W is for...Who is Rae?

What's an A to Z blog challenge without a post about yours truly? I know you wanna know all about me. Go on. Admit it. You're dying to know, "Who is Rae? Who is the girl behind the blog?" Well my loves. Your prayers have been answered. I'm posting 25 things about me. How wonderful of me, right? Yes, yes. I know.

• I'm a lefty. And proud of it. Despite the fact that the world was made for the less fortunate (aka right-handed people), being a lefty is awesome.
• My favorite color is pink. Sure, pink is a girl color, but HELLO. I'm a girl. In case you hadn't noticed.
• I'm claustrophobic. I hate feeling closed in. Elevators are cool when they're big and practically empty. It's the small, full elevators I can't stand. I tend to pass them up. If I do get on a full elevator, I have to stand at the front. I'm definitely not a fan of crowds. When I feel closed in, I have a panic attack.
• I was born dead. My mom was sick, so I ended up coming one month early. You know how babies come out crying? Yeah, not me. I was stillborn. Not breathing. As quiet as can be. The doctors did their thing and, by God's grace, I lived. Obviously. Cos a dead woman blogging would be so creepy...
• I'm shy. I know it's hard to believe since I'm such a great conversationalist here in blogland, but alas, it's true. In the real world, I'm quiet unless I'm with family and friends. If you get past that barrier of mine, you see the real Rae. I don't let just anybody in. In my eyes, you've got to earn it.
• I am obsessed with have a crush on Laz Alonzo and Adam Rodriguez. I know I've said this before, like a bagillion times, but these men are gorgeous.
• I'm an analfectionator. I'm an anal perfectionist who sometimes procrastinates, hence the word "analfectionator"...a word I and my dad made up. Did I mention I have slight OCD and ADD? Sounds like I need professional help, huh?
• I am a closet adrenaline junkie. Bunjee jumping? Skydiving? Ziplining? Yes please!  I haven't done any of these as of yet, but I do plan on it. I can just imagine the rush! I LOVE roller coasters. The faster and scarier, the better. And wouldn't you know it. The world's fastest roller coaster (the Formula Rossa) is here in Abu Dhabi. This summer, I am so there...front row!
• I'm allergic to seafood. Terrible, right? I LOVE seafood but I can't eat it. I can eat tilapia and tuna fish. I can even eat Long John Silvers or fishsticks. But for the most part, I have some kind of allergic reaction if I eat seafood. Most just makes me nauseous, puke, or my throat itch. Not Perch fish.  Remember that scene in Hitch where he eats seafood? Yeah. That's me if I eat perch. My face swells and my airways close in. If I'm not careful, perch fish can send me to my grave.
• I hate clowns. Never liked them, especially Ronald McDonald. They're just...creepy. Remember, Stephen King's It? *shudder* My children will not be having clowns at any of their parties. If so, Mommy's gonna have to retreat to her bedroom til they leave. Not that I'm scared of them or anything. Cos I'm not. Really, I'm not.
• I'm a nerd. And proud of it. I've always been a nerd. Always will be. I have no problems admitting this. Nerds rule the world. As a teen, I preferred staying in my room to read and write over going outside and playing like normal kids. So much so that, the few times I got in trouble, my punishment was to go outside or call friends. And yes. To me, that was a fate worse than death.
• I'm a 5th generation first-born female. My great great grandmother, great grandmother, grandmother, mother, and I are all the oldest child in our families. I just think this is so cool. I wonder if I'll have the 6th generation first-born female or will I be the one to break the cycle and have a boy as my first born. No pressure, right?  
• I collect angels. Anything that has to do with angels. I've got angel figurines, angel pillows, angel hats, etc. It all stems from my great grandmother, GaGa, who saved me when I was a baby. You can read the story here.
• I'm Chi-Town born, H-Town bred, and AD led. I was born in Chicago. Then, 2 months before my eighth birthday, we moved to Houston, where I was raised and have lived most of my life. Now, I've been led to Abu Dhabi, where I currently reside. I still have Chicago in me (I say pop instead of soda), and Abu Dhabi is an absolute beautiful place to live, but my heart will always be in Houston. I love my city.
