Personal Things
Friends
Friends are important to me. I select few people to be close friends because I want to make sure the relationship will last a long time; even when it is long distance. "Family is pre chosen, whereas friends are your chosen family."
Meryl ("Mama") is one of my closest friends --we talk about everything. She is a fun loving, outgoing, strong, and artistic. We met our last year in high school and became close friends. In 2009 she learned she had leukemia. I am pleased to say that after over a year of treatment, she is now a cancer survivor. She currently resides in a Denton, Texas, finishing her masters in psychology. [Met 2003; Updated December 2010]
Briana ("Bri") is my friend/coworker. She is prudent, creative, organized, productive, caring, and an extrovert. We actually went to the same high school, but met while getting our landscape architecture degrees from Texas A&M University. Recently, she was hired at my firm and we are now coworkers. We always joked about working together and now its happened. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas. [Met 2005; Updated January 2011]
Sheldon ("Weldon") is my wing man. He is fun, energetic, creative, musical, experimental, a night owl, and spontaneous. We hang out, go clubbing, go to parties, and sometime we just stay in and make a nice dinner and play board games. He graduated from Texas A&M University with his masters in architecture, May 2009. He currently resides in Bedford, Texas. [Met 2004; Updated January 2011]
Dominik ("Dom") is the fastest friend I have ever made. He is persistent, determined, smart, technical, social, creative, fun, a movie buff, and energetic. We met on my study abroad in fall 2008. We only hung out for about a month, but it felt like we had known each other for so much longer. I try and see him at least once a year -- and I have been able to for the past three years. He currently resides in Bonn, Germany. [Met 2008; Updated January 2011]
Glenn ("2 N's") is my guru. He is reliant, wise, fun, and social. Glenn is always there when I need help or have questions. He knows everyone and everything that is going on in B/CS -- he is my 411. I don't get to see Glenn as much now -- being that I am in Dallas -- but, we stay in touch over facebook. He currently resides in College Station, Texas, working at Texas A&M University. [Met 2004; Updated January 2011]
Jesse ("Jes") was my best childhood friend. He is wild, social, fun, creative, musical, and passionate. We met in our home town, Takoma Park, Maryland, living on the same street. We would hang out, make home videos, crafts, and go on vacations. He has been on Broadway (Spring Awakening) in New York and on TV/Movies (recently on Gossip Girls, Army Wives, and the soon to be released movie Fade to White). I don't see him much now, but we talk via Facebook. [Met 1992; Updated December 2010]
Family
Shari ("Mother") is my closest family. She is the main person I look to for example and primary person I go to for life experience. She is a linguistics professor teaching and researching. Her primary focus is interactional sociolinguistics to examine how women strategically draw on sociocultural conceptions of the roles associated with mothers in their interactions with the family and in the workplace. She has her PhD and recently was awarded tenure. She currently resides in Bryan, Texas, working at Texas A&M University. [Updated January 2011]
Albert ("Father") is my reasons for trips/vacations. I did not grow up with my dad -- just visited summers when school was out. It is funny, even though we were not around each other much we still have similar tastes. For example, we both do not like messy foods (BBQ ribs) -- strange. I usually see him around the holidays when I visit Utah. He currently resides in Bountiful, Utah, and works as a commercial pilot for SkyWest Airlines (contract of Delta Airlines). [Updated January 2011]