Shape of 41: forty-one questions for 41 years

Well on my way to make it a yearly ritual. The questions change, the answers even more,

and that’s exactly the point.

Enjoy!

1. When were you happiest?
   When I could sit in my garden, looking at the stars with my animals beside me, a warm tea in my hand, wrapped in my gigantic fleece blanket.

2. What makes you unhappy?
   People who have no respect.

3. What’s your most annoying character trait?
   I’m aware of it, but I can be a bit of a know-it-all.

4. What’s your most treasured possession?
   My health.

5. What did you want to be as a child?
   A traveler, an explorer, and a rescuer like Tintin.

6. Which part of your appearance are you least happy with?
   My upper legs, although growing older has made me milder about it.

7. What’s your guiltiest guilty pleasure?
   I loved watching Selling Sunset and The Kardashians.

8. Which catchphrases or words do you use too much?
   I try very hard not to have any, but maybe “brilliant,” “superb,” and “maybe.”

9. How old would you like to be, and why?
   I don’t need to grow old. I’m 35 now, and have been for six years already.

10. Where would you most like to be right now?
    I’m probably exactly where I’m meant to be. But it could always be Bangkok.

11. What does love feel like?
    Like an endless mountain climb. Absolutely worth the effort, but not easy.

12. Which habit would you like to break?
    I tackle it when needed. I finally stopped taking my phone into the bedroom. The next habit to break: buying candy and making it last for a month.

13. What do you lose most often?
    My peace of mind.

14. What’s your most beautiful trip?
    That was the press trip to Wyoming, the longest short week ever.

15. Do you consider yourself a good friend to others?
    I dare to say yes. Of course, it depends on what my friends value, but I value reliability and showing up when you’re needed.

16. Are you a friend to yourself?
    That took a lot of work and is still a process, but I can now answer yes. I feel it’s made me even better for others, so it’s worth being my own friend.

17. Would you want to be immortal?
    No. The fact that it could all be over at any moment is what drives me.

18. What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
    Drink a big glass of warm water.

19. How do you take your coffee or tea?
    Pure, or sometimes with milk foam.

20. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
    A Chinese cake. The taste and texture were very unusual.

21. Which scent instantly takes you back to your childhood?
    A certain bread smell I always noticed at my aunt’s place.

22. What are you proud of but rarely talk about?
    That I’m still here.

23. What’s your biggest purchase regret?
    A Japanese tea set as a gift for a good friend. I thought he would like it, but I completely misjudged that.

24. Which film or series can you rewatch endlessly?
    The Lord of the Rings trilogy — extended edition.

25. Which app do you use most often on your phone?
    My phone tells me my calendar.

26. What’s your favorite season, and why?
    Every season has its charm, but late summer combines the best of everything: darkness, light, muted color, and warmth.

27. Which habit of others annoys you the most?
    Talking loudly and using the speakerphone in public places.

28. What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever received?
    That I have a beautiful and sweet dog.

29. Have you ever done something you still laugh about?
    Probably a lot, but I can’t think of anything right now.

30. What’s your favorite spot in your home?
    Wrapped in my fleece blanket, with a cat stretched out on me and a dog leaning against me.

31. What’s your favorite book or author?
    That’s a tough one. It’s probably Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. Sun-bleached and worn by time, now hopelessly outdated, but I can’t part with it.

32. Which talent would you like to have?
    The ability to sell myself. People who can do that have it made. I really have to work hard at it. I need people who can see right through me, haha.

33. What’s your most precious memory?
    The day I realized I have good friends, and therefore, that I am a good person. That day started a new path.

34. What music do you play to instantly feel better?
    Adagio for Strings — Tiësto’s version. The original is beautiful, but what he’s done with it really gets me going.

35. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
    A box full of Pepperidge Farm cookies from Thailand.

36. If you could be invisible for one day, what would you do?
    Observe wild animals while sitting among them. I’d also better be scentless.

37. What could you talk about endlessly without getting tired?
    I can preach about health and well-being, though I suspect I’d get tired of it eventually.

38. What advice would you give your younger self?
    Learn to love yourself as soon as possible. It makes you stronger and smarter.

39. What’s your ultimate dream destination?
    Nihi Sumba. It’s a stunning hotel with horses roaming the beach, yoga, and nature.

40. Which celebrity would you trade places with for a day?
    I’d choose Chris Hemsworth, so I’d immediately know what it’s like to be a man and Australian. He’s also into health and seems to have things figured out, so I’m curious about how he spends his day, with whom, and what drives him.

41. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
    Travel the world, explore, and save it. Like Tintin.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them.