I don’t really seem to have posted a great deal of bloggy type posts on here at all, so when I spotted the A to Z of me over on my friend Splodz’s blog, I thought I would give it a go. And why not, I’m always up for trying something new.
So here we are. The A to Z of me! A hodge podge mix of all things eclectic!
A to Z of me
A. I am an artist by education and, I suppose, profession (however lapsed it might be!) I did Interactive Arts at uni in Manchester and love nothing more than experimenting or creating contemporary art in all kind of formats. Although I might not create any formal pieces so much these days, I certainly use my curiosity and creativity in everything that I do.
B. Building Craft Occupations – in real terms that means multi-skill construction. In 2014, I left my job in the charity sector and trained in construction. After learning myself, I volunteered to carry on teaching the other learners and got my teaching qualification for teaching level one construction. Although I am not teaching it now, I am employing the skills to do up our home after not really doing anything with it for the past 12 years! (oh yeah, and I had long hair then too… just for a short while!)
C. I’m Sarah and I am a Cat-a-holic! This, of course, without any doubt is cats! I have six furry babies and can be found petting, talking to, looking for or meowing at cats wherever I am. I am the epitome of crazy cat lady and am totally proud about it.
D. OK, so I am also a dog person. (well, you could say that I am an animal person when it comes down to it…) I love to borrow dogs through Borrow My Doggy and will often gravitate towards dogs while we’re out and about. When there are no cats, dogs are the focus of my affection.
E. I am a very energetic person, I am happy getting up and going for a walk in the dark. I find that my morning and evening miles really set me up for the day and going to the gym compliments that too. Without burning off energy, I can get rather fidgety! It is also part of my playful personality.
F. Did you know that I have a food blog too? I love food! I love cooking it, preparing it, looking at it and ultimately eating it. Of course it will be vegetarian (and diary free) or vegan. My food blog, Susty Meals might be a bit quiet lately, but there are still some tasty recipes over there.
G. When we moved to our house in 2007 I was able to really have some fun with my love of gardening and garden design. I have the exciting task next year of redoing the side garden and am having lots of fun coming up with ideas over on my Pinterest boards. (you can see my plans for the inside too, along with some travel ideas. I love Pinterest!)
H. People seem to think that just because I spend a lot of time in cities, that I only enjoy Urban Wandering. That is not true! I live in the city and make the most of my time there, but I also love a long or hilly hike. I grew up in the countryside and spent a whole lot of time in the mountains of Wales. There are many strings to my enjoyment of the outdoors. I don’t waste my time wishing to be somewhere else, I just enjoy wherever I may be.
I. I struggled with something for this one and suddenly realised that I am pretty innovative! I can come up with positive solutions to almost everything. Whether it is fixing something which has broken, to find out to get somewhere, I have plenty of ideas and innovative angles we can take!
J. I’m going to dabble in a bit of soppy here and say Jit! (sopster!) Jit is my best friend, adventure buddy and it just wouldn’t be the same without him around. I love that we can combine our passions with him speaking at conferences with me exploring and giving him the guided tour.
K. I am a huge fan of crafts and making my own clothes, so as part of that I thought I would include knitting. I got my first knitting kit when I was about four and have been knitting ever since. I only recently in the last seven years learned to crochet though, despite my Nana’s many attempts to try to help me. I am currently knitting myself a new jumper, this Ashes one by Isabell Kraemer.
L. I am a self-confessed lifelong learner. I honestly believe that learning is the way to seeing a different world every day. It keeps you open to seeing new things, lets your curiosity go wild and keeps you humble when you realise that there is so much out there that you don’t yet know about.
M. Manchester. I am not from Manchester, but it has firmly become my home. I grew up on the Wirral, spending plenty of time in Liverpool (which I loved) but since moving over to the Land of Manc back in 2001 it became home. Although I would love to live in the Netherlands, I think Manchester would still hold a great part of my heart as my “real” home.
N. One of my absolutely loves is The Netherlands, so it had to make it into my A to Z of me. We took a trip to the Rotterdam back in 2016 and I fell in love with the place. It was also the birth place of this blog, so holds an extra special place for me. I am learning Dutch so that I can get around more easily and maybe one day we will love over there in a Wikkelhouse… (see W)
O. I might seem a bit odd but I am really organised within my chaotic seeming approach! Yes, organised chaos definitely seems to work for describing me. My desk might be a mess, but I know what we’re eating for every meal during the week, have everything I need in for it and can book a trip in the space of an hour while saving plenty of money.
P. I am 100% people person. I love all people. I will chat to everyone and anyone, wherever and whenever! I just love getting to know people, hearing their stories and finding out more about them.
Q. For my whole life I have been described as quirky and I love that I am. Who wants to blend into the crowd and disappear? Not me, that’s for sure!
R. If you’re ever behind me in the security queue at the airport you are sure to witness my passion for reusables. I am a long-term user of all reusable, bottles, coffee cups, flasks, mooncups and the lot! I am part of the Refill campaign, both as a passionate person bringing to my city as well as the Regional Coordinator for the North West, Anglian and Scotland. The rise of the reusables is something I love to share about.
S. S has to be for smiling. I do it a lot and it is how I gained the nickname of the Grinning Blonde. I get compliments on my smile and people remember me for it. I love smiling, so it is all good with me.
T. Without a doubt, T has to be for travel. Being an outdoor and travel blogger, it would be a bit weird if I didn’t mention at least one of the two. I have always enjoyed visiting new places, whether near or far and love experiencing places as if I lived there. This is why I can be found wandering the housing areas, towns and streets as well as heading to the hills or making my way to far away interesting things.
U. I am currently learning to play the ukulele – if not well! I bought it a few years ago and love getting it out for a bit of a strum or to learn a new chord or two. I have to say that it is one of the happiest instruments that I know of.
V. Variety is the spice of life and I love having plenty of it in my life. This is why I really enjoy spending time wandering in cities, then hiking up hills and visiting the unusual museums in places I have never been before.
W. Linking firmly in with my love of Dutch things I hope that one day we will own and live in a Wikkelhouse. Floating on the water in Rotterdam would be great! I am currently minimising the things that we have and we hope that our next home will either be a Wikkelhouse or a Wudl. Both fitting for W and both lovely small eco houses!
X. It might seem like a bit of a cop-out to go with X-ray for this one, but the amount I have had through my life is enough for a lever arch folder (literally!) My first break was my big toe the day before going on holiday when I was two. I was cleaning a stone bird bath and dropped the top onto my foot – ouch! Since then I have broken many a finger (a pick axe and concrete incident popping the tip of the bone off), my elbow, my ankle while hiking (and having to walk the final tree miles on it and drive for 40 minutes!), and the broken/non-broken wrist incident at earlier this year among many others!
Y. I am most certainly a “yes” person. I am always up for doing something new or trying something out. A few months ago, I actually got to ride a waterbike along the Bridgewater canal as part of the Say Yes More Waterbike Collective, it was brilliant – if super hot!!
Z. I would say that I am pretty care free and have a zeal for life! Some might think I am overzealous at times, but that is just me! And I’m not sorry one bit!
So there you have it, an A to Z of me! I hope that you enjoyed it and discovered something new about me. Big thanks for Zoe at Splodz for sharing hers and inspiring me to write one too.
Would you like to see more personal posts here on The Urban Wanderer? Let me know!
If you feel like doing an A to Z of me of your own, please pop a link in the comments so that I can some and learn a little more about you too – it is nice seeing a different side.