GTKY- Monday morning edition

[aimeefarrahfowler]

Hope I'm not stepping on any toes! Just quiet around here today.

1. Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school?

2. What is the best vacation you've taken?

3. Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship?

[aimeefarrahfowler]

1. In high school, I played the violin in orchestra. I also was in the pit orchestra for musicals. I was also on the color guard with the marching band. Obviously, I am the coolest person here.

2. I have a tie for favorite vacation. Vegas with MH (then-boyfriend) was amazing and crazy and intense. In college I went to Disney world with my bff and had the time of my life. Both trips were amazing in different ways.

3. I'm white and have dated white guys, but was always an "equal-opportunity" kinda lady. I've been involved with guys of just about every race. I kinda narrowed down on Asian guys before I started dating H. I wasn't specifically out looking for a Korean guy, but I did hang out with a group of mostly Asian guys, so it wasn't a coincidence. ;-)

[bonzo2012]

Good morning!

1) I did ballet and Girl Scouts through high school. Nothing organized at school though.

2) I've had a bunch of really great trips, but I'd have the say the absolute best vacation was a trip to Greece while I was studying abroad in Italy. A group of 7 of my friends from the program and I spent our spring break in Athens and Santorini. It was the perfect blend of relaxing and sight seeing.

3) I don't think I gave interfaith dating much thought when I was younger. Like, pros vs cons didn't even enter my brain. My parents were an interfaith relationship, and my sister and I were raised totally Jewish. So I was never against dating outside Judaism.
DH is definitely my "type" though. He's incredibly smart, he's nerdy, he has a great sense of humor. He has that geeky attractiveness.

[mnp48]

1. I volunteered for a non-profit/outreach for Asian American youths. And, I also did mock trial which sets up cases and is overseen by the local bar association. It was fun!

2. Hmm...we went to Peru for Machu Picchu before TTC. The travel agency we use that organized the trip was terrific! We were picked up/dropped off at each of our destination so we didn't need to worry about hailing a cab or getting to/from certain places. I miss those pisco sours I had every day I was there. Mmm...

3. I'm also an equal opportunity dater. If he's hot, I don't care what race! DH is not my "type" personality-wise. I thought he was too type-A and sarcastic for my taste. And, he thought I was some flirt. Pssh.

[lecky11]

1. I played basketball for a year, was bookkeeper for all 6 basketball teams for 2 years, was in Spanish Club, and was VP, then President of FBLA.

2. My best vacation I planned was my 30 birthday to Vegas a few years ago. Way too much fun, only problem was it was November so it was freezing. My best trip was my wedding in Bermuda.

3. I'm equal opportunity and dated a black guy before DH and a Korean guy before him. I will say that DH went against my type because every other guy had been tall and skinny. DH is tall and muscular.

[missjenniebean]

1. Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school?
Nope, too self conscience.

2. What is the best vacation you've taken?
Hmmm.....

3. Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship


He is, but isn't if that makes sense. equal opportunist here as well but he definitely out of my normal range!

[kaeguri]

I avoided organized stuff in school because I was all goth and punk and skater kid and anarchy and all that jazz. I was in concert choir as a freshman though before i got too cool for it. I also danced outside of school, ballet and jazz, up through college.

Oh jeez. I can't think of anywhere specific. I loved going to Korea and Japan, but those were never really vacations since we were there to see family. But we always got some hiking/sightseeing in to the mountains, temples, etc. The best vacation as far as the people was probably to Atlanta for a music festival a few years back with the best group of friends I could've imagined. I want to go somewhere cool though. Italy is on my list, and Peru, and India, and New Zealand, and everywhere in between.

For some reason, I've only every been attracted to white guys lol. I have friends from every race/ethnicity but the closest I ever came to dating a non-white guy was giving my number to a really cute hispanic guy once. No idea why it's like that. Personality-wise, DH is a lot more... conservative and totally not a "bad boy" in any way. Which was the exact opposite of what I was usually attracted to. Which is probably why it worked so well. We're opposite in character, but identical in likes and dislikes, so we're a good balance. And he appreciates my tiny, non-existent Korean butt (or lack thereof). And he's in the military, and gets to wear sexy uniforms so I can drool over him daily.

