The Personality Examination
Get to know me better through a robust blend of famous questionnaires.
Every now and then (and again), I enjoy filling out a couple of famous surveys/questionnaires for a quick-but-deep personality examination. I seek more than what a Buzzfeed quiz can offer when this mood strikes, even though I usually am keen to figure out what kind of garlic bread I am. Who wouldn’t be?! Anyway, my go-tos are The Proust Questionnaire (Vanity Fair’s published, modernized version) and Vogue’s 73 Questions (rapid fire, subject to change depending on who is being interviewed). I answer them for my personal entertainment (and benefit) and I like to compare my answers to earlier versions to witness how much I’ve changed as I make my journey through life. It’s an interesting data point, and I love this kind of data!
What I find most intriguing about the personality examination is this confirmation: I have never been afraid to modify an opinion once I have learned new facts. From trying a new sandwich to reading a new book, discovering something’s (or someone’s) true colors to living a brand new experience — I’m more than cool with changing my mind. We should all feel this way! There is no shame in it, especially after you learn something new about the subject at hand.
Not only do I desire to take the surveys again… I have a bunch of new subscribers (👋!!!) and I thought it could be fun to take this opportunity to get better acquainted with you. And for those who have been vibing with me for a while, we can get reacquainted… or perhaps, you’ll learn something new about me! Either way, I want my readers to know the ~mind behind the vibe~ a bit better. By posting this next version here, I want to revisit it in a year or so to share with my Substack audience how much (or little, although I sincerely hope that’s not the case) I’ve evolved.
If you’re new here, welcome! If you’ve been here a bit, thank you for hanging out. Thank you all for reading my words. 😘
You may have scrolled through my past posts after subscribing and found I…
wrote a novel and am currently working on getting it on your bookshelf
post reflections and essays when the mood strikes
somehow survived not one, but two moments of major grief last year
enjoy playing with poetry and fiction (some of my poems/short stories/serialized pieces live here, exclusively)
There’s a lot more hiding within vibe with me, so please feel free to sift through my archives at your leisure.
For this round, I pulled questions from the aforementioned Proust Questionnaire and Vogue’s 73 Questions. I also sampled from two surveys I enjoy: The Colbert Questionert and James Lipton’s Inside the Actors Studio questionnaire (incidentally, inspired by Proust and Bernard Pivot). The questions within these are a perfect mix of heavy and light, which are quite the complement to the other two lists.
Given this examination I’ve cobbled together is quite extensive, I added all of the questions to the “Wheel of Names” in order to not select any question with bias. It also forces me to take the question and answer it, instead of doing the whole “hmmm, nah, let’s just skip to the next one” dance. Maybe one day I will sit down and fill them all out, but for today, I grabbed thirty questions at random. Now I can feel like a celebrity being interviewed off the cuff, rapid-fire style, and say the first thing that comes to mind. I will not be viewing how I answered any of these questions previously, so I have a fresh baseline to vibe with. Next year (or so), I’ll revisit. Let’s roll!
I’ve also included a comprehensive PDF that contains the questions from all four as an attachment to this post, so you can download/save for later and then pick/choose your own to answer if you’re feeling frisky.
What is it that you most dislike? People who avoid thinking critically. We are constantly inundated with information and it can be hard to discern fact from fiction. If we lean on critical thinking a bit more, we can sort through the information, learn the truth, and have a better understanding of the reality behind any given topic.
Favorite holiday? Halloween, baby! Spooky season! Leaves falling, hoodie weather, spooky movies, and candy! 🎃 Name a better holiday… I’ll wait. Unless you name Christmas, which is my second favorite because I love decorating a tree and feeling cozy. 🎄
You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: what is it? “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen. It’s a perfect song.
Movie that made you cry? Beaches — it wrecks me. Every single time. (There are many, many more that make me cry but this is an all-time cry fest.)
Who are your favorite writers? Oh, here’s a “short” list. It definitely doesn’t include everyone I enjoy reading.
Fiction: Jessica Knoll, Jeneva Rose, Riley Sager, B.A. Paris, Megan Miranda, Gillian Flynn, Janelle Brown, Kate Morton, Mary Kubica, Lisa Scottoline
Nonfiction/Essayists/Poets: David Sedaris, Kim Addonizio, Elizabeth Gilbert, Naomi Fry, Brian Moylan, Diane Ackerman
Substack Writers I never skip:
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Okay, I’ll stop. Only because I need to keep this moving. There are so many more!!
Most used app on your phone? Safari. Does that count? I try not to use a ton of apps, and when a web/desktop version suffices, I tend to just open things in Safari. If that’s not considered an app, it’s a tie between Instagram and Substack. Closely behind those? iMessage and Signal.
What’s your favorite dessert? Cheesecake. Most definitely cheesecake. The thicker the crust, the better — that’s my favorite part. Classic with strawberries to keep it simple, but I won’t refuse a slice of turtle. Ever.
How would you like to die? Peacefully, in my sleep, when I’m very, very old. If the option to live forever is available though, I would actually take it — there’s so much more I want to witness!
What is your usual Starbucks order? Iced Coffee or Iced Caramel Macchiato when it’s hot outside. Peppermint White Mocha when it’s cold. ☕️
Best sandwich? My go-to is an Italian. It may vary from place to place, but the heart of the Italian sandwich is the same. Good meats, good cheese, good vinaigrette. On French bread or sourdough. Now I’m hungry…
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A house cat. A spoiled rotten house cat.
Favorite Disney character? Aurora from Sleeping Beauty because I’ve always wanted to frolic in a forest meadow with wildlife and have them know I’m not a threat, but a friend!
What is your greatest extravagance? BUYING BOOKS. hahaha I have no spending limit when it comes to purchasing books. Taking it further: spending way too much on having food delivered when I don’t want to leave the house. It’s embarrassing. A guilty pleasure? Still embarrassing. I do try to avoid this and opt to order carryout from places directly, but sometimes that desperation hits…
Best advice you’ve ever received? “Be silent, be still.” My father would say this to me when I wanted to react to someone pushing my buttons. A non-reaction is usually best in those situations.
Favorite season? Fall. Autumn. 🍂 Whatever you call it, it’s the best. Cooler weather, vivid colors all around. Strolling through fallen leaves that crunch under my toes, sipping ciders and coffees. Hoodies. Slippers. Need I say more?
Favorite sushi roll? A local place has this wonderful, delicious roll that is filled with shrimp tempura, asparagus, spicy tuna, tempura chips, topped with shrimp and their speciality sauces. Then, they LIGHT IT ON FIRE (it’s wrapped in foil) before serving it. It’s incredible. 🤤
Have you ever asked someone for their autograph? YES. Dave Matthews (he was so kind and lovely and wonderful and I love him) and Peyton Manning (who I ran into at a bar one night while he and his friends/their wives were doing karaoke after winning a game, lol).
What do you like to collect? Vinyl. We started our collection during the pandemic as something to do together that involved music, since I was missing seeing my favorite bands live. Among other things. The collection continues to grow and now, we never miss Record Store Day.
Favorite smell? A cup of fresh, just-brewed coffee. Freshly laundered bedding. A fresh, just-baked batch of chocolate chip cookies. A freshly cut lawn. Gotta be fresh, baby.
The best way to decompress? A walk in the sunshine on a lovely day. Playing Animal Crossing. A hot bubble bath. Reading until I fall asleep (or finish a book).
Do you have a degree? I do! I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. My focus was Writing & Literacy. I started my Masters, with the focus being teaching composition… but then I found a job in IT and decided to pursue that path instead. My degree didn’t go to waste, thankfully, because I continue to write and pursue creative endeavors on the side, separate from my day job. Plus, the liberal arts program gave me a well-rounded education and an abundance of skills I use every day in both my profession and life (like the ability to think critically and be skeptical… it really comes in handy a lot more now than ever before).
What is the quality you most like in a person? Integrity. You don’t have to be religious to live a moral life or be a good person. If you have integrity, it will show through your actions and not just your words.
Apples or oranges? I love both, but I suppose I’ll go with apples because you can enjoy them solo or with good peanut butter. Honeycrisp is my fave! 🍎
Where would you most like to live? In a perfect world, it would be a place where mountains (I’d even take hills) and beaches are accessible. And a nice climate. Like the Florida Keys in the cooler months, and northern Maine in the warmer months.
What’s your favorite condiment? Primal Kitchen’s Buffalo Sauce. I discovered it earlier this year and it comes in a two-pack at Costco! Honorable mention: Ranch dressing. It is truly a perfect companion to so many foods.
What country would you love to visit? I’m big on trying to visit all the corners of my own vast country. There’s so much to see and do in my own backyard! With that said, I would love to visit a mess of countries in Southern Europe, around the Mediterranean specifically: Spain, France, Greece, Italy (just to name a few). I’d also love to make it to Australia and New Zealand one day.
Dream job? To be a full-time writer. Novelist, essayist, poet… just to write full-time, continue to hone my craft, and make enough money from it to support my desired lifestyle (at least my current lifestyle, but obviously much more… because this is a dream!!!)
What do you think happens when we die? I wish I thought there was a place we get reunited with people and pets we have loved along the way, but I think we probably just cease to exist. When our souls expire, that’s just… it. If I get to choose what happens to me when I complete this journey, I like the idea of reincarnation, but only if my soulmates (husband, pets, friends) can join me.
What person you’d like to have coffee with? This list is out of control, but I’ll compromise and narrow it down to three who are living.
Lena Dunham. I have this feeling she’s a delight to chat with about anything.
Taylor Swift. I’d love to talk about her songwriting and clown around. Obviously the cats have to be around.
Stephen King. To pick his brain, wax poetic about the craft of writing, and to chill with him would be pretty cool.
And because I can’t control myself, here are three who are no longer living: Anthony Bourdain, Robin Williams, and David Bowie.
Describe yourself in 3 words. Kind, genuine, creative. (My husband said beautiful, brilliant, and perfect. I think I’ll keep him. 🥰)
Thank you for reading vibe with me. If you’re into my work and think a friend might be too, please pass it along so we can vibe together! 😘
To be on a list with those other women is so humbling 😭 I also might be stealing this for a Friday Surprise because I loved it!
Thank you honey! You are so kind!