20 questions again.. with Sherry of Save. Spend. Splurge.

1 – What brings you the greatest joy?

These days?

Silence.

Pure, unadulterated silence of no one squealing, squeaking, or yelling at a certain little tiny, waddly, diaper-clad squealy someone (am not going to name names here).

2 – What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Ironically it is my first answer as well.

Sometimes silence is the best answer to everything. Just shut the #%*& up and listen.

3 – What charities do you support?

Cancer Society, World Land Trust, World Wildlife Fund, & Doctors without Borders.

4 – What app do you most often use?

ToDo 8 App by Appigo.

I switched from AwesomeNotes and have not looked back since.

My entire life is managed, organized and tracked by this tool. Can’t remember jack squat without it.

5 – What do you wish someone would invent?

Teleportation / Travel / Time machine.

I’d really like to get to the office & back without traffic, and get to Europe without flying all that time especially if I had to wrangle a toddler.

6 – What is your fantasy itinerary?

OMG.

I want to visit with an unlimited budget:

• Paris
• Lyons
• Bordeaux
• London
• Stockholm
• Amsterdam
• Switzerland
• Barcelona
• Rome
• Milan
• Athens
• Tokyo
• Kyoto
• Hokkaido
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Sydney
• Auckland
• Safari in Africa

… I am sure I have more but that’s all I can think off the top of my head.

7 – What book had a profound effect on your life?

Can’t just pick one.

• MONEY: The Millionaire Next Door
• CAREER: Atlas Shrugged
• LIFE: Usagi Yojimbo & Lone Wolf & Cub graphic novels

8 – Who is on the guest list for your ideal dinner party?

I have a post coming up on this. Don’t want to spoil it.

9 – What makes you laugh?

Baby Bun.

10 – What makes you cry?

Baby Bun.

11 – What irrational fear do you have?

Of dark, quiet, empty rooms.

I also hate snakes but that’s a real fear because they’re so slithery.

12 – What is your beauty secret?

Sleep whenever you can, eat well, drink lots of matcha green tea & this regimen.

13 – What do you hope your friends say behind your back?

The truth.

I’m outspoken with very strong views but can be convinced otherwise if presented a strong enough argument.

I also don’t like inequality.

14 – What advice would you give to someone with a broken heart?

There are 7 billion people in the world.

Assuming 50% of them are not your cup of tea, that leaves 3.5 billion.

Assume another 50% of that 3.5 billion are for whatever reason, not available, that leaves another 1.75 billion of people left on this Earth.

See where I am going with these facts?

Plenty of people left to meet and date.

If you’ve exhausted your entire city, move to another one.

15 – What song instantly puts you in a good mood?

One Republic – Everybody Loves Me

16 – How did you make your first dollar?

I’m pretty sure it was from my father telling me he’d give me $1 for every piece of homemade spicy pickled octopus I tried.

I only ate one before I gave up and put my hand out for the promised dollar.

It was his lesson to never say no to anything and to try everything at least once before saying you hate it and won’t eat it.

Today however, I still don’t LOVE cooked octopus by itself but I do enjoy it spicy & pickled, as on the first day I tried it for a dollar.

17 – What do you wish you could stop doing?

Justifying all these mini shopping sprees & lunches out as “I worked hard today, I must treat m’self“. 🙁

Lifestyle inflation is a bitch.

18 – How do you define success?

When you get to dictate what you want to do on your own terms.

I work for a client yes, who is technically my boss, but I can leave when the contract is over.

I don’t need to take anyone’s bullsh*t no matter how much they’re paying me because I don’t desperately need the money.

In the same vein, maybe I do take their crap but I charge accordingly & make a conscious choice to do it for the money, not for how much I want to see the client succeed.

When I was an employee for a company, as a consultant you were not allowed to turn down projects in remote places and I got sent to some crappy places during the week. It was depressing and I was heavy in debt, so I STFU and did it.

Since I now I work for myself, I refuse to travel and I have every right to do so.

THAT, is success because freedom is success.

19 – What should every woman try at least once in her life?

Spending the day out by herself, alone and enjoying the day; not cramming it full with events, appointments, or things to do.

Just meandering about is really relaxing.

20 – How would you like to be remembered?

Just being remembered is enough.