[shanniegal]

1. I went to a magnet school for theater and music, so that was my life in high school.

2. Best vacation is hard... Probably either the Spring break I spent traveling around Italy when I studied abroad in Budapest, or my honeymoon to napa valley and San Francisco.

3. I'm equal opportunity, too. I dated Christians, atheists, a Jew, and a Buddhist, before DH (who is Muslim). My first serious BF was part Iranian, and DH is Egyptian, so there is a trend there.

[bonzo2012]

shanniegal, where did you go in Italy? I studied in Florence and loved it!

[shanniegal]

Jun 9, 2015 22:16:01 GMT -5 bonzo2012 said:

shanniegal, where did you go in Italy? I studied in Florence and loved it!

We went to Venice, Florence, Rome, and Capri. My favorite was Venice!

[Maggie0424]

1. Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school? Yup TONS of them! Drama, band, pep band, chorus, student senate, student council, field hockey and I was class secretary one year.

2. What is the best vacation you've taken? Hawaii overall. So much to do and it was so relaxing. Maui was my favorite island.

3. Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship? DH is definitely my type "looks-wise." I am generally attracted to tall dark and handsome. He's all 3! I had never dated an Asian guy before though and never really gave it much thought. I'm in the camp of if you're hot I don't care what race you are. I had one other interracial relationship with a Hispanic guy but all the others were White.

Personality wise, DH is much more reserved than I am. I'm definitely an extrovert and he's an introvert. But we have a lot in common/similar interests and he knows how to make me laugh. As far as religion goes, we're both Christian so that was never an issue for us.

[dashook]

aimeefarrahfowler, thanks for starting, and great questions! Sorry I'm a few days late.

Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school?
Lots. I played softball and basketball freshman year, but after that I turned all my attention to horseback riding (not through my school). I also was involved in my school's theater productions, National Honor Society, and was president of Spanish Honor Society.

What is the best vacation you've taken?
This one is hard! I feel like my answer always changes. Right now I would say it was the two week tour of Vietnam I took with my grandmother when I was in college. It was such a beautiful country with such incredibly friendly people, and it really opened my eyes to a different style of living than the one I'm accustomed to in North America.

Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship?
We are an interfaith couple (I'm Jewish and he's Catholic). Exactly like bonzo2012, my parents were interfaith but I was raised totally Jewish. I never really felt strongly that I *had* to date/marry Jewish, so I dated a bit of both and it was never part of my criteria.

Since we were also talking about physical types, I'll play too even though it isn't relevant to my answer to the question

I don't really have a "type" in terms of who I date or have relationships with. But if we're talking straight up physical attraction, I've always had a thing for guys with darker skin and hair (than mine anyway lol...Indian, Persian, Latino, for example), tall, lean, muscular. Basically the opposite of my DH, who is a stocky, pale Irishman! But what attracts me most to him is how funny and smart he is. My only other long-term relationship was with a religious Jewish guy who was half-Kurdish and half-white. He was very good-looking but not husband material

[agpjt413]

Hey ladies!! Sorry I'm late as usual! These were really fun to read!!

1. Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school? I did soccer but didn't get to play past the second scrimmage b/c I busted my knee - which still haunts me 21 years later but joint juice seems to help when it acts up! I was VP and President of our key club in HS, did a lot of volunteer work and was part of the international club.

2. What is the best vacation you've taken? It's a toss up b/w our honeymoon (island hopping around Hawaii) or a backpacking trip around England with my BFF 11 years ago...

3. Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship? I didn't have a type - was just hoping to meet someone who shared my values and morals. I was, however SHOCKED that I'd end up with someone 14 1/2 years my senior. Everyone said it was going to be the stereotypical May-December romance but 11 years later, we're still going strong

[agpjt413]

Jun 9, 2015 21:52:13 GMT -5 shanniegal said:

1. I went to a magnet school for theater and music, so that was my life in high school.

2. Best vacation is hard... Probably either the Spring break I spent traveling around Italy when I studied abroad in Budapest, or my honeymoon to napa valley and San Francisco.

3. I'm equal opportunity, too. I dated Christians, atheists, a Jew, and a Buddhist, before DH (who is Muslim). My first serious BF was part Iranian, and DH is Egyptian, so there is a trend there.

Your school sounds fantastic!!! I love a non-traditional atmosphere!!

