Contact me: ZandriaM [at] Yahoo [dot] com
Current photos: Flickr
Twitter: @followzan
Former BlogHer Contributing Editor: I wrote about my experiences as a 20-something single woman for over three years. I wrote this explanation when I resigned.
Facts: No kids, no pets. I live in the DC metro area. I’m the second-oldest of five kids (two sisters and two brothers). I’ve had a blog since September 1, 2002.
In the very beginning: I was born at home. Yes, by a midwife. It took a few days for my parents to decide on a name.
So, about your name… I didn’t like my name when I was little (oh, how I wanted to be an inconspicuously-named “Jennifer”), but I do now. It sets me apart.
My childhood: I was home-schooled for eight years while I was growing up, except for the first two (kindergarten/first grade) and last two (junior/senior) years of public school.
I lived in Amsterdam for five months. I did a semester abroad during my senior year of college. I studied at the Vrije Universiteit, which is located just outside of Amsterdam in the municipality of Amstelveen. You can find links to some of my favorite posts written during that time in this post (scroll about halfway down the page; they’re under “Dispatches from Amsterdam”).
I tend to be decisive. When I decided I wanted to study abroad, I looked into it and then I made it happen. I didn’t ask for anyone’s opinion; I did it because I wanted to. I’ve also lived in California, for various periods of time, and I’ve driven cross-country by myself four times (from Virginia to California and back…twice).
I’m not completely natural. I had corrective surgery for scoliosis in July 2001. I wrote about the experience here. A picture of my back looks like is posted here.
