Last year when I did my Ask Me (Almost) Anything posts I got all “fancy” and organized questions by theme. This time, I’m throwing caution to the wind and plan to answer questions reader-by-reader.
Look at me living life on the edge.
If you have any burning questions you’d like to ask, feel free to list them in the comments below or use my handy Google form. I can always do more Ask Me (Almost) Anything posts after NaBloPoMo (which is almost over – where did the time go; also, thank goodness I don’t have to plan daily posts forever).
Enough chatter – some Q&As. I’ll be back with Part 2 tomorrow!
FROM COCO (OUR NEW JOURNEY)
Q. How would your kids describe you?
Here are the first three words that came to my mind about what they would say: Tired. Organized. Safe*.
*As in a safe person in which they can confide, but also risk averse.
Then I thought: I can just ask them! Their answers…
12-year-old daughter: Introverted [how fitting this was her first descriptor], flexible [I am neither flexible in body nor mind, so I’m at a loss on this one], compassionate [really? you don’t seem to think this when I’m dealing with sibling fights], tired [okay, I nailed that one], not artistic [ouch], a problem solver [I’ll take this!], organized [nailed it again], a good listener [close to safe?].
9-year-old son: Pretty, kind, caring, generous [aww shucks…how sweet]. He may have also mentioned something about flatulence, but we’ll just leave that one off the list.
Q. What do you appreciate the most from your spouse?
Big answer: I appreciate his unconditional love.
Little answers:
- He’s always in my “corner.”
- I’m so glad we enjoy spending time together and that our interests (music, movies, art) largely overlap.
- Acts of service. It’s my love language. I came out to the kitchen on Saturday morning and the counters were all washed, a candle was burning, and the dishwasher was empty. I felt SO loved.
- Our weekly date nights when he cooks (which, admittedly, is an act of service).
Q. How do you keep in touch with your friends?
I text various friends weekly, but have really honed in on my closest friendships in 2023 and have directed almost all my energies into those relationships. My best friend and I try to meet weekly to have coffee or go for a walk together and I really treasure that time. I find meeting for coffee is a great neutral activity; delicious, enjoyed by all, but it can lead to deeply meaningful conversations.
I try to reach out to friends when something catches my eye or mind; like I’ll text a particular friend a new song if I think she’d like it, share a recipe, or ask for advice. Not necessarily anything long and involved but these little interactions help maintain ongoing connection.
Q. What’s something that you changed your mind about lately?
Define lately? The biggest shift in my thinking has been eating intuitively for the last 1.5 years. I used to spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about what I was going to eat, feeling guilty about what I ate, and trying different eating habits (intermittent fasting, Whole30). Now, I rarely think about food. I eat what I want when I want and have, for the most part, changed my perspective about food/wellness/weight.
Q. What’s your relationship with your siblings?
At times complicated, but we all love each other. I’m closest to my sister in South Carolina. Being the youngest (by a big margin – 8 years to my closest sibling), I have a unique relationship as an adult since my siblings had a lot to do with raising me as a baby!
FROM MICHELLE G (MG DOODLE STUDIO)
Q. What is your least favorite food?
Quiche. This is ironic since I LOVE eggs. But something about pastry and cooked eggs. Blergh.
Q. Do you like mushrooms?
They’re tolerable. Never raw, and I prefer if they’re diced fine and cooked.
Q. Do you name your vehicles? If so, some examples?
We don’t really name vehicles and tend to just call them by their brand name. Sometimes we’ll say something like “It’s time to get in Old Bessie” to refer to our 2011 car.
Q. What silly things make you laugh?
I LOVE to laugh. Memes make me laugh. My husband. Sitcoms (Frasier, Parks and Rec, The Office – in that order).
Q. Do you have any funny stories about something you said as a child or something your children said?
I feel like we have a lot of inside jokes about things our kids said when they were little. Like the line “Chris, you smell like…a peach!” and “Because Mama’s my best frieeeennnnddd” can make us all laugh very hard, but it’s only funny to our family.
I also enjoy thinking back to how my kids used to pronounce things. Li-berry (library), bah-zert (dessert), agoo (yogurt). And one of my kids still calls cigarettes “sing-gur-ettes”. It makes me happy they don’t know how to pronounce the word, but the mistake also makes me chuckle.
