The night before Thanksgiving in Roanoke, Virginia (as I am sure it is in other cities as suggested by this article in The Onion) is often a bit of a high school reunion. You run into a pretty large number of people who look familiar to you even though you don't know their name, but if you arm yourself with a couple close friends you've stayed in contact with, it's usually a really good experience.

I write a lot about college and how much it made me into who I am today, but I tend to skip over high school. I really loved my time growing up and going to school where I did, but for some reason going back and and seeing old friends that I've lost touch with sometimes makes me feel a little melancholy. We met up with friends of mine on three occasions this weekend and had the best time, but on Saturday afternoon I found myself flipping through old yearbooks and feeling a little bit sad. Part of it is because almost a decade has passed since I graduated and it doesn't even feel a little bit like that length of time, and the other part is that I don't feel at all like the person I used to be and I wonder if I'm the only one.

Lena Dunham said she missed her high school reunion because, first of all, she was at a diner enjoying some delicious rice pudding when she should have been on her way over, but also because she wanted to avoid past incarnations of herself. "Everyone's nice!" she said about her classmates, but she still didn't make it to see them after ten years. I'm actually looking forward to our ten year reunion, but I kind of identify with what she's saying.

High School Megan was a bit of a goodie goodie and thought nothing looked cuter than a polo shirt with the collar popped. She had little to no anxiety, but she lacked a lot of experiences. She drove a Volkswagen Jetta with a license plate that said MEG JET and put a lot of sugar in her coffee. I love her, but she kind of embarrasses me sometimes. Nostalgia usually feels so good on me, but when I reminisce on high school days I sometimes feel like I'm shrinking. 

College and grad school and Minneapolis all played huge roles in shaping me into the person that I am today, but high school laid that foundation and gave me some wonderful friends along the way; and I forget about that sometimes. E.E. Cummings said "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," and he was right, but I don't think you have to venture out and never look back.

I hope this weekend brought you exactly what you needed.

If you could only eat one thing every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Ignore the reality of nutritional value and/or food allergies.)

It would be virtually any kind of Asian noodle dish-- mainly Pad Thai, a big bowl of Pho, or Lo Mein. I was an enthusiastic pasta eater before I went Paleo, and while of course I'd love to dig in to a pile of fettuccine Alfredo every now and again, I don't find myself craving pasta the way I crave Thai or Vietnamese food. Obviously rice noodles don't make me feel sick like regular pasta does, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I'm pretty sure it's just because Pad Thai is the best.

Why did you choose Spanish as your major at first? (Edited to include everyone reading): Did you ever change majors? What were they and why did you choose them?

I chose Spanish because Psychology wasn't working for me anymore and I felt like doing something that came easily to me for a while. I grew up on Spanish, so I could read and write it really well. I had actually placed into some 300 and 400-level Spanish classes as a freshman, so I had a lot of credits already. Speaking the language was a challenge, but I got through my classes and mostly enjoyed it. I switched to the English department when I realized that I was basically a History major who just took classes in another language, which was fine and super educational, but I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it after college was done.

Name one thing that someone said to you that impacted you in a deep and meaningful way. Who said it and what gave it so much significance?

This was recently--I was listening to a podcast and the speaker said (obviously not directly to me, but I'll take it) that you should never say anything if you can't follow it up with the phrase "...and that's just the way I want it." It's so simple, but it makes a huge difference in the way you approach your day-to-day life.

"Ugh I'm so anxious," is something I say on what often feels like a weekly basis, but I've been so much more careful about throwing it out there these days because the truth is that feeling anxious is the exact opposite of "the way I want it." Our words are pretty powerful things, and that little tip was a huge reminder.

What's your favorite novel? Do you think that when you read it had anything to do with it sticking with you?

My favorite novels definitely coincide with specific times in my life, since I have a couple favorites and they all make the list for different reasons. For example, Atonement is a favorite because not only is it gorgeous, but I read it my senior year of college for one of my favorite classes, and in it the main character was reading Clarissa, which we were simultaneously reading for the same class. It was a fantastic connection that I'm so glad my professor took advantage of.

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Now it's your turn! Leave a comment with your answers to the questions above--these posts have become my favorite and it is such a pleasure getting to know you all a bit more.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a question (I sometimes post requests for them on Facebook or Instagram). If you have one that you'd like me to include in my next Q&A post, send me an email and I'll get it on the list!

Photo is one I never posted from this shoot with V.A. Photography last year.

What's your Myers-Briggs type?

I'm very much an INFJ- (that's introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging). I'm fine in social situations and even like them most of the time, but I'm truly an introvert at heart. I like to think that I'm creative as well as super perceptive, and when making decisions I absolutely rely on my personal thoughts and/or feelings over any sort of objective information, which is sometimes super frustrating for my incredibly logical (ENTJ) husband.

I love reading and learning about personality types, but my favorite Myers-Briggs related thing is this chart where you can find out which character from Harry Potter your personality type is most like. 

Describe your dream breakfast.

Modern Times Cafe in Minneapolis serves some of the most amazing breakfast I've ever had--and it's between their Croque John Paul with gluten-free bread and this special they offered sometimes that included eggs, black beans, corn tortillas, chorizo, fried plantains, and the most delicious avocado-cilantro sauce. Less specifically, though, my dream breakfast includes a latte followed by a Bloody Mary, Eggs Benedict, and super crunchy hash-browns.

In no particular order, what are three of your pet peeves?

When people use the word "anniversary" for anything that has been happening for less than a year, for example a "three month anniversary;" the absolute chaos that ensues when you order a burger or some barbecue without a bun anywhere in North Carolina; and when you put your blinker on and someone in the next lane deliberately refuses to let you merge.

What is your favorite show right now?

After vaguely being aware that there was hype around a show called "Parenthood" (and running out of Modern Family episodes), Rob and I decided to see what the fuss was about and are currently deep into life with the Bravermans. It's beautiful and funny and just really good. I'm extremely attached already.

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Your turn! I want to know your answers--leave them in the comments! And if you have a question you'd like me to include next time, I want to hear that, too. Thanks for playing along!