The Liebster Blog Award

I know that this is a post upon a post, which is a huge venture in productivity for me, but holy cow, I've been nominated for a blog award! The Liebster Blog award is "intended to recognize worth, lesser known blogs and to help expose their work." 

Thank you so much, Alyssa at Castles in Europe, for liking what I post enough to recognize it!

To accept the Liebster Blog award, you have to do a few things:

1) Thank the give and link back to their blog.
Check! Again, thank you Alyssa! If you had not already received this award, I would no doubt be nominating you, as I LOVE to read your blog. 

2) Share five things about yourself

• I really love classical music. NPR is my favorite radio station.
• I make lists like a mad woman...I guess you guys probably already knew this about me (see here and here), but I'm not exaggerating when I say that I have to-do or to-buy lists all over the house. There is one on my coffee table right now.
• I am about to graduate with my master's and am applying for doctoral programs in my chosen field, but my secret dream career is to be an actress. 
• I am crafty, but according to the hubs, I'm only successful when the project can be completed in an afternoon. He's right. I had two windows in the trunk of my car for about two years. Sadly, this is also not an exaggeration. They would probably still be there if we had not broke them last year while changing my tire.
• Whenever I get cold, I say "boosh." Up until the last year, I thought it was normal to say that when you're cold (like saying brrr), but I have since been informed multiple times that it is not. 

3) Answer the five questions presented with your nomination

How did you get started with your blog? 
I like to write, and reading some of my favorite blogs gave me the urge to start my own. Originally, this blog was to document my move to Los Angeles, California a few years ago, hence the name "Why I'd Want to Live Here." Death Cab for Cutie has a song about how awful LA is, and at one point it says, "I don't know why you'd want to live here." This blog was going to be my answer.
The big LA move was the first thing in my life that I felt was noteworthy enough to write about. However, after that fell through, the blog stuck around. Every once in awhile, I still felt the urge to write, and when I came up with the idea to do yearly lists, I had something to post about. Publicizing my goals holds me accountable. Although I feel that this blog is mostly a random mish-mash, I need a topic to give me ideas when I'm all out, and that usually does the trick. 

What is the most challenging part of having a blog?
There are two things that I have difficultly with. The first refers to the creativity aspect. Sometimes I have a tough time coming up with a post that I think others would want to read. This explains my spotty posting history. If I try to write something and I'm not really into it, I don't post it. 
I also worry about sharing too much. I know that I don't have a massive following, and the people that do read this blog probably know me personally. Sometimes I will write something that I have strong feelings about or that reveals something more personal about me, but I won't post it because I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the vulnerability that comes with that. I have a post that I absolutely love, but I have been sitting on it for months because it's a tough subject. I might post it eventually. We'll see. 

Ten years from now, what do you see your life looking like?
I wish I had an exciting answer for this question instead of the standard 2 kids, white picket fence. Hopefully I'll be doing research on the brain, teaching neuropsychology at a university somewhere. Wait, scratch the hopefully. I think if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen if you put forth the effort, so I WILL be doing brain research and teaching at neuropsychology. The hubs and I will have been back to Europe and we will have 2.5 kids and a dog. Of course, if I pursue my other dream, maybe I will be a world famous actress. Who knows where life will take me?

If money were no issue, what is the one thing you'd like to do most?
Travel. If money were no issue, I would spend my life seeing different parts of the world and learning about different cultures. Maybe the hubs and I would even live in a sail boat (That's actually HIS dream. I'm not kidding).

What is one of your favorite quotes?
"Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself"
Harvey Fierstein 


4) Ask five new questions to your nominated bloggers

• How did you get started with your blog?
• Who (or what) influences and/or inspires your writing?
• Where would you most like to travel?
• What are some things on your bucket list?
• What is the kindest act you have ever witnessed (or partaken in?)

5) Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

My top five picks are.....

1. Louise of Louise in Person
2. Lorissa of Beautiful Somehow
3. Brittany of The Fancy Poor People
4. Amy of In These Shoes
5. Natalie of Natalie the Nerd

It's possible that The Fancy Poor People may have over 200 readers, but I know all of these blogs are on the smaller side and aren't giant, corporate, compensated blogs. Besides, I love them all and think that others should enjoy them as much as I do! 

6) Copy and paste the award on your blog.
Check! I found a fancy little gif. See?

7) Hope that the people you've sent the award to forward it to their five favorite up-and-coming bloggers and keep it going!