I was reflecting on my past year of blogging, the people who follow me, and what I've shared with you all so far. It dawned on me that the majority of my following are people I've never met. Though there's a stigma that you "know" someone through social media and the internet, a lot of you don't really know anything about me.
In order to break that divide, I wanted to share a few little-known facts about myself so that you can get a glimpse of the real Jordan.
1. I play the guitar
I got my first guitar in elementary school and taught myself how to play in fifth grade. My dad is a musician and planned on teaching me, but it was hard to schedule times to work with him so I took it upon myself. After learning a few basic chords and a tutorial for Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, I started playing more and more. I can't 'shred' by any means, but if you want to see me in action, click these links:
2. I'm a huge nerd
My favorite movies are Lord of the Rings (the second is the best, in my opinion). Don't believe me? My debit card is literally the map of Middle Earth and I watch all three movies quarterly-- and yes, I have seen the extended versions. I've also seen Game of Thrones three times all the way through. I watched all six seasons in a week two summers ago and have been obsessed ever since. Over the summer, I waited in line for four hours just to get into the GoT pop-up bar in DC. Still not convinced? I'm obsessed with super hero movies. I still play Pokemon Red. I play guitar hero on expert and have a record at our local Chuck E. Cheese. I still watch SpongeBob like it's nobody's business. Need I say more?
3. I've been to Warped Tour 7 times
That's right. Seven times. I was a scene girl in middle school and a pop punk/punk rock gal in high school. My favorite bands ranged from All Time Low, The Maine, Asking Alexandria, Yellowcard, The Dangerous Summer, Blink-182, A Day To Remember, and Brand New. I had major side bangs, wore band tees on the reg, and thought I was angsty for wearing bottom eyeliner. Long live.
4. I teach group exercise classes
My freshman year, I took it upon myself to figure out how to get my Zumba teacher's job. I found a love for fitness in high school and wanted to share it with others in college. I've now been teaching for seven semesters and can teach the following formats: cardio and latin dance party (zumba-style classes), barre, step, boxing, kickboxing, body sculpt, BOSU, cycle, and I'm in the process of learning yoga. I love what I do and hope to continue teaching it post-grad.
5. I have an extremely broad taste in music
When I say I like all types of music, I'm not exaggerating. My favorite band is currently Rage Against The Machine, but I still jam to artists like Eminem, Earth Wind & Fire, The Beatles, and Bon Iver. My dad was in two bands growing up, so I was raised on funk, soul, and country music. When I was a kid, I was all about the boy bands and R&B. I worshiped the No Strings Attached album from 'NSYNC and 8701 by Usher.
Through middle and high school, I was into all things embodying Warped Tour. On the other hand, I also loved rap. I had three Drake t-shirts in ninth grade and I know every single word to Practice and All Me. Once I got to college, I started exploring indie, acoustic, and classic rock. Recently, I took a class at JMU called the History of Rock and experienced a ton of different music. We covered everything influencing different styles of country, rock, and pop from Robert Johnson in the 30s to NWA and grunge in the 90s and I loved it all.
6. I pass out every time I go to the eye doctor
Yep, and he hates me. I always make up an excuse as to why I can't have my eyes dilated because the first and only time they did, I cried for two hours. I have extreme white coat syndrome and I pass out almost every time I have to renew my birth control, go to the orthodontist, get a shot, etc. My doctor had to prescribe me muscle relaxers to take before visiting... it's that bad.
7. I have a puppy
Loki is a husky pup I found on craiglist almost two years ago. Without even blinking, we met a guy at a gas station to adopt her when she was just eight weeks old. She's a handful, but she's one of the best things that's ever happened to me.
8. I'm from a very small town
I'm from Stephens City, VA and it wouldn't surprise me if the majority of you have never heard of it. The height of our town is a place called Dinosaur Land. To put it in perspective for you, my dad has a giant tractor, we have five horses, and my grandma has a big red barn. I may have big city dreams, but I wasn't born into that lifestyle by any means. It's been a challenge for me trying to find opportunity in the industry I want to work in because of it. When you can't afford to live in NYC for an unpaid internship all summer and live at least 2 hours from DC, it's hard to find companies that want to work with you. Luckily, I haven't let that stop me yet! If you can dream it, it can happen.
9. I've seen over 100 artists in concert
I've been to a ton of individual concerts, Firefly, Music Midtown, and Warped Tour seven times. I started going to concerts in fifth grade with the High School Musical Concert (it was lit I'm not even gonna lie) and have been die-hard since. I've seen John Mayer alone seven times. A few of my favorites that I've seen are Eminem, The Killers, Lorde, Earth Wind & Fire, Brand New, Blink-182, Dave Matthews Band, and Kid Cudi, but I could go on forever.
10. I have four tattoos
I got my first tattoo on my back when I was seventeen. My second was a compass that has my family members initials as the four cardinals. We all got it the day before my older brother moved to CA. My third piece of ink was an om going into the word 'optimism'. My fourth is two birds that I got with my best friend since ninth grade. They all have special meanings, which I could do another post on if you all are curious. Let me know in the comments if you're interested!
I hope this post gave you some insight on who I really am. I may appear "glamorous" because of my fashion posts on my instagram, but I'm honestly a pretty down-to-earth gal. I'm just your average college chick trying to simultaneously support a shoe obsession and Chipotle addiction.
If you want to know more about me, I'd love to answer any and all of your questions! The comment box below is open for your curiosity.
Thanks for reading!
Peace, Love, Just Jordan. xoxo