A Little More About Me
How would you describe yourself to someone you'd want to date?
Someone with a very sharp, biting sense of humor. Someone who doesn't take herself too seriously and can laugh at herself. Someone who is very disciplined and unapologetically goes after what she wants. Someone who is a fiercely loyal friend and always shows up for the people she cares about.
What I would ask someone I want to get to know intimately
What makes you anxious? What keeps you up at night?
What makes you fulfilled in life?
A lot of my hopes and dreams in life center around my professional life - finding and mastering a domain that's intellectually stimulating and in which I'm always learning something new. I'm a very "hungry" and driven person, which can be both useful and unhelpful attributes, and I don't see that itch to always be committed to and working on something ever really going away. All my life, I've looked up to strong women who muscled their way to dominating their respective industries, and I want to emulate their confidence and finesse and be a trailblazer of sorts in my own professional life. Along those lines, I'm not someone who half-asses things in life. I'm either all in or uninterested - also both a strength and a weakness - so a lot of what I'm working towards now is honing my skills and mastering the things I enjoy. Learning and intellectual pursuits have always been incredibly fulfilling for me and when I feel most in my element. Physical health and continuing to push myself athletically is and will always be an area of life that is extremely important and rewarding for me. Aside from activities that are intellectually stimulating, exercise is the thing the thing in life that makes me the happiest. I could never envision a future where I feel fulfilled that did not largely include physical activity. All that said, I would love to have the opportunity to be more creative and really spend time working on projects that use and build those muscles. I would also like to one day find and marry a partner and somehow navigate having a family while continuing to advance professionally. The idea of being a parent scares me, and while I'm in no rush whatsoever to have a child, it is something I think I will want when the time comes.
When thinking about retirement, what kind of life do you envision?
Although this wouldn't be a conventional "retirement," I could definitely see myself starting a new career in something I've always been interested in but, for one reason or another, didn't pursue professionally - potentially something in diplomacy or foreign service, an area I've had a longstanding interest in. In a similar vein, I plan to the time to master the things I enjoy but have taken a backseat to my career - photography is the first thing that comes to mind for me. I see retirement as an opportunity to refocus on learning. Physical (and mental) health has always been top of mind for me. I love getting to do cool athletic things. For me, retirement would definitely include continuing to focus on taking really good care of my body and pushing myself athletically. Having the ability to stay active when I'm older is extremely important to me. And then, of course, the cliché answer - travel. I want to take advantage of having the time and resources to invest in getting out into the world and exploring.
Describe your perfect day off.
I'm an early bird, so my perfect Sunday would start with an early morning workout (as most of my mornings do). This would be followed by a long beach walk or hike with the dog I will own one day and a friend/significant other or a swim in a (warm-ish) ocean. The remainder of the day would be dedicated to something creative, be it working on a photography project or going to an art museum, and a mellow evening.
I am an expert on
I would like to think of myself as more of a generalist than an expert - while I've always had a tendency to (for better or worse) try to master the areas and activities I'm interested in, there is a myriad of things I'm looking to do in the next 5, 10, 15 years, so I've optimized for being curious about many things as opposed to just a few. That said, I'm always game to talk shop about the Middle East and foreign/domestic affairs. And I love a good spirited debate.
Marriage & Children
- Children: Yes, I want children
- Timeline for Children: 6–10 years
- Marriage Someday: Yes