I was recently tagged on Instagram by @susiehawes and @thestentedpapa to complete the #20factsaboutme challenge and thought I’d post it on here as well. So here you go, 20 things you may not know about little old me:
- My husband and I went to school together from 11, although we didn’t get together till we were 18.
- We’ve been married 14 years today, together almost 19 years.
- I have a Masters degree in Management and Marketing.
- I learnt Japanese in college but now can only remember a handful of words.
- I have lived in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Essex as well as where I live now in the North East, which is 10 minutes from where I grew up.
- In 2005 my husband and I both quit our jobs and sold our flat with the intention of traveling the world. A few weeks before leaving we were visiting my mother-in-law and spotted a house for sale somewhere we’d both wanted to live. We had a look and fell in love with it and spent all our money on buying that instead.
- That house needed a lot of work and as well as hacking plaster from walls and chiselling chasers for the electrics, I’m pretty good at plastering.
- I have written two and a half books in draft form, but never got round to editing them.
- I have a sister who has lived in Canada since I was 7.
- I’d never been on a plane till I was 18, me and a friend saved up and went to visit my sister. I ended up staying for 7 weeks.
- My husband and I are huge F1 fans and have been to Silverstone 3 times and to Monaco once.
- My husband works in the Merchant Navy and works away for 10 weeks at a time.
- I have travelled on the ship with him twice (before we had kids) and sailed between Japan and Australia.
- To make up for not travelling the world, in 2007 I met hubby in Singapore when he got off his ship and we travelled around Asia. We only had three weeks before having to be back for a family wedding so we booked our return flights and just played the rest by ear. We ended up traveling to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Bangkok, Phuket, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam, before heading back to Singapore for our flight home. It was the most amazing three weeks and I’ll treasure it forever.
- I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 13 years old.
- I grew up in a haunted house.
- When I was around 8 or 9 I used to collect the apples from the tree in our back garden and take them to the old lady who ran the village pub and she would make me one of her delicious homemade apple pies.
- I hate coffee
- I recently rode in the back of a monster truck.
- I’ve flown over Silverstone in a helicopter.
Wow oh wow! You and your husband are so sweet, so many awesome memories! #familyfun
msmamabean recently posted…5 Steps to Yummy Homemade Biltong Using a Dehydrator
Aww, thank you 😊
Love learning more about you lovlies!
#familyfun
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Thank you x
I love these. I also did the Instagram one. I hate coffee too – bleghhh! I’ve also been with my other half for 19 years but only married for 2! Sarah #sharingthebloglove
Sarah recently posted…Sheffield Park Gardens review
Thank you. Finally, someone else who hates coffee, most people think I’m weird x
Yay, another coffee hater x
Some interesting things, sound like you really got to travel in the end. It’s hard when the other half is away isn’t it? Hope you continue to have amazing adventures. #sharingthebloglove
We did and I got the travelling bug. I’d love to do some more once the kids are older x
It is, thank you x
Great facts! You are lucky to have seen so much of the world. Plastering is the one DIY skill I have not mastered (and would be sooo useful!). #SharingtheBlogLove
Meals and Makes recently posted…Sewing kits from Meals and Makes!
It’s useful but very messy!
Love that you travelled around Asia for 3 weeks and just ended up winging it, totally the best way to travel IMHO. I’ve travelled abit, to Australia for a year on a working visa in my twenties and to Malaysia for 3 weeks with work. Malaysia certainly gave me the travel bug. I play it quite safe these days in Cornwall, when the kids are older we’ll definitely be more adventurous #SharingtheBlogLove
Lizzie Roles recently posted…Happy List – A cyst, a birthday and a meal with far flung family
Definitely easier to wing it and be adventurous without small children!
