Remember about a couple of years ago when it was all the rage to write lists about yourself and post them to Facebook/ your blog/ Myspace/ any other form of social media?
Digging through the interwebs this morning, I found this list that I had written around the time I turned 20. I don’t know what compelled me to write some of the stuff I did, I guess my priorities and what I viewed important at the time are different from this moment in time.
So I thought it would be fun to re-post this here with my present-day commentary since a lot has changed since then.
Some Things You Should Know About Me- (written by 20 year old me in 2011)
1- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Beirut, Lebanon are the two places I call home. That hasn’t changed. I feel like my heart will always be separated between the two. But I also hold Maastricht, the Netherlands near and dear because of that year of graduate school 
2- There is nothing in the world that would ever stop me from loving books and music. The combination of the two equals pure happiness. True. My greatest happiness still comes from plugging in my earphones and having a good book with me. I don’t read as much unfortunately due to time constraints. But when I do, you can’t talk to me.
3-I was one of those people who just could not wait to get out of high school. This summer marks my seventh year since graduation. I haven’t looked back and feel I am in a much better place right now.
4- I define myself as ambitious, optimistic, and crazy-in-a-good-way. Pretty much how I still think of myself. I have to say though that my “crazy” has calmed down a bit to make way for a more calm and collected approach to things.
5- Everything I do, I do it out of love and utmost dedication, which is why I sometimes have a hard time committing to something I no longer feel passionate about. That’s still true, too. I don’t have a short attention span but I feel interested in so many things at the same time and want to just accomplish. Which is why, when I see a dead-end, I tend to quit. Like learning German cases.
6- I have all the notebooks and scraps of paper I’ve written my poetry and short stories in one gigantic folder. And that folder kept on growing and growing until it became one big closet.
7- I never throw away anything that reminds me of the amazing people I know or the amazing times I’ve had. My inner Leslie Knope feels like I should scrapbook all those little things like ticket stubs and guides and whatnot to better manage everything.
8- I will most probably go on to work at a hospital. Of all the things on this list, this is by far the truest, and I’m sitting at my desk laughing so hard at this.
9- But my dream jobs are either a music critic, best-selling author/poet, or lyricist. It’s cool, come to think about it, until you consider I have a severe case of writer’s block. And none of these jobs are really income generating.
10- Taking a week off to go on vacation every year is of extreme importance to me. In 2007, I fell in love with Thailand. Close second is Rhodes, Greece I’m always planning my next vacation. Also, I have been so fortunate to travel to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, and Malta since then. I especially loved exploring Berlin and Malta.
11- I am never disconnected- something that has become a running joke among my friends. I’m very pro-technology and my smartphone is truly my best friend. I see nothing wrong with that.
12- For reasons I don’t understand, the 80s are my favorite decade. I understand now. The 80s seem awesome!The music, the hair, the carefree attitude!
13- I’ve had my fair share of heartbreak but I’ve learned that life goes on. Oooo, look at me upping the drama! Thankfully, I’m happily engaged now and those days have past.
14- Most music on the radio these days just doesn’t make sense to me. I know my fiance will laugh when he reads this because the radio is always, always on in the car!
15- I don’t get nervous when I have to give a presentation or sing. The last word to describe me would be shy.
16- I am writing this list to avoid doing my paper. Also, I love reading lists. Writing them is another story.Ah, procrastination, nothing’s changed. I’m writing this to avoid working.
17- When I get attached to a song, it’s very hard for me to get over it. Speaking of which, my favorite song ever is Truly, Madly, Deeply- Savage Garden Oh God, the amount of jokes this got! I still love that song but my taste is a bit more diversified.
18- As much as I love poetry, I have not written a decent poem in two years. Instead, I have used all that creative energy to blog and write journalism. With the exception of a minor in Creative Writing and a brief stint working for a regional magazine, I haven’t written anything decent in ages. Let’s hope that changes soon.
Beyond Beirut 