sunday social: Wahoo-wa!

1. What are you most looking forward to about fall?

I'm excited about fall fashion colors, college football, cinnamon/caramel/pumpkin flavored everything, the Color Me Rad 5K, scarves, Trick-or-Treaters, vests, boots, concerts at our local venue, sweaters, tweed, tartan, and Thanksgiving, but I think if I'm going to be really honest, I am actually most looking forward to the return of my favorite television shows.  I am a shameless TV junkie and I need to know what happens next on The Mindy Project, Nashville, Parenthood, Sleepy Hollow and my other faves like Agents of SHIELD.  I'm excited for the new drama Red Band Society, comics-based Gotham and Constantine, and John Mulaney's new sitcom.

2. What is your favorite sports team?

I'm not really a huge fan of any team sports (I'm more of an Olympics and So You Think You Can Dance girl), but my favorite team sport to watch in person is football.  My alma mater, UVa, isn't really known for our football team, but I love going to home games and sitting on the hill or in the student section, wearing my orange and blue, cheering for Cav Man's adventures, singing the Good Old Song, and watching the marching band perform.

3. If you could go back to college is there one thing you would change?

I would not have said yes to the first boy who asked me to be his girlfriend in college.  He was my best friend, and I wanted to have a boyfriend, but I ended up breaking his heart and we aren't friends anymore.  I really regret that I did not take time to think about whether we'd really be a good couple.   I also wish I hadn't given up after my first bad dance audition in college - it was for a lyrical dance company and I got intimidated by the other dancers and overwhelmed by the choreography.  I wish I'd kept trying out or that I'd found a local studio to dance with.

4. What was your favorite class you took in high school or college?

I really loved the class on teaching writing I took during my final semester of college with Jane Hansen.  She is the director of the Central Virginia Writing Project and teaches writing by modeling what a writing workshop can look like- the class reminded me why I love creative writing so much.  She worked with Donald Graves and actually invented the concept of the "author's chair."  My thesis advisor, Jamie (coauthor of Getting Started, for any teachers following along), was taking the class as well, and it felt very cool and important to be in class alongside a doctoral student I really looked up to.  Several other girls from my elementary education program were taking the class as well who weren't necessarily my best friends, but by the end of the semester they definitely were - by writing about our lives and spending so much time envisioning our ideal classrooms we'd gotten to know each other really well.

5. Reach into your purse what is the first thing you grab?

My phone!  Always with me because I prefer texting to e-mail and phone calls, and I need easy access to Instagram and Snapchat so I can make my friends smile during the day.