaming services, so I ditched them and just buy movies and TV shows on Fandango At Home now. If I see something I like on sale for five bucks, I buy it. I’ve been doing that for a couple of years now, and I have almost 400 movies and 42 TV shows. I’ll watch them all someday… (Not a paid sponsor for Fandango At Home, although I’m open to it. wink) I do also very much enjoy going to the movie theater.

I am an introvert, but I do get lonely. Having and maintaining meaningful relationships is important to me. I’m very laid back and chill, and I’ve been repeatedly told I’m good company and I’m a good listener. Which is a big reason why I chose to go back to school to pursue an education in counseling.

I have a lot of emotional trauma, and I’ve had to learn how to dial back my anxiety and aggression. I’ve done that by embracing patience and kindness for others and myself, practicing yoga (inconsistently), hiking, and journaling. Therapy and medication have been instrumental, too. Tea and weed also help.

I’ve been divorced for three years, and I’m a much happier person for it. My marriage was as toxic as it gets, but I learned a lot from it. I love the idea of being in a partnership built on mutual respect and support, where we’re free to balance me-time and time together as we see fit. That kind of trust takes time to develop, though, so I’m in no rush. I’m open to both platonic and romantic friendships. (I say romantic friendship because I want my partner to be my friend.)