dogwood

I'm in my mid-20's and recently returned to my home base in Virginia after several years of roaming around the country, experiencing different places and different ways of life.

I went to school with the intention of eventually becoming a history professor, but by the time I finished undergrad the economy had made a career in academia a distant hope, so I took a different path, learned to bake bread, used that skill to do some traveling, and I'm now working at a bakery in my hometown and branching into making pastry. If I ever have the opportunity, both financially and time-wise, I would love to go to grad school as I had originally planned, even if only for me and not as a career move.

I'm a combination of outdoorsy/active and extremely nerdy. I love history, science, books, hiking, rowing, running, traveling, researching family history, taking long naps, cooking, gardening, discussing politics and philosophy, playing with pets, music, tech and gadgets, and being a devoted autodidact; I'm always in the middle of learning something.

I've been a member of Postcrossing for a while and heard Swap-bot mentioned frequently by members of the PC forum, so I thought I'd check it out.

Super duper extra favorites in bold :)

History: colonial US, Southern US/Virginia, US westward expansion, Native American, pre-1066 British Isles, ancient Germanic and Scandinavian, Soviet-era Russia, Age of Discovery, Age of Sail, environmental and agricultural, medical history, North American and Caribbean pirates

Science: agriculture, oncology, genetics, soil science, astronomy, paleontology, evolution

Linguistics: German, Swedish, Old English, invented languages, historical & comparative linguistics

Misc: maps, antique/rare books, archaeology, criminal, abnormal, and developmental psychology

A lot of classical, classic rock, folk, country, bluegrass, blues and soul, and Broadway soundtracks

The Discworld series and The Lord of the Rings own my heart. I mostly read non-fiction (lots of history and biological science), but I also enjoy fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, poetry, and mythology and folklore

I watch a lot of fantasy, adventure, comedy, documentaries, musicals, and historical dramas. I also like foreign films. I've tried and failed many times over the years to compile a complete list of my favorite movies, so here's a sampling:

Out of Africa, Amadeus, The Matrix, A Christmas Story, Airplane, the Lethal Weapon series, Star Wars, most of the Disney and Pixar catalog, any opera or Broadway recordings I can get my hands on

My first and greatest TV love was (and still is) Star Trek, especially The Next Generation and DS9. I also really like Vikings, Black Sails, The Big Bang Theory, The 100, The West Wing, Rome, Deadwood, Mythbusters, Penny Dreadful, and a bunch of others that I'm probably forgetting to mention

I'm fairly new to crafting, but I'm learning to knit and crochet (I eventually aspire to make amigurumi), and do more advanced sewing than replacing lost buttons. I also want to learn calligraphy and make my own greeting and holiday cards

Anything related to Discworld, The Lord of the Rings (books, not movies), or mountain lions

Favorite colors: purple, blue, green, and gray

Favorite patterns: argyle, plaid, polka dots

Favorite scents: florals (especially daffodil and honeysuckle), fruit, anything atmospheric (ex. rain, ocean breeze, evergreen forest, etc)

LGBT (and all the other letters) related things

Postcards, stationary, washi tape/decorative tape, pens, stickers (except teacher & reward), notebooks, memo pads, note cards, envelopes, rubber stamps, etc. Anything for writing or correspondence

Food, especially regional or country-specific items and salty snacks. I like tea and generally prefer fruit, herbal, mint, and white teas, but I'm always up for a new tea experience

Small souvenirs, socks (US 9/10, EU 40, UK 7/8), used books, Christmas ornaments, small decor items, cooking and baking supplies, flower, herb, and vegetable seeds, candles, wax melts/tarts, bookmarks, sewing supplies, coloring pages

Bath and body products (especially lotion and lip balm; I go through both like crazy). I also love bath salts and bombs

Book, movie, and music recommendations, maps and flags, currency (paper and coins)

A special section for postcards, since they're one of my favorite things. I like almost all cards, but do have some particular favorites and a few that I'm not very fond of.

Favorite postcard themes:

Places/tourist cards. Show me where you live, used to live, want to visit, or some random place you have a card from. I love armchair traveling

Mountain lions

Animals in general

Maps

Discworld/Terry Pratchett.

Lord of the Rings/Tolkien (books, not movies)

The Greetings from... series from Postallove

Nature/landscapes

I have nothing against Zazzle cards or quality homemade ones

Postcard themes I'm not a big fan of:

Art

Free/ad

Food with coconut (allergic), spicy food, or coffee

Anything that smells like vanilla, sugar, baked goods, or pumpkin

Cheap jewelry (skin reacts badly)

Super cutesy or girly stuff and kawaii

Religious lecturing or attempts at conversion. I enjoy learning about different religions and belief systems, but I'm perfectly happy in my current status of non-believer