10 Confessions [the love & marriage & baby carriage version]

In high school I used to fall in love with boys I knew would never love me -- or like me very much, for that matter -- back. As a result I didn't have a boyfriend until the summer before I began college. I think it was my fear of commitment more than anything else that drove me to do this.

I have a thing for younger guys -- all my boyfriends have been younger than me, including my current boyf, Ricky. He's six months younger, so I guess that doesn't make me that much of a cougar ... right?

The boyf and I have a tradition when it comes to dates -- he pays one time, then I'll pay the next. (Though mind you, he insists on paying when it's a fancy restaurant or a special occasion or something.) I think it's important to be fair in all things when it comes to relationships, including finances.

 If my prospective husband wants to impress me (you taking notes, boyf?), the proposal shouldn't be too stagey-stagey -- no ring inside of a champagne glass, or God forbid, a Frosty. (I don't make these things up.) Something more natural would go a longer way to making me swoon.

As much as I am all for mixed marriages -- mixed races, mixed beliefs, what-have-you -- I can't see myself marrying someone who doesn't share my background, my culture, and my language. Who knows, though -- if Ricky had been from Timbuktu, I probably would have still fallen in love with him!

Even though I confess my faith hasn't been constant as a Catholic, I still want to get married in a church.

I don't want a fancy frou frou wedding. I'd be perfectly happy with a small reception. Of course, being Latina means I have a family of 100+ people, which means my wedding reception will be huge no matter what. (Sigh.)

As for the honeymoon, I don't see anything wrong with the traditional: relaxing on a deserted tropical island somewhere sounds perfectly fine to me.

When I was a wee little girl, I used to dream that I'd be married by 21, and on my way to having the first of four kids (!) by 25. Now that I'm 31 with 0 marriage, 0  kids later, I find that I'm perfectly fine thankyouverymuch.

With that being said, of course I want to get married and have kids. Someday. Although I'd be much happier with the 2.5 kids than the four. (Just saying.)

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Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share?

*I will be placing the "confessions" feature on hiatus for now, until I come up with more themes -- not to mention confessions -- to share with you all. I hope you've enjoyed reading them! I've loved reading all the confessions you have shared with me in the comments.*

10 Confessions [the books version]

I always take a book to bed with me. I can't fall asleep without at least reading a page.

I haven't read some of the "classics" such as Gulliver's Travels or Animal Farm. Even though I'm an English teacher. Even though I have a bachelor's degree in English Literature. (And soon will have a master's degree in English, too. Wheeeee!!! ... Ahem, sorry.) 

Twilight is my guilty pleasure. I honestly lost count of how many times I've reread it!

One of my pet peeves about teaching is hearing my students actually show off about the fact that they've never read an entire book. This makes me fear for the future of America...

Many of my favorite books were first picked up because I saw the film adaptation... first.

I thought it was a good idea that I picked my favorite book, The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, as the focus of my master's thesis. However, it only made me resent the book initially, in the early stages of my thesis work. Now that the thesis has been written (huzzah!), I'm happy to say I'm back to loving the book again.

I've never read an entire novel by Stephen King. I'm too much of a chicken!

One of my favorite things about the hostessing job I had at the airport was the amount of downtime I spent reading books at the counter. I think I read a book a week on average.

I can't read a book without dogearing it.

My absolute favorite author in the world is Patrica Veryan. Her books are a mix of Regency and Georgian romance, and I used to repeatedly check them out of my local library before finally hunting them down for cheap/used on Amazon. I love her books so much, I own all of the copies I can buy in the U.S. (And best of all, they're not "bodice-rippers," but adventures with actual plot and minimal "adult themes!")

Bonus confession: I wish I lived in this room. 

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Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share?

10 Confessions [the friendship version]

My first best friend was imaginary. Her name was Zena. (Not to be confused with Xena the Warrior Princess.)


I think it's just a product of the day and age I live in that a number of my friends live in the Internet.


I honestly believe that pets make the most amazing friends. (Yes, even cats.)


I lost count of how many of my girlfriends dumped me in high school/college after getting boyfriends. I'm proud to say I never did this, in high school or college.


With friends, I tend to play the role of the listener. I wish I could be the talker, sometimes.


 I've never been able to keep a pen pal. I think it's too high maintenance for me. It sucks, but it's true.

