Liebster Award!

I was so touched to find my name linked on Rachel's blog this morning, nominating me for a Liebster Award!  Well, actually, I didn't even recognize my name at first because I keep forgetting I changed the name of my blog, but once I figured it out I was super excited!!  Thank you, Rachel! =)

The Liebster Award is an online award by bloggers for bloggers. It helps to generate attention for new and upcoming bloggers, generally those with 200 followers or less.

1.) You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2.) You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.
3.) You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award (with a small following).
4.) You must create 10 questions for your nominees.

5.) You must go to their blogs and notify the nominees.

Which, by the way, I did not get notified =P I'll assume Rachel was just busy with school work, and was going to get to it today.

Here are Rachel's questions for her nominees, and my answers.

1. What is the greatest food you have ever eaten?

This is a really really hard questions.  I'm picky about foods that I label absolutely outstanding.  

2. What is your favorite household appliance?

Out of the ones I have now - a toaster oven!  I hate warming things up in the microwave, so I use the toaster oven when I can.  It's so much easier than preheating the whole oven!

Out of the ones I have/will have - a good blender! That way I can make smoothies and apple sauce and all sorts of things.  I have one now but it doesn't work very well.

3. What is your spirit animal, and why?

I kind of feel like I identify with turtles.  They're associated with wisdom, and I feel like academically I am fairly smart.  Also, when it comes to running, I definitely identify with the tortoise from Tortoise and Hare - slow and steady wins the race.  But, in other elements (for them the water), they're fast and  glide right through things.  When I'm in the zone or in my element, I get to work and get things done.

4. If you could achieve one goal to make the world a better place, what would it be?

I think a big one would be eliminating childhood obesity.  There are so many things I would change about the world, but this one is just getting so much worse, and I feel it's fairly easily remedied.  It also affects so many aspects of the children's lives, from their physical health to their mental stability, so I feel like it would really help if that was gone.

5. What is the strangest thing you are afraid of?

Uhm, I don't know?  None of the fears I have are that strange, they're all fairly normal.  I guess the least normal one is masks.  I'm kind of scared of them when they're on their own, but people wearing masks absolutely terrifies me.  Morph suits too.

6. If you could be friends with a television cast, which cast would you choose?

Probably Supernatural.  They're not really my age, so it would be kind of weird to be friends with them, but they do awesome work on the show, and from all of the blooper reels and interviews it seems like they're genuinely sweet and fun people!

7. What is the most important attribute you look for in someone when forming a relationship (platonic or romantic)?

I think acceptance is one of my biggest things.  I haven't had the best past, and I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of.  To be close to someone, they have to be able to accept me, including all of my past, and the emotional struggles I still have because of that.

8. If you had to come back and life your life all over again, what would you change?

So many things.  And I hate that, because I try to live without regrets, but there are some things I just can't.  I wouldn't have stayed in most of my high school relationships, if I started them at all, because really none ended well.  I would have appreciated what I still had after high school and when I first started college and not moved to Iowa - that's my biggest thing I would change.  I also wouldn't have drank and been as ... promiscuous as I was when I first went to college.

9. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?

Guitar!  I play piano already, but I would love to be able to play guitar.  I love the sound of acoustic guitars, but I have tiny hands and it's hard for me to be able to play it.

10. What word would you eliminate from the English language if you had the chance?

Rachel, you're mean for making me pick just one!  I'm just going to go conceptual here and assume that when I eliminate the word, the feeling goes away too.  Envy.  I wish that people, including myself, would just stop being envious of how others look or what they have, and be able to be happy with what they have.

As I was writing this post, over the past few days, Lauren also nominated me!  Thank you so much name twin!  Here are her questions for me:

1. So far, what is your favorite race you have run and why?

I think probably the Enchanted 10k at Princess Half Marathon this year.  The atmosphere was just great, and it's the first time I've truly had fun racing, and it felt easy!  I loved the course too, and really the only negative thing I have to say about it was the humidity.

2. What is your favorite childhood memory?

I don't think I really have one in particular.  I have a few from second grade of me and my two best friends at the time at recess, walking around in the giant circle of trees, singing "Build Me Up Buttercup".  Things like that which remind me of how simple childhood was are some of the best to reminisce on.  

3. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

All of the people that I meet! There's just such a sense of community and instant friendship and it's lovely.

4. What are you most passionate about?

Probably learning.  I absolutely love to learn, about so many different subjects.  I also love to help others learn, and the "aha" moment.

5. What is your dream job?

Assuming I'd get paid enough to live in the house I want with the lifestyle I want, I'd love to own a bakery (cupcakes, and possibly macaroons) and run that as a full time job, while also getting paid to blog about races around the world on the weekends.

6. If a movie were to be made about your life, what celebrity would play you?

I would choose Anne Hathaway.  She's just such a down to earth person, and the celebrity people tend to say I look like.

7. If you could have played a character from any movie, who would you pick?

Hermione Granger! Without question =)

8. What is your favorite Disney movie and why?

Alice in Wonderland.  I've had an obsession with it for years.  I love that it's a children's movie, yet there's so much controversy with it about drugs and sexualization.  Plus, just all of the colors!

9. What is the #1 race on your bucket list?

Marine Corps Marathon.  A. Because I want to be able to do a marathon and B. Because I have a few very important Marines in my life.

10. If you could choose one food to have zero calories, what would it be?

Easiest question ever - chocolate!!  If not all chocolate, at least dark chocolate.

Here are my nominees: 

1. Megan at #runmeganrun

2. Becka at 50 Half Marathons in 50 States

3. Samantha at Dancing to the Finish Line

4. Andrea at Once Upon a Run

5. Amy at Pumpkin to Princess

6. Heather at Run Heather, Run

7. April at Run the Great Wide Somewhere

8. Meg at Runway Royalty

9. Kels at Blonder Side of Life

10. Amy at Point One Will Getcha

And my questions:

1. If you could run for any charity, which would you choose and why? (Stolen from #runnerslove)

2. What's your biggest "one and done" activity that you would do?

3. If you could live in any city, which would it be and why?

4. What's the furthest you've traveled from home?

5. If money was no object, what is the one major purchase you would make?

6. What is the proudest you've ever felt?

7. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why?

8. If you could meet any musical artist, who would it be any why?

9. What's your favorite restaurant?

10. What's your biggest pet peeve?

I look forward to hearing all of your responses!! And I truly appreciate the two nominations =)

Lauren