FROM ERNIE (NO SMALL FEET)
Q. What kind of work do you do? Did you go to college for said job? What is your dream job? Do you feel like your job is just a job or is it more of a career?
I am finishing up a role as a university research project manager. I am stepping back at the end of December which will leave me with two part-time roles: director of communications for a consulting business my husband and I co-own, and a student support coordinator at a university. More details here.
I did not go to university for any of these roles specifically. My background is Biology. After I graduated with my Master’s degree, I started working in environmental monitoring/land-use management, and that opened doors for subsequent opportunities.
My work is definitely a job and not a career. I ended up having a baby right after I finished my graduate degree and…life has been busy ever since.
Dream job? So many! Traveling the world and taking photos for a living (with John). I think I would LOVE this. Broadway singer. Location scout for movies. If I could sew, costume designer. Time management/minimalism motivational speaker (I’m an introvert, but I actually like public speaking). Published non-fiction author.
FROM LISA (LISA’S YARNS)
Q. If you could go anywhere on vacation without factoring in cost, where would you go?
I’m having a hard time coming up with ONE destination; I really want to go back to Iceland (ironic, since I hate the cold), but really I just want to go everywhere!
I’ll reframe the question a bit to how would you like your next vacation to play out. I think I’d like to go on a vacation where I didn’t plan ANYTHING. As in I would go into the trip blind and wouldn’t have to do a single thing other than show up (tell me whether I’m packing for heat or cold). I feel a lot of pressure (100% from myself, John is much more laid back) to find hidden gems and plan great itineraries when we travel. And we have AWESOME trips, but I’d love for someone to crawl into my brain, figure out what I love, and schedule it ALL. FOR. ME.
Q. Do you and John talk about retirement (timing, where you might live, etc)?
Yes. A dream would be to have a second home or a time-share near the ocean. John is from Portugal and the idea of spending Canadian winters there sounds pretty idyllic (we both hate snow/cold).
We both see ourselves doing some humanitarian work in retirement (John worked in Africa right before we met and a piece of his heart will always remain there. My parents did two long-term volunteer stints in Liberia right after my mom retired and I can see us doing something similar). John would also enjoy being an angel investor.
We’d like to travel the world together if health and finances allow.
I’m secretly hoping for grandkids, and I’d like to be very involved with them. I recognize how exhausting parenting is and I’d love to “lighten the load” for my own kids. Plus, grandparenting feels like all the perks of parenting with none of the emotional responsibility and middle-of-the-night feedings.
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! I’ll be back tomorrow with another round of Ask Me (Almost) Anything.
Your turn. What are your dreams for retirement? Least favourite food? Does anyone enjoy quiche? What is your dream job? If you have kids, how would they describe you? Do you like to plan your vacations or do you outsource that to a spouse, friend, or travel agent?
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I would like to also do your dream jobs (travel, photography, movie location scouting, which could also be looped in with the first two…so many good things about all of these)! Also I can plan trips for you but I don’t really know the inside of your brain yet. I love planning vacations, sometimes that is almost as fun as doing them. BUT. A huge but. I hate picky or particular people, or ones that are late, or change their mind at the last minute, or flake! So I am not sure I really want to be a travel arranger for others, maybe just a select few, weeded out people!
When I retire I will travel until I find somewhere I want to settle and then I will settle until I get tired of that. I have no idea how long any of those periods will be, but that is the plan for now! I always wanted to do the Peace Corp or something like that, and who knows, maybe that will factor in as well at some point. The world is our Oyster, Elisabeth!
Elisabeth
Would being a movie location scout be SUCH A COOL JOB????
Planning a vacation can be fun after I’ve done the bare basics, but getting started always feels very, very overwhelming to me.
The world is our oyster <3
Grateful Kae
These are all so great! I love the kids’ descriptions of you. I should try asking my kids that and see what they say. But knowing them, they would have a hard time answering seriously and would probably say something like “stressed! Crabby!” Hahaha. (Errrr, wait, or would that actually be a serious answer?? lol.)
I have never tried quiche. Can you believe it?? I feel like I would probably like it fine, I think. I am not sure though.