[shanniegal]

agpjt413,
It was a really awesome place to go to school. We had some really amazing teachers.
Also, I saw that you and YH have a large age difference. MH and I do, too - 13 years. On our honeymoon the shuttle driver at the airport made a comment about what a big help I was to my dad. I thought it was hilarious, MH not so much.

[agpjt413]

I bet the teachers were amazing shanniegal!!

Awww poor H!! MH is Dutch/Scottish-American and I'm Asian American so we get a lot of those "she probably just looks younger than she actually is b/c she's Asian..." Lol! But then again no one can ever tell MH is 50 - but you know what they say, 50s the new 40 right?!

I think that when we first started dating (I was a few months shy of 25 and he was 39), the age difference looked a little more prominent. It's almost as if as I aged, he hasn't really!

[lecky11]

Jun 11, 2015 18:05:21 GMT -5 shanniegal said:

agpjt413,
It was a really awesome place to go to school. We had some really amazing teachers.
Also, I saw that you and YH have a large age difference. MH and I do, too - 13 years. On our honeymoon the shuttle driver at the airport made a comment about what a big help I was to my dad. I thought it was hilarious, MH not so much.

I have sort of a similar story. When we came back from our wedding, my sister, brother, dad, and I got on the shuttle bus. I told the driver what lot we were going to. DH got on after me, the driver asked him what lot? My mom was behind him and said he's WITH us. It was too funny how indignant she was. DH and I are used to people not thinking we're together, but my mom let her know!

[toratoratori]

Sorry I haven't logged in all week! It's finals week here so things have been NUTS.

1. I used to horseback ride - hunter / jumpers in middle and high school, and then dressage in college. Most of my time out of class in high school was spent playing The Sims, though. Is there an award for Most Sims Killed in Swimming Pools?

2. It's a tie between the cross-country road trip I took with my then-boyfriend, now-husband in 2010, and the cruise to Mexico with my family and BFF in 2007.

3. I was going to end up in a mixed relationship regardless. There was no way I was marrying a Jewish guy. I was surprised I ended up with a white dude, though.

[toratoratori]

Jun 8, 2015 9:53:34 GMT -5 bonzo2012 said:

3) I don't think I gave interfaith dating much thought when I was younger. Like, pros vs cons didn't even enter my brain. My parents were an interfaith relationship, and my sister and I were raised totally Jewish. So I was never against dating outside Judaism.

I read a book that said children of Jewish / non-Jewish relationships are less likely to raise their own kids Jewish, which makes me super nervous, so I love hearing this! I want my kids to marry whomever they want. But my grandkids have to be Jewish ;P

[toratoratori]

Jun 8, 2015 12:50:48 GMT -5 lecky11 said:

2. My best vacation I planned was my 30 birthday to Vegas a few years ago. Way too much fun, only problem was it was November so it was freezing. 

My first time in Vegas ever was in November 2007, and it was HOT. I mean, not hot by most people's standards, but it was at least 75-80 degrees. I thought I was going to die the whole time. How cold was it when you were there?

[bonzo2012]

Jun 12, 2015 13:35:54 GMT -5 toratoratori said:

Jun 8, 2015 9:53:34 GMT -5 bonzo2012 said:

3) I don't think I gave interfaith dating much thought when I was younger. Like, pros vs cons didn't even enter my brain. My parents were an interfaith relationship, and my sister and I were raised totally Jewish. So I was never against dating outside Judaism.

I read a book that said children of Jewish / non-Jewish relationships are less likely to raise their own kids Jewish, which makes me super nervous, so I love hearing this! I want my kids to marry whomever they want. But my grandkids have to be Jewish ;P

I've read that too. I think it really depends on how the parents go about introducing Judaism and the concept of being an interfaith family. For my parents,mother took the approach of "we're Jewish, Mom's family is Catholic." When I was in elementary school or so I understood that my mom hadn't actually converted to Judaism, and we had some talks about that growing up. But she lit the Shabbat candles, baked challah, said blessings...she's Jewish in everything but name.

When DH and I first started dating, I was 18 and didn't even consider that he would be "the one". But when things started getting more serious, we had a lot of talks about how raising my kids Jewish was super important to me, and if he was against that it would be a deal breaker. We've had our ups and downs as we figure out our own balance of what works, but at this point I have no concerns about raising my kids Jewish!