Oh wonderful to read this! Where in Essex?! Love the fact that you have 2 draft books. I’m working on a novel I wrote a few years back – has been so good to lose myself in the characters again. Wow to the Navy too – how exciting to have sailed with him – though not the 10 weeks away obviously! And I don’t understand about the coffee!! #FamilyFun
justsayingmum recently posted…Pushing Adulthood Away
Ha ha, most people don’t understand the coffee one! We lived in Chafford Hundred next to Lakeside, a bit too handy for the shops 😬
You sound like you have lead a rich and varied life and have had some great adventures. Great to find out a bit more about you. #sharingthebloglove
Aww, thank you x
Thank you x
Wow ! These are great fun. I love a good random fact about a person! 🙂
Back again from #FabFridayPost. You hate coffee?!
I love reading these! My uncle was in the navy and I think you are incredible strong to manage for 10 weeks at a time. Ha Ha you hate coffee and I hate tea! Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
Laura – dear bear and beany recently posted…Sharing The Blog Love…#45
My mother in law hates tea too!
Wow – I loved finding out a bit more about you Alana. You grew up in a haunted house – woahhhh – that would freak me out! #familyfun xx
Hayley@ Mission: Mindfulness recently posted…Goodbye Year 13s
Ha ha, it was a bit scary at times x
Ahh Alana you and your hubster have known each other such a long time!! That’s truly beautifully brilliant! Love the abandoned travel story in favour of the dream home. I’m not sure I could come up with a more interesting list of 20 things about me than what you’ve got!!
Thank you for linking up to the #familyfunlinky
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Aww, thank you. They took some thinking up!
WOW! You have had some amazing experiences to write about and share! #TheListLinky
I love these kinds of post and getting to know the people behind the blogs! I’m glad you got to do a bit of travelling I spent a few Months in SE Asia and LOVED it!!
It’s a beautiful part of the world isn’t it?
Aww, I went to school with my husband too and we got together when I was 15. Had our uni years apart and then got back together afterwards 🙂 Very jealous of your F1 trips, and also your Asia travel – I’ve always wanted to visit Cambodia, it looks absolutely spectacular! Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
You definitely have to visit Cambodia, so beautiful x
Oh wow! What a fabulous life with many great experiences. I’m so glad you got the opportunity to travel. Love these type of tags as you find out so much. Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime 🎉
Thank you x
Cool facts. I hate coffee too and didn’t go abroad til I was 18 (in preparation for my french A level) #sharingthebloglove
Yay, I’m not alone x
Im very jealous of your travels. Having never left Europe I’m hoping that I’ll get to explore the world a little more when I’m older #sharingthebloglove
Becky Clark recently posted…Less Like a Mommy and More Like a Daddy?
How fab that you still got to travel a little. My Grandad was Malaysian so I really want to go there #sharingthebloglove
Toni | This Mama Blogs recently posted…SLIMMING WORLD MEAL PLAN | 15TH MAY 2017
It’s such a beautiful place x
I love this post and have learned a ton! Thank you, Alana! Great idea for a post too! Know the hubster since you were 11! <3
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Thank you Lisa x
Wow you went to school together that’s amazing! What interesting facts, its great to get to know more about it. I’d love to see the house you traded travelling for. I would LOVE to go to Monoco, although perhaps not for the F1 lol. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun
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Ha ha, if you want to visit Monaco I highly advise staying in Nice or somewhere else along the coast and getting the train into Monaco for the day, that’s what we did and it was pretty cheap. Such a beautiful place to visit but so expensive!
So fun to find out more about you! How fantastic that you got to travel to all of those places together. I’m so happy that you did that as well as buying the house! So sweet that you were at the same school. I’ve been tagged in this too, must have a go! xx #thelistlinky
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Wow. Sounds like life really has been a great adventure. Thanks for sharing on the #FabFridayPost
Wow! These are awesome facts! I must say I take my hat off to you on #14. Incredible! Thank you so much for sharing your facts with us on #FabFridayPost
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I used to live in Japan but can only remember a handful of words too! #ablogginggoodtime
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This is so cool. Love it. You’ve had such an interesting life.
X