| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | For some reason, I think of the time our family farm was infested with bees. It was a cold winter, and we had been away for a while, so when we returned, hundreds of bees had taken over the place for warmth. There were bees everywhere- in the sinks, in the beds, in the light fixtures. I was around eight, and I remember my sister and I hid in the bathroom for hours while my father fumigated, and I read to her from a home and garden catalogue. We were both stung quite a bit, and I tied toilet paper tourniquets over the bites on our arms and we pretended to be from the Boxcar Children. I don't know why we thought that was what they would look like. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify a lot with my sister. We are both journalists, although I write about international politics and she writes about the rich and famous. We are very competitive, but supportive, and help sharpen each other's wit. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I appreciate tempered honesty. I think it's important to be consistently honest, but to know when to speak. I think too many people use honesty as an excuse to be hurtful and prideful, but I like people who can be outspoken without being unkind. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I think the most consistently funny thing for me was living overseas for a few years. In the local language, my name has a negative denotation. Women often yell this word out the window to inform the neighborhood of bad news. Therefore, whenever a friend was looking for me in a public place and called my name, people would freak out and look for a disaster. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I've bicycled across the United States before, but I'd really love to do a cross-continental bike ride from Spain to Siberia, or perhaps Quebec to Argentina. I like camping, exploring roadside diners, and seeing historical sites. Plus, the hours biking along the highway are great for clearing your head. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | The best thing I've learned is to be happy with what I have, but not content. I work to achieve more, but I don't stress over where I am or spend too much time regretting or re-imagining the past. |