All of those BFF's from grade school and high school ... the ones that promised we'd be BFF until we were old and gray ... yeah, we lost touch not long after high school.

When I lost those so-called BFF's, I made new friends through college and work. The friendships I've made as an adult have been the only ones that have endured. 

Almost all of my friendships with boys growing up ended because they liked me -- and I didn't like them back.

The only friendship with a boy that's ever lasted? That happened with Ricky. Why did it last? Because I liked him back. 10 and a half years later, we're still friends. (And lovers. ;-D)

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Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share?

10 Confessions [the movies version]

One of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid was "E.T." I was so excited to see it, but when the scene began with E.T. being hospitalized and having to undergo tests, I went ape-nuts and had to be escorted out of the theater by my mother. The icing on the cake was that my mom tried to calm me down in the lobby by purchasing a poster for the film and then hanging it on my bedroom wall -- which then proceeded to give me nightmares. D:

When "The Little Mermaid" first came out in the theater, my mother and I watched it two times straight. (Yes, we only paid for the first viewing. And yes, we are dirty criminals.)

I have a thing for watching film adaptations of books -- and then reading the book after. 

I have a soft spot in my heart for the "Toy Story" movies because my boyfriend and I started dating on the night he took me to go see "Toy Story 2." 10 years later, we're super excited to see the latest sequel, "Toy Story 3," together. And we're still going strong. :-)

I absolutely hate horror movies. I will not sleep a wink if I watch them. After I saw "The Exorcist," I couldn't sleep for two nights straight.

While I don't like horror films, I especially detest horror films that have a religious/demonic subtext. Those freak me out the most!!!!

I never liked watching animated movies as an adult -- until I met my boyfriend. Now we watch animes all the time!

I have a thing for movies from the 1980s -- the cheesier the better.

The movie I saw the most times in the theater was "Twilight." I saw it four times!!! (To be fair, I only had to pay for my ticket one of those times and I honestly don't think I would've paid for the other times.)

I have never seen a movie in the theater by myself.

One of my favorite 1980s films! "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Awesome, awesome movie.

 

Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share?

(Doesn't have to be film related!)

10 Confessions [the work version]

Until last year, every job I've ever had never lasted longer than three years.

My first job was when I was still in high school. It was for a record store at my local mall. I was so happy when I was hired on the spot. I had this romanticized idea, you see, that it would be like the movie "Empire Records." When I realized my job was nothing like my expectations, shortly after beginning my first shift, I quit on the spot. (Yeah, I'm not proud of this, but at least I didn't stay and suffer!)

My second job was much better -- I was a copy girl at an automobile insurance company. I got to listen to middle aged women complain about their sex lives all day while I was 18 and still very much a virgin. Let's just say I learned a lot that summer.

My third job was working for the Spanish airline Iberia in Miami International Airport. I was a passenger assistant. My boss was a snooty Spanish lady who chastised me because I was Cuban and didn't speak "proper" Spanish.

My fourth job was working for a much better company in Miami International Airport, Club America. This was a lounge for VIP passengers. My job required me to announce flights, serve snacks and drinks, answer phones, and basically look pretty. This job was also a safe haven for me as I finished up my bachelor's degree in English -- I wrote a lot of essays during my downtime working there!

My fifth job was working for a private attorney who called himself a Christian man. This same man also tried to get me to stop being Catholic, telling me that praying to the Virgin Mary was just a "spiritual stop sign" keeping me from Christ. Needless to say, this job was short-lived.

My sixth job was working as a Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science teacher for grades 4-8 at a private Catholic K-8 school. I thought the private, religious atmosphere would ensure good kids. Yet I had things stolen from my classroom and a student threatened to light me on fire during my first year there.

As vicious as some of the kids at that Catholic school were, the teachers were just as bad. When they weren't "teaching" (aka asking their students to massage their shoulders or brush their hair), they were gossiping about each other and surfing the net.

My seventh and current job is working as a Language Arts teacher for grades 11-12 at a public high school. To date, it's been my best job. I've been working there for four years now, breaking my three year curse, and I hope to stay there many years more. :)

However, if I could have any job in the world, any job at all, I'd love to be a writer. Then I could stay at home all day in my jammies and do what I love best  -- what I love even more than teaching -- write.