We sometimes fantasize about retiring somewhere in Mexico and living somewhere laid back (maybe a cute, quaint little town) and warm and with really good tacos on our doorstep. But, I am not sure I actually see us doing this, because depending on where the kids end up, I can’t really see myself living really far away from them. If one or both chose to settle fairly near us, it would be very hard for me to then pick up and move thousands of miles away. Also, life in Mexico is really different. And while it’s so fun to visit, not sure I want to live there long term. Although, our retirement $ would certainly stretch farther there!
Elisabeth
I told the kids they could say things like “yelly” which they, mercifully, didn’t! If the worst ones were about farting and not being artistic, I can handle it!
Take my word for it – quiche is gross. Blergh.
sarah
Love this– it makes me think about how Minnie (the baby by 7 years!!) will answer the sibling question someday.
Elisabeth
I was a bit worried when I posed the question. Maybe they were trying to go easy on me (the week started off with a vehicle breaking down).
Jan Coates
Hi, Elisabeth: Lots of questions! Sadly (or happily) the emotional responsibility continues at the grandparenting end, kind of doubling as we’re invested in our kids’ parenting as well as our grandkids’ happiness – but of course, not all the time. That’s the difference. Hope to see you tomorrow…
Elisabeth
Looking forward to our coffee date <3
Jenny
Aw, L- what a sweetheart! I love how he describes you as “pretty.” I think I’d be afraid to ask my daughter that question- she believes in brutal honesty, and that you’re doing someone a favor if you point out their faults. Nope, I don’t want to hear it!
I’ll answer one of the questions- mushrooms are GROSS. I seriously can’t eat them. To be fair, this came from a case of food poisoning years ago- but I still can’t get over it.
Elisabeth
I suspect the brutal honesty will get worse as they get older. But I was pretty chuffed by his answers <3
Food poisoning with mushrooms does sound like enough to turn anyone off of them forever. Ugh. Sorry that happened to you.
Nicole MacPherson
I feel the same way about grandkids! I am not getting the cart before the horse but when that day comes, well, I’ll be ready!
I loved reading all these tidbits about you! xo
Elisabeth
Hopefully it is MANY years before grandbabies, but I do let myself daydream sometimes. I think I’d be a WAY more fun grandmother than mother 🙂
Michelle G.
Thank you for answering my questions, Elisabeth! These kinds of posts are so much fun to read! It is funny that you love eggs but hate quiche! The best quiche I ever had was in France (of course!) Nothing can compare to it, so I stopped trying.
Linda
Here is my question—being someone from the US and quite unfamiliar with Canandian customs, I am curious about who speaks English, who speaks French and who is bilinqual. Is it your choice, or custom or who decides? We recently traveled in Canada on a train trip and it was fascinating to observe the two languages in action. Can you explain? Do you also speak French? You can save for later, if preferred—
Linda
Elisabeth
Only one provinces is officially bilingual: New Brunswick. In Quebec, French is the primary language. In all the other provinces, it’s English. There would be pockets of New Brunswick that are almost entirely French-speaking. But all government positions and many civil service positions are filled by people who are fully bilingual. If I went to a national park anywhere in Canada, basically everyone on staff would almost certainly speak both languages.
I had to take French in high school, but it isn’t mandatory to be bilingual by the end. Where we live (Nova Scotia) you can send kids to French immersion schools (and there are also some straight French schools in the area, too). We didn’t send our kids for immersion, so they start French in Grade 4.
I do NOT speak French well at all. I really wish I did; I moved to NB when I was a teen, so only started taking French later in life. One of my sisters, though, a bit ironically has a lot of education in French/linguistics! She now lives in the US where Spanish is the other main language.
NGS
I love stories about how people go into careers that aren’t related to their education. This is the true benefit of a liberal arts education. I don’t know how to do EVERY job, but because I have a well-rounded background in a lot of fields, I truly believe I could do MOST jobs. And do them well. A university education is NOT meant to be a substitute for a professional trade, but it teaches you how learn, how to think, and how to have a flexible mind. With a biology degree, you can do ANYTHING. This is my own personal soapbox, but I love how your experience really demonstrates the importance of a broad-based educational experience.
Elisabeth
Please hop up on your soapbox. I LOVE this.
A professor once said you forget 95% of what you learn in university (this is true), and that university is more about learning to think critically and also prove and hone one’s work ethic. I tend to agree!
