If you don’t know who Emily Cassel is, you really should.  She’s all about taking your passions and making them into your job.  You’d think the market would be saturated with that by now, but it isn’t!  I’ve been loving her blog for gentle-yet-no-BS inspiration and I found something fun.

She was nominated for not one but two Liebster awards.  Emily wrote a post and asked for her readers to respond with answers to her questions.  So naturally, I just had to write my own post answering them.

No, she didn’t nominate me nor am I claiming I was nominated for this award.  I’m just responding and sharing a little more about myself. (Who doesn’t want more Angelica?)  Think of it as, “If we were having a drink together, here’s what I’d tell you…”

What is your favorite place you’ve ever visited in the world & why?

My mom’s kitchen, hands down.  It’s always warm and smells great.  It’s totally one of my happy places.  I haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving and I’m totally missing her cooking.  And her dog.  Clipper is the best.

Who is the most inspiring person in your life right now?

I’d have to say my best friend.  She’s graduating with her masters in a few weeks and then getting the hell out of Pittsburgh.  D has known for ages that she isn’t staying here; in the past, she didn’t know where she’s going or how she’s doing it, just that she is.

I’m happy to say, she has a plan now, though.  I so admire that courage to leave what you know for something different.

If you could choose only 3 foods to subsist on for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Barring the fact that they aren’t nutritionally sound at all….. Anything from a Pittsburgh food truck (definitely Oh My Grill‘s sandwiches, Steer and Wheel‘s burgers, and Leona’s ice cream sandwiches), my mom’s homemade pierogis, and cinnamon rolls.

Ooh, and good beers.  And pie.  I can’t decide.  If only I were Leslie Knope and I could answer, “Waffles, waffles, and waffles.”

I think that covers most bases, right?

What is your dream career? If you already have your dream career, what’s your alternate dream career?

Writing.  I’d write all day in cute coffee shops, on my back pