Honestly, Meagan

I trust everyone had a great Christmas, I was sure blessed with family and friends for the holidays. It was great to see old friends and share memories with them and family members from days past. Anywho, I recently was nominated by my good friend that I lovingly call, "Katheter", to complete my Honest Scrap List. This list is “10 honest things about me that you possibly do not know.” Though this task is especially hard for me, since I pretty much tell everyone everything about me, even if they don't want to know, I will give it my best shot.... It may take a while though.. :)


1. I wish I would've gone to grad school at University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill or Ohio State University. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE UT and I, like Katie said, will always bleed burnt orange, but I guess I regret that I didn't get another experience on another college campus. Though UT's sport mgmt grad program is one of the top 5 in the nation, UNC and OSU are also on the list and I often dream about living in NC with Travis, in the rolling hills of Chapel Hill, wearing Carolina Blue and attending basketball games at UNC. I have family in nearby Durham, so I think the adventure would be fun and I would also have some comfort around to remind me of home.

2. I wish I would have at least applied to Harvard. I know that I probably would not have been admitted, but a particular grad school class has taught me a lot about the school's history and prestige in the academic world, and I often wonder what it would be like to be a Harvard grad. But, I would be strongly disappointed in the lack of school spirit or prestige in the athletics department of a school who's mascot is a color.


3. I have an older brother. I know that a lot of people already know this, but I meet so many people that I've known for years that think I'm an only child. Ironically, this happened more often when I was younger, when I actually lived with my brother and attended the same school district. I think it's quite sad that people don't know about Dustin, and it makes me think that I haven't done my sisterly duty to talk or complain about him enough. We are complete opposites, he likes hard-core violent X-Box games, while I prefer to watch chick flicks. He used to like the color black, while my favorite color is yellow. He is very introverted and never attended a high school dance while in school, while I am a social butterfly, I never meet a stranger and I loved all of the things about high school and its social functions. Thankfully, Dustin now lives in Austin, and we have been hanging out more than we probably have since we were kids.


4. I regret that I did not study abroad as an undergraduate. I wish I would have studied abroad in England or Australia for my undergraduate studies. I think it would have been fun to spend a summer in Australia studying the sports movement there or in France during the World Cup. Both of my roommates studied abroad and though, at the time, I was not envious, I wish I could have the same experience. I don't think I ever seriously considered it because I had to work through college to pay for living expenses and I did not have the extra money to spend on the study abroad program. I have enough money vested in student loans.

5. I want to visit all 5o states before I die. I love this country and I love my childhood roadtrips with my parents, where my dad would drive 30 minutes out of the way just so we could add another state to our count. I have seen beautiful mountains, gorgeous beaches and rich historical monuments. I love to travel and I want to expand my count. So far, I have been to 26 different states, and next up on my list is the Northwest, specifically Washington and Oregon.

6. I have never had a drop of alcohol. While this may sound a little extreme, I can explain. I don't drink purely for "religious reasons," because I'm "Baptist," or because I just want to be different. My reasoning runs far deeper than just the surface, it has to do with blood. No, I'm not trying to be gory, but my mom's family has had a long battle with alcohol and it has done some terrible things in our family. For instance, my mom has three (at least) aunts who are alcoholics, one that has died from the disease and another that came very close. Another aunt was murdered by her ex-husband, and I'm sure alcohol was a factor in the situation. I have a second cousin who was involved in an auto accident where the driver of her vehicle (and my cousin) were drunk. She was spared, but her best friend was killed on impact. I haven't seen any positive things come out of alcohol, so I chose not to partake. Granted, I have wanted to try a margarita or another pretty and fruity drink, but I have stuck to my guns, and I am thankful to have a husband who supports my personal stance on the subject. Don't worry, I won't think you're a horrible person if you drink. I don't want to be around you if you're drunk, but I respect my friends' own convictions, because they respect mine.

7. I often have dreams about my high school years. It's very weird, and I blame it on a medicine I am currently taking. The other day I had a dream that my neighbor, Kristin, and I were cheerleading coaches for my high school cheerleading squad. I have had several dreams where I am trying out for cheerleader again (oh, the dreadful tryouts, full of nerves and anticipation), and I have vivid dreams where I am surrounded by my high school classmates in French class or at lunch. It's very weird, since I've been out of high school for almost 6 years now!!

8. Although I have a flair for attention, I am not high-maintenance and I detest drama! I am a relatively simple girl, easy to predict. I'm not fond of girly-girl stuff, with Princess themes or pink. In fact, when I have a daughter, I don't want to paint her nursery pink. I will be looking for a yellow, green or purple-themed room. Pink just makes me think "drama" and after spending 6 years as a cheerleader, surrounded by girls and their drama, I don't want any drama! My life is very routine, and although I'd like to be a little glamourous, I have more of a classic style. Travis always tells me that I need to "step outside the box," but I don't really care for new things, learning new songs or trying new ways of doing things.... I guess another word for this is stubborn, but I prefer to call it classic.

9. Continuing on that note, I'd love to be more stylish and up-to-date on fashion. I see other girls who are so stylish in their clothing, hairstyles and makeup. I try to imitate those styles and I look hideous. I've never been one of those girls that can "pull off" a stylish look. I guess I'll forever be a jeans-and-t-shirt kinda girl. It goes back to my simplicity of life.

10. I love being from a small town. Though I thought Lumberton (popultion 10,000) was a large town, I quickly learned that I am from a very small town. I guess my reasoning was because it was the largest town I had lived in and attended school. The other previous towns I lived in were Douglass (population 75 on the state map), and Eldorado (population 2,000). Lumberton is the largest town in Hardin County, and I know that I had all the luxuries in life that I'd ever need in a McDonald's, Wal-Mart and a city park, haha. Though I don't plan on moving back to good ol' L-Town, I do want to eventually move to a small town to raise my family. Something equitable in size to Lumberton, with a good public school system and lots of community pride. Though it's true that everyone knows your business in a small town and rumors spread like wildfires, I love the fact that everyone knows everyone else and you always know that on a Friday night in the fall, the whole town will be at the local high school football game cheering on their team. I love small town parades, festivals and garage sales. I love going to school with the same kids K-12, and I love having only one zipcode, where everyone knows where you live.


Well, this list was not as difficult as I thought it would be to complete. I think I may have some bonus items that I might include in future posts. I hope you enjoy learning more about me. Though most of my closest friends know this information already, I am an open book and am always willing to divulge any secrets.

Going forth, I charge Kristin, Dani and Jenny C. to complete this Honest Scrap List. I can't wait to learn more about them! :)