Saturday, September 1, 2007

Longest About Me Ever

Mmm.

Learn More | 100 Things & 101 in 1001
Contact | ashleymarie6 {at} gmail {dot} com

Well, hi, nice to meet you! Welcome to Our Little Apartment. I'm Ashley - the author of this blog.

I've been married since August 2007 and am desperately trying to decide what I'm doing with my life. I graduated with a B.S. and a B.A. in May 2007, in Education and Religious Studies. No, I don't want to teach religion, I just found it interesting. (Actually, I REALLY don't want to teach religion, if you wanted to know.)

I am the oldest of five kids - I have three sisters and one brother. I have dozens of cousins. And 38 aunts and uncles. I get along swimmingly with all of them and find being a part of a big, happy family fantastic. It's a little sickeningly unrealistic, actually. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this, except that I always love "About Me" pages, so I might as well cram as much useless information in here as possible.

Although I was born in Ohio, my life has been anything but dull - having lived in three countries and traveled to a dozen more. I graduated from high school in Malaysia. Yes, it was fabulous living overseas. Oh, I also spent a semester in Honolulu, Hawaii in college. Again, fabulous. I'm once again in Ohio, and probably will be for quite some time. I'm okay with that, because I have a wonderful husband and family. (Am I disgusting you yet?)

Flying and traveling are my favorite things to do, but I have no money am busy freaking out over my directionless life pursuing a career. So I resort to watching Project Runway and The Office, hanging out with my husband, and surfing the internet for fun. Oh yeah, and I work with kids. Kids are hilarious, and I love laughing, so it's a good deal. at a high school with lots of teenage girls. They are almost as funny as fourth graders, but not quite.

Okay, you sound great, Ashley, but what the heck is your blog about?
Being a vegetarian and the member of a conservative family, I naturally have tended towards the more liberal side of the tracks. It was a slippery slope from embracing vegetarianism my sophomore year of college. I started researching the subject and learned a whole lot more than I wanted to know. I was changed - deeply affected - and couldn't deny the fact that it made sense to care about the environment and other people. I grew up all around the world, so I don't feel that same sense of "patriotism" that allows some people to be okay with America being the most powerful, rich, and wasteful country in the world. Combine a few books with a few college classes, and I was feeling pretty disgusted by the wastefulness of it all. (Whew, this is getting deep, eh?)

Slowly, gradually, over two or three years, I began to practice more of what I had learned. I started small - buying a Nalgene bottle so I didn't have to waste tons of plastic with water bottles. Even today, I feel like everyday I learn something new I can do, a new way to challenge myself to be more simple and less wasteful. It's actually pretty exciting.

I started this blog because I've found so many other eco-blogs extremely helpful as I was trying to figure all of this out. But they were all written by people much older than myself, so I thought it would be fun to get a 20 something's realistic perspective on how to live more simply and more "greenly".

It has evolved quite a bit since I first posted on September 10th of 2007 - I no longer write only (or, okay, mostly) about "being green." I also write about my dreams, my marriage, being a 20-something, and my addiction to Hulu.com.

Disclaimer: I am not an enviro-freak. I love Target, I covet new clothes, and I often sucumb to a good Starbucks iced caramel macchiato. I also write about funny (or stressful) stuff that happens in my life, so if you're seeking a uber serious, ultra green website - see ya later! I don't preach about peak oil or the end of the earth or any of those depressing things. I honestly think it's FUN to be green, and this blog is written as such. I would never judge you or anyone. (Okay, mostly I wouldn't. But if you're driving a Hummer and throwing your cigarette butts out the window on your way to buy cheap crap you don't need at Wal-Mart, consider yourself warned.)

10 comments:

  1. The more I learn about you the more I think we must have been seperated at birth or something.

    Geesh, from one BA/BS in Ed and Religion to being the liberal side of a conservative family I think we are almost soul sisters.

    I just need to be converted to a total vegetarian lifestyle.

    Give me books to read!

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  2. So, I just started reading but I'm pretty much lovin' your stuff already.

    Hurray for cool vegetarians! Have you looked into veganism much? I'm a vegan (mostly for health issues) and when I did my research on it I was blown away by how much it does for the environment and such...as well as how much better I feel being that conscious of what I'm putting into my body.

    :)

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  3. Hi lady, Pie here! Just wanted to stop by b/c I have been lurking forever and finally (temporarily) ended my blog hiatus. Keep, keepin on b/c well, I love your stuff!....

    ...that sounds pervy but it's not meant to be!

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  4. you're adorable.

    love any and all efforts at eco-blogging.

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  5. Hi,

    Like some of the other girls on your blog, I have quite a bit in common with you and have enjoyed reading through your posts. I too am the oldest of five(also 3 sisters and one bro) love traveling, similar views on "greeness", married to a lovely husband, and finished my studies abroad. I too love education and spirituality and was utterly lost as to what I should do with my life and I am one of those people invested in work that gives me purpose. Soooo, I just wanted to ask if you have ever considered a career in museums? They are sort of an umbrella for a variety of interests and skills. Also, despite some of the misunderstanding out there that they are boring and just have cool stuff, museums are now public service based institutions that offer informal education and lots of programming for just about anything. My dream is to study how we can teach spirituality(religion if you must) in the informal setting of a museum. Check it out! there are a lot of different career options in the museum world. I understand what it is like to search for your calling, I believe that I found mine......

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  6. Why Hi there!
    I just ran across your blog on 20sb and it sounds great! Can't wait to read more.

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  7. Just decided to read the About You section (after already deciding I was going to be a reader) and am delighted to see that I may learn some eco-friendly tips here, as well.

    I assume it will be a pleasure to read your blog. : )

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  8. You are so cool! I love how personal you are in the vimeo blogs. You MUST have a book, at least it seems to me like your "ourlittleapartment" has a high entertainment value - you reveal so many facets of your SELF - very interesting! THANK YOU! Oh, the screen loves you! :)

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  9. I really don't know how to came across your page. I was googleling (if that's even a word) about pregnancy stuff and came across your page and you're very interested. Very easy to follow. And I love reading what all you have to say. I never really liked to read cause I was never ever interested in what I ever picked up, but I read your stuff so easily like you're just sitting infront of me talking. And I liked reading your segment about being pregnant and what all you went through. I'm not pregnant yet (or at least I don't think I am), but it gave me alot of information for when I get to that point in my life. Thanks for writing!

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