Jess Watkins

I appreciate the small things in life. I laugh, even when it is not appropriate. Laughter is my medicine!

 

When people ask me where I am from, I tell them “I am from everywhere and nowhere.” I am a military brat and grew up in various countries and states. I was born in South Carolina, but I don’t remember any of it. We moved to England before I could create memories beyond chicken pox in the state of South Carolina. We lived in England for about 5 years and stayed in Greece for 9 months in the middle of that tour. I have faint memories of trying to pretend what conversations our Greek babysitters were having and climbing what felt like hundreds of stairs to get to our apartment.

The transition from England (with my strong British accent) to Texas was by far the most awkward. Texans drove on the wrong side of the road, talked funny, and had their own pledge of allegiance to the Texan flag. I earned detention my first day of school over a language barrier. Some British words do not translate well to American English and can create difficult moments for 4^th graders. They did not call them “erasers” in England.

After Texas, I stayed in Upper Michigan for a year, then moved on to Wisconsin for 2 years, then Oklahoma, then back to Wisconsin. I did join the military for 6 years and was stationed in Nebraska, but I have settled back into Wisconsin. Throughout the summers growing up, we would always head over to Gran’s and Gramp’s house until it was time to go back to school. I am the eldest of 4 kids, so I was the one that jumped into trouble while they observed the consequences. In a way, that makes me a unique style of “educator” …. right?

Growing up in different cultures and backgrounds definitely helped open my perspective growing up. I do love to travel and continue to learn more about other places, people, and lifestyles. When I am not traveling, which is most of the time, I work a full-time job like most others. Overall, I am a homebody. I do like to get out once in a while and go to festivals, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and golfing. I hate shopping. It feels more like a chore, and it eats your money.

Staying home can be much cheaper. There are always projects to do as a homeowner; I have decided landscaping is overrated though. It hurts. I still do it sometimes, but I would not call it a hobby. I prefer reading, blogging, video games (specifically Fortnite), card games, board games, watching football, working out, meal prepping, or catching up on TikTok. It is amazing how fast time flies on that app! I also like to watch my cryptocurrency stocks stress me out. What a volatile market! It is a hobby that I am hoping will pay off someday, but it keeps me on edge.

Personality-wise, I enjoy sarcasm and take things far too literally. This opens me up for gullible moments all of the time. Anything unique and out of the ordinary catches my attention and I love learning more about it. I am laid back, silly, and I appreciate every day. Even the rough days teach us something, whether we like it or not. I am purpose driven and enjoy the moments where you get to make someone’s day. If I can get a person to smile or laugh, my goal for the day is accomplished. My biggest fear: How will I be remembered when I am gone?

I am a dog lover, and not so much a cat fan. I have not had great experiences with cats. I believe that started fresh out the womb when my mother’s cat tried to smother me to death by lying on my face. Thankfully, ma chose me over the cat. I do enjoy watching cat videos though. Generally, I tend to favor animals over humans. My favorite “animal” is the Dragon. I haven’t found one yet, but I will let you know if I do! That wraps up a lot about me. I don’t think I have talked so much about myself in my life. I do share more about me in tidbits throughout my blogs. Feel free to contact me on the form at the bottom of my home page if you have other questions!