So what do you want to know about me? This is always such a hard thing for me to do—to write about myself. I think the best thing I can do is to list a few facts about myself below, and then include some thoughts and feelings about me. If any of this makes sense to you, please let me know.

A Timeline:

• 1972—It was a dark and stormy night... :^P
• 1973—I was born in New Mexico in May (so I'm turning 37 in 2010).
• 1974—My earliest memory: my mom changing my diaper.
• 1976—More early memories: lots of "bicentennial" and "inflation."
• 1978—Began elementary school.
• 1979—Chicken pox.
• 1981—My first airplane flight.
• 1982—I developed my first crush... on a boy.
• 1984—Began middle school, a very bad time in my life.
• 1986—I met Greg Louganis in Florida.
• 1987—Began high school.
• 1988—Holding up the school busses with Chinese Fire Drills.
• 1990—Near-death experience because of salmonellosis.
• 1991—Graduated high school; moved to Fairbanks, Alaska for university.
• 1993—My first overseas trip: to Ireland.
• 1995—Graduated university.
• 1996—Starvation Summer
• 1998—Moved to Anchorage
• 1999—A tourist destroyed my car (with me in it).
• 2000—My first cruise.
• 2003—Annus horibilis: lost job, moved to Dallas; broke arm.
• 2004—Trip to Africa, Antarctica, South America; started graduate school.
• 2005—Moved in with my boyfriend.
• 2007—Got a great job making maps!
• 2009—Today.

I live with my (would-be) husband, Michael, in Denton, Texas. Michael is a wonderful guy, and he makes me very happy. Yes, we have the same name, but I go by Mike to avoid confusion. I have suggested that our official candy should be m&m's®. HaHaHa... You know what they say about the green ones! Michael has two dogs: Edward, a dachshund and Spike, a chihuahua, and we love them very much.

What else about me would you like to know? Here is a description of me: I have dark brown hair, blue eyes, and I wear a goatee. I am 6 feet (184 centimeters) tall and I weigh about 200 pounds (90 kilograms). Some other interesting facts about me are: I have ultrasonic hearing, I hate tomatoes, I am allergic to citric acid, and when I was a young child, I used to astral project to all kinds of places... Iowa, Prague, Mars...

I like to travel and explore new places. I've been to 40 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Tristan da Cunha Island, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Argentina, Chile (including Easter Island), France, Italy, and Vatican City. There are many places in the world I'd like to visit, including Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Greenland, Iceland, India, Japan, Madagascar, Mongolia, Saint Lucia, Scandinavia, Spain, Venezuela, ...or just about any other place.

I enjoy many kinds of things... astronomy, botany, cartography, climatology, computers, conversations, daydreams, etymology, geography, humor (including really BAD jokes), hunky men (who doesn't?), impressionist art, linguistics, meteorology, music, numismatics, psychic phenomena, quiet afternoons, seismology, snowshoeing, urban planning, vexillology, and vulcanology ...among many other things.

I have always loved maps and geography. They're both passions of mine. I started drawing maps when I was 3 years old. This is what eventually led me to earn my B.S. degree in Geography from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1995. Later that year, one of my maps was published in a book. I'm currently working toward my M.S. degree in Geography from the University of North Texas. If I had the time and money I would sit around and draw maps and stare out the window all day at the clouds and sky. Everyone has some kind of natural gift toward an art form. For some people it may be music, or painting, or acting. For me, my artistic gift is cartography.

In general, how would I describe myself? Well, I am not perfect, but I try to be the best of me I can. I feel I am understanding, caring, open-minded, fair, and honest. You wouldn't think of it by visiting this site, but I'm actually quite modest. My friends are important to me, and I try to be a good friend to them, too. I am intelligent and intellectual, and senstive to my world. You would think this would make me adept at reading people, but mostly I am clueless in that area!

I don't expect this short biography to make much sense to you, or to give you a complete idea of what I am like. Its main purpose is to give you something to read, and perhaps spark your curiosity a bit. If I am successful with this, then tell me, please!