Lisa's Yarns
I think Paul would include tired in his list of things about me. A few weeks ago, Taco fell at school and got a fat lip and I was saying how it’s hard to be little since you fall often, etc. Paul said, in a dramatic delivery: “no, it’s way harder being an adult. You are always working, you are tired, …” etc etc. I’m really selling him on adulthood. Ha.
We talk about retirement in terms of the timeframe but we do not discuss any specifics because Phil is not a long-term planner of details. Like I will try to talk about where we might live and he doesn’t even like to discuss that because so much can change between now and then. We are very different in this regard. I’m always planning/thinking ahead and he’s trying to get me to stay in the here and now!
I like planning my vacations and am too much of a control freak to outsource that to someone else!!!
Elisabeth
Adulthood is hard. My kids both say they don’t want to grow up and I don’t blame them! I mean, there are some great things about being an adult, but it can REALLY suck sometimes.
Sophie
Love all these answers 🙂 I love planning travel, I would never outsource. The only thing that ever annoys me is if my partner complains about any aspect of the trip (flight times, hotel choice etc), since it took me countless hours to research and select the best choices. Luckily he’s generally happy and we have great trips!
I like quiche! Though I don’t love it. I hate Brussel sprouts and asparagus, no matter how fancy they are prepared! I love mushrooms cooked, not raw.
I really want to visit Iceland now I’ve heard about so many people’s great trips! And Canada! My brother and his family have been living in Calgary and have just visited Churchill- wow! But living in Australia both these will be big trips better for when kids are older.
Elisabeth
Calgary and Churchill…brrr. I don’t think I could handle the cold in some of those places. But Canada really is beautiful and such a diverse array of topographies.
I LOVE Brussels Sprouts!
Australia is a long way from North America and NA-adjacent areas, for sure. Sounds like some very fun trips ahead for you and your family.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
I’ll join you on your dream job! Yes, I love quiche but I never think to make it. I would love to go on a vacation that someone else planned for me, but I also like my solo vacations where I can do as much or as little as I want.
coco
thanks for answering my questions. I learn learning about how you keep in touch with friends and changes of attitude/mindset around food. I feel similar with appearances overall as I get older, those things seem to be less relevant now than in my 20 or 30s.
Linda
Elisabeth, thank you for your explanation about French and English language usage in Canada. We loved hearing the train announcements in both languages! Linda
Elisabeth
Yes! Public announcements in many (many) parts of the country are always in both languages. Every box of cereal I buy (etc) will have both French and English. If I call customer service basically anywhere I will have the option to select service in English or French.
San
I loved reading the answers to all these wonderful and interesting questions.
One thing that really is true about friendship: deep meaningful conversations happen when you get together over a cup of coffee. I frequently experience that when I see friends (that I haven’t seen in a long time) and they share things that they would have never shared in a Whatsapp Message or on a quick phone call. I miss that.
I also love remembering and using things that kids say (we frequently quote my niece and nephew when they were little) and everybody gets a chuckle out of it 🙂
Elisabeth
There is something magical about coffee dates!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I am hoping to be near the water or ocean when retired. Not sure where exactly. City? Country? But water. I would love to own a boat too but that is big dreaming.
I am not a fan of quiche. I always think I should be. Ill eat it but than I am ok for not. Also not the biggest fan of pizza.
I wasn’t aware John is from Portugal. Thanks for linking that interview. I read that next.
Elisabeth
Now you have your boat license, so by water would be PERFECT for you.
Stephany
I’m with you on taking a big trip and not planning a thing. While I love making a detailed itinerary for trips, I’ve always said that if I were going to do a trip to Europe again, I want someone else to plan the whole experience for me. Tell me where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and how to get to places – and make all the arrangements for me! One of my closest friends is a travel planner, thankfully, so she would be able to handle all of that for me AND she knows me incredibly well so she’d be able to make sure the itinerary was personalized for me and my energy needs (aka, please build in a nap daily, ha).
Elisabeth
Yes, yes yes. I would love to have EVERYTHING planned for me (obviously exactly the way I would plan it, but with none of the stress – haha).
Anne
This was so interesting! I love how we can always learn something new about people. Your dream jobs are fascinating – none that I would consider on the list, for sure. Although the travel associated with being a location scout would be wonderful, I also would probably want to be home more than the job allows. 🙂
Elisabeth
Isn’t it interesting how one person’s dream job does not appeal at ALL to someone else. It’s what makes the world go round 🙂