I've met a lot of people my age where one parent was Jewish and the other not, but they basically stripped all of the holidays down to the secular aspects. This guy I went to college with celebrated Chanukah and Christmas, Easter and Passover, completely commercially with no meaning behind any of it. So naturally he has no attachment to either religion. If that's what his parents wanted then fine, but I know it's not what I want for my family!

[agpjt413]

Jun 11, 2015 20:02:29 GMT -5 lecky11 said:

Jun 11, 2015 18:05:21 GMT -5 shanniegal said:

agpjt413,
It was a really awesome place to go to school. We had some really amazing teachers.
Also, I saw that you and YH have a large age difference. MH and I do, too - 13 years. On our honeymoon the shuttle driver at the airport made a comment about what a big help I was to my dad. I thought it was hilarious, MH not so much.

I have sort of a similar story. When we came back from our wedding, my sister, brother, dad, and I got on the shuttle bus. I told the driver what lot we were going to. DH got on after me, the driver asked him what lot? My mom was behind him and said he's WITH us. It was too funny how indignant she was. DH and I are used to people not thinking we're together, but my mom let her know!

That's too funny! MH likes to joke to strangers that we're not together. (Like if we're standing in line at the grocery store and he'll jokingly ask the cashier if he can see the manager b/c this weird lady has been stalking him, etc). I told him sometimes it's not cute or funny b/c these people think he's serious and/or don't think we're actually together! And the way he speaks makes him sound totally convincing too which makes it worse LOL!!

[lecky11]

Jun 12, 2015 13:37:42 GMT -5 toratoratori said:

Jun 8, 2015 12:50:48 GMT -5 lecky11 said:

2. My best vacation I planned was my 30 birthday to Vegas a few years ago. Way too much fun, only problem was it was November so it was freezing. 

My first time in Vegas ever was in November 2007, and it was HOT. I mean, not hot by most people's standards, but it was at least 75-80 degrees. I thought I was going to die the whole time. How cold was it when you were there?

It was low high 40s, low 50s. Which I know is not cold since I used to live in the UP of Michigan. I guess because it's dry, it just felt really cold. We had on gloves & hats. Lol. Some family members came with us from New Jersey and they were freezing too!

[bonzo2012]

Jun 12, 2015 14:21:41 GMT -5 lecky11 said:

Jun 12, 2015 13:37:42 GMT -5 toratoratori said:

My first time in Vegas ever was in November 2007, and it was HOT. I mean, not hot by most people's standards, but it was at least 75-80 degrees. I thought I was going to die the whole time. How cold was it when you were there?

It was low high 40s, low 50s. Which I know is not cold since I used to live in the UP of Michigan. I guess because it's dry, it just felt really cold. We had on gloves & hats. Lol. Some family members came with us from New Jersey and they were freezing too!

I haven't been to Vegas (unless a layover in the airport counts) but I wanted to agree that dry cold feels colder than wet cold. Here in CO, it's arid even when it's snowing and then with windchill you feel even colder because the air just sucks the moisture out of your skin. 

[ladyannibal]

1. Did you do any sports/extracurriculars in high school?I was homeschooled ):

2. What is the best vacation you've taken?Two years ago my mom came to visit me in Florida and we went to Universal!

3. Mixed families special question: is your SO your "type", or were you surprised to wind up in a mixed race/religion relationship? He's 100% my type, but I didn't know he would be when we first started talking lol.

[ladyvenice]

1. I was head of the greco-roman club for two years, and in it for five years in total. I was also in the swimming team for three years. I'm still not sure how I even got on that, I could swim fast but my form was terrible.
2. Not technically a vacation, but I studied abroad in England for six months and it was amazing. My mother is English, so I'd been over a couple of times before, but it was so different living there for a while. As for an actual vacation, DH and I went to Hoi An in Vietnam just before we got married. It was great to experience such a different culture and it was just so pretty.
3. I don't really think I had developed a type physically before I started seeing DH, but since I only dated one guy before DH, and he was half Sudanese, it was no real surprise that I would end up with someone of a different race. And I always knew there would be a high likelihood of ending up in an interfaith relationship since I'm an atheist in Italy were almost everyone is Catholic.