Day 8 of 30

Today is Thursday, and that means it's writing prompt day! I am going to answer Day 8 of 30 in my 30 Day Blog Challenge. As always, you can read about the challenge by clicking here.

Today's Challenge: 8. What are five passions you have?

This one is easy, and it's also extremely fun to think about!

1. Inspiring. When I say this, I am not only talking about inspiring as a teacher. Yes, I love being a cheerleader to my students and giving them hope that they can achieve whatever they want to if they work hard. I also hope I inspire others in my life on a daily basis. I try to live a good life, and I hope that rubs off on people.

2. Reading. This one should be no surprise to anyone, really. I don't know how old I was when I read my first book, but I know that I was read to a LOT as a child. I loved that, and my favorite time of the week was going to the library, running inside, and sprinting to the Curious George and Amelia Bedelia books. Getting lost in a good story is still important to me as an adult. It's how I wind down at night. I always read before sleeping because it clears my head. I think life would be boring without books. I learn so much from reading, and I find that extremely important.

3. Writing. Again, this one is a no brainer. I have been writing since I was young, and it's always been something I was interested in. In elementary school, I wrote stories for contests. In middle school, I wrote collaboratively with friends online. (Yes, I wrote about the Olsen twins, and yes, I recently found those stories!). In high school, I wrote for classes and for fun, often keeping a blog (Xanga) about my day to day life. In college, I majored in English Education, and that meant lots of papers. I didn't complain. I love writing papers. After graduating, I wrote an entire novel during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month -- click here to find out more about it). Now, I keep this blog because writing allows me to get my feelings out. It's an outlet, but it's a fun one where I can be creative if I want and serious if I want.

4. Animals. Not only do I love my own two cats (Gilligan and Stormy) immensely, but I also think about my old cats who still live in Missouri with my mom (Sugar Ray and Jupiter) each and every day. I have grown up with pets (mostly cats: Samantha, Otis, and a few others who had leukemia and passed away as kittens) but also some (almost) twin brother dogs (R.C. [Rover Cleveland] and Joker [Thomas Jokerson] who were the most amazing in the world. I'm not a fan of other animals as pets, but I am very compassionate toward animals. I couldn't imagine my life without pets, and I certainly couldn't imagine the world without other animals as well. They are so important to me, and I always want to help them. I worked at an animal hospital through college, and it was an amazing experience, and one day, I hope to be able to do more. Our honeymoon in South Africa is calling my name right now...

5. Running. Without running, I would be a basketcase. Seriously. Running is like having a therapist for free, and it even gives added health benefits that I enjoy! I don't make time to run every day like I should, but I am getting better at being more consistent. If I'm angry, I take it out on the ground with each step I take. On the days I don't run, I feel it the next day in the worst way: my temper is shorter with the kids at work, and I just feel "off" all day. It makes me feel good about myself, and it radiates inside me with the self confidence I gain during and after each good run. The whole staying in shape aspect doesn't hurt, either!