 

 picture via we heart it

Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share? (Doesn't have to be work related!)

10 Confessions [the food version]

I can eat Nutella all the live long day.

Before my boyfriend, I couldn't eat spicy food. I used to think Taco Bell was too spicy.

Even though my background is Cuban, I don't like rice and beans all that much.


One of my pet peeves is eating lukewarm food. (I've been known to throw tantrums when fast food joints serve my food cold.)

My mom banned me from the kitchen after I almost burned the house down ... while making a grilled cheese sandwich. I've been leery of cooking ever since.

I detest the smell of fish.

I detest the smell of fish so much, I won't eat sushi. I didn't even eat sushi when I visited Tokyo. (*gasp*)

When I like a guy, it makes me uncomfortable to eat in front of him.


My two least favorite pizza toppings: mushrooms & black olives. My boyf's two most favorite pizza toppings: mushrooms & black olives.

No matter how late I wake up, my first meal of the day always has to be breakfast.

picture via we heart it

  Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share? (Doesn't have to be food related!)

10 Confessions [the music version]

I think Lady Gaga is overrated.

I always listen to music while getting ready, whether it's putting on makeup or styling my hair.

I was obsessed with The Doors in high school.

 When I was little, I wanted to be Madonna. So I cut the tops of my gloves to make them fingerless and draped my mom's rosaries around my neck. Needless to say, she was not amused.

Bono was my first rockstar crush.


I think I liked Bjork's music better before she got married and "settled down."


I saw some laser light shows featuring the music of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin in early college. I think I was one of the few people there who wasn't high.


Sometimes, listening to violins makes me cry.


I like to make certain songs my anthems from time to time, mostly when I'm feeling down. Then I "blare" them inside my head during those especially trying moments. It helps me feel better!

I've never performed at a karaoke bar, though I've been secretly tempted to from time to time.

 picture via we heart it

Do you have any confessions you feel brave enough to share? (Doesn't have to be music related!)

10 Confessions. {the joyful tears version}

I was going to post my usual 10 Confessions today when Busy Bee Lauren's recent blog post on the top ten moments that have made her cry with joy inspired me. I'm a big baby when it comes to crying -- I cry when I'm mad, I cry when I'm sad, I cry when I'm moved, I cry when I'm in pain, and I cry when I'm happy. I've even been known to get weepy over especially sappy commercials (here, let me facepalm myself for you). So how could I not participate in Lauren's fabulous post idea? Here are my top ten moments that made me cry with joy. (It goes more or less in order of importance, though most of them are pretty significant in their own right.)

When my mother came out of open heart surgery four years ago (following a major heart attack) and the doctor said it had gone well, I cried. Those were among the worst hours of my life, and so hearing those words made me weep with joyful relief.

  

When my boyfriend and I "officially" declared our feelings to each other and "officially" declared ourselves a couple, I cried. Those were definitely some happy tears!

When I graduated from college, I cried tears of joyful pride. I am the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college, so this meant a great deal to us.

When my cat Tigger had to go to the animal hospital for a kidney infection, I was afraid he wouldn't make it because we'd lost his brother a couple of years prior. Luckily, the vet was able to cure him and I cried tears of joy the day I took him home.

When my cousin Alyssa married her husband Gonzalo, whom she'd been dating since high school, I cried because I was happy she was marrying her best friend. So romantic!

When Ross and Rachel kissed for the first time in "Friends," I cried like a baby. (True story.)

 When Jim and Pam got married in "The Office," I cried like a baby. (Another true story.)

Every time I watch the ending of "Pride and Prejudice" (the one with Keira Knightley), I cry like a baby. (Yet another true story.)

Every time I hear violins -- I don't know why -- something triggers tears in me. True, they're bittersweet, but I think the feeling borders more on joy than sorrow.  

Every time I say goodbye to the school year and goodbye to my high school students -- many of whom are graduating -- I cry tears of relief mixed with pride. Relief because another challenging year is over, and pride because of how far my students have come. I experience this every year. I'll be experiencing this again in five weeks! :*)

 

  (picture via we heart it)

I don't know if the fact above is true or not, but it sure is interesting!

What are the top ten moments that have made you cry with joy, bloggy readers? If you want to post your own top ten, make sure you link up to BBL's post!