• I love to bake. It's actually a stress reliever for me. Cookies, cakes, brownies...you name it. I get in that kitchen and all my worries/stress melts away. And I'm good at it, too. I get my love of baking from GaGa. Of course, I try not to be overly stressed. Too much baking is so not good for the hips.
• I'm a vampire. Ok, not really. But, like a vampire, I can't stay out in the sun for long. If I do, I get sick (migraine, hard time breathing, hives). It drains me of energy. On days I go to the beach or chill at the park, when I get home, I'm done for. That's it. I'm no good afterwards. I think it has more to do with the heat than the sun itself, though. This is why most of my Abu Dhabi summer days will be spent inside rather than outside. It gets CRAZY hot here in AD.
• My favorite animal is the white tiger. I LOVE white tigers. They're beautiful and rare...just like me. I had a pet one named Sasha. Well, not a real one. She was my stuffed animal. I let my nephew have it when I moved to AD. He begged me for it. I admit. It was hard to give her up, but I did. Now, some of the sheikhs' sons here in the UAE have pet white tigers. If I could own a pet tiger, I so would. But alas, it wasn't meant. They were meant to be out in the wild. 
• I have an irrational fear of cockroaches. Especially huge FLYING cockroaches like the ones we see in Houston. I can't stand them. At. All. These things should not have wings. They just shouldn't. I'm not sure what God was thinking, giving them wings. Thankfully, I haven't seen any in Abu Dhabi.
• Mulan is my favorite kiddie movie. I loved everything about it. The soundtrack. The characters. The storyline. EVERYTHING. Mulan is a perfect example of a strong, yet vulnerable female character. And that Li Shang. Whew! 
• I'm a sarcastic person. Shocking, right? You're like, "Seriously, Rae? I hadn't even noticed!" I know. But yes. Sarcasm is my friend. We go way back. I think this is part of the reason why my favorite age group to teach is junior high. They are terribly sarcastic. They so get me & I them. Actually, my whole family is sarcastic. It takes special people to hang with us. 
• I'm slightly clumsy. Ok more than slightly. I'm very clumsy. Extremely clumsy. Embarrassingly clumsy. Like one time, I was so busy reading my Nook while walking to my room, that I ran right into my door, head first. Proof that reading while walking is a dangerous thing.
• I LOVE my curves! But it wasn't always like this. In high school, I went through an anorexic faze, where for six months, I either didn't eat or I ate very little. My parents caught on, though. Thank God. I didn't get scary skinny and I didn't do any damage. But that's only by the grace of God. Now, I love being full figured; wouldn't change it for the world. Being voluptuous and curvy rocks! 
• I actually prefer action movies over romantic movies. Yep. I may be the only woman who feels this way, but that's me. Don't get me wrong. I love romantic movies. I just love action better. I think this may a result of my being an adrenaline junkie. Movies like the Bourne series and Mission Impossible series are my favorite to watch. I also like the XMen series and the like. I so can't wait to see the Avengers!
• I have two tattoos & a nose piercing. A peace sign on my ankle and the word "virtuous" written in Japanese on my right shoulder blade. I got them to celebrate turning 30. This summer, I plan to get one of a butterfly to celebrate stepping out of my comfort zone & moving to Abu Dhabi. I'd like to say I've come out of my cocoon and am now a butterfly. My nose piercing actually closed when I moved here. I wasn't sure if they frowned upon nose piercings at work, so I took mine out. I know now that it's fine so, I plan to get it re-pierced this summer.
• I'm a child of God. I'm totally, irrevocably, madly in love with Jesus Christ! I believe in the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I believe in the existence of heavenly angels as well as fallen angels (demons). I believe that Satan and his demons are real and are causing havoc on the children of God. I believe that Jesus died & rose for my sins and, because of this, I have victory over Satan. I believe that Jesus is coming back again at a time unknown to man. I believe that when I die, I will spend eternity in paradise with God, Jesus, the angels, and all my loved ones who died before me. I am not perfect...will never be perfect. But I do strive to become the woman God has called me to be. I will not apologize for my beliefs. Yes, it is my job to tell unbelievers about Christ, but I do not believe in beating it over their heads. My life speaks just as powerfully as my words. I try to practice what I preach. When people see me, I want them to know I'm different. There's something about me that separates me from others. And that "something" my loves, is God.