10 Things You Might Not Know About Me
If you don’t know – now you know!
I have 5 tattoos (so far…)
Friends forever – officially tatted up!
I got the first one on my 16thbirthday (sorry Mom) and it’s so small that even in a bikini, you wouldn’t know I have it. It’s of a treble clef with a rose going through it to signify a love of a music and bond with a special friend. I got my next one on my 21stbirthday and it’s of my birth date – August 7th, 1986 – because my best friend and I were born on the same day. It’s on my left hip and my GF has the same one, in the same spot. My next two tattoos were a big commitment and I got them done at the same time. I have each of my daughters names – Sophia & Maisie – with their birth flowers on each of my wrists. These were a bold undertaking but I absolutely love them and wouldn’t trade them for the world. My last tattoo to date is of 5 arrows going in different directions with the word ‘Army’ in between to signify the love of my girl tribe. I have 4 other girl-friends who have the same one and although we all got them in different places on our bodies, it has the same special meaning for each of us. When I’m with them – I’m standing with an Army.
I wanted to be a journalist when I was younger.
I used to read and write like crazy! I loved putting my feelings into poems and short stories and would even attend ‘Writer’s Camp’ with the Writer’s Guild of Alberta in the summer time. I loved coming up with new ways to express myself through words and letting people know how I felt. As I grew up though, I realized what a homebody I really am and that my desire to stay close to my loved ones outweighed my desire to chase stories. I put my writing on the back burner a long time ago but have enjoyed picking it up again in the last year.
I had terrible teeth as a kid.
I felt like I was always at the dentist and I had so much dental work done before I was even 10. They were just really crooked and I wasn’t great at brushing so I’d have cavities galore – I even had to have a few pulled out to make room for them all. Thankfully, my parents always recognized the value of a smile and made sure to find room in the budget to get braces for me. I wore them for 3 years in junior high, followed by a retainer and by the time I went to high school, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face! I’ve been smiling like crazy ever since!
I was Grad president of my high school class.
Young Elle Bell in all my high school glory!
My high school experience was a little unconventional because when I first got there in grade 10, there was only grade 9’s & 10’s. When I was in grade 11, there was 9, 10 and 11 and when I was in grade 12, we were a full high school. It was a brand new county school so there was never anyone older than us. It was sweet though and I felt like we had a pretty awesome bond as the first grad class ever from Peace Wapiti Academy. I was honored to be elected by my peers as Grad President and together with our committee, we threw one hell of a party!!!! 7:00 am seemed to come way too fast that night……
I’ve had a crush on my husband since I was 13.
I met Mike Dalen at NiteHawk Ski Area for the first time when I was a young girl and was head over heels for him ever since. He always had this gorgeous, bright smile and he was easily the best snowboarder on the hill. His parents ran the ski hill for 16 years when he was a kid before my parents ran it for 7 years later. We’ll always have a special bond because of our time there and we try to support the ski/snowboard lifestyle as best as we can.
I HATE unloading the dishwasher.
I am grateful to have one and I take pride in being able to fit as many dishes in there as possible, but when it comes time to unload it, I just feel exhausted looking at it! Thankfully, my husband is pretty great in that department and tries to unload it for me as often as possible.
I think about death a lot.
Yes, a lot of that comes down to my profession as a life insurance advisor and the fact that I talk about it all the time, but outside of that, I’ve always thought about it and how I have been or will be affected by it. It’s a fact of life and totally unavoidable, but it’s something that crosses my mind often and I’ve made peace with that. We’re all going to be touched by the loss of a loved one in our life and I’m grateful to my parents for always having open conversations with us about death. While I know it hurts like hell, I feel more prepared than I think the average person for how it will unfold in my life. For this reason, I always say ‘I love you’ and I do my best to live each day to the fullest. Every day is a gift and I try to never forget that.
My mantra word is Authenticity.
I truly believe in the power of being my most authentic self and since I’ve adopted this mindset, I feel happier and more comfortable in my own skin than ever. I love who I am and any little thing I can do each day to be more Me, is an important part of my life. I think everyone should embrace more of their authentic selves and worry less about what other people think.
I LOATHE condiments….
This is a lifelong thing for me and I don’t think this distaste is going anywhere anytime soon.I am absolutely repulsed by them. I’ve also never had a fast food hamburger in my life (that I can recall). I know, weird, but I’ve always been more of a chicken nuggets gal myself. My friends have tried for years to get me to try one but I’ve held out this long and am pretty sure I can keep it going for another 30 years or so….
I’m an incredibly sensitive person.
I really feel feelings and I absorb the emotions of others quite easily. Empathy comes naturally to me and I feel I’m intuitive to what’s going on around me. I really care about how people are feeling. Sometimes this is a fault, other times it’s a gift but when I take something to heart, it either really hurts or makes me really happy. I’ve tried to be much less sensitive at times in my life but I find that the more I embrace it and prepare my mind for how I might take something, the easier it is to acknowledge the feeling and then let it pass however it needs to. Despite how intensely I feel things, I try not to let them overpower my life and only give those feelings the time and attention required to move on.
Well team, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in describing what makes me, ME! But let me tell you this – I still have plenty to say and a lifetime of stories to tell so saddle up partner! You’ll want to come along for the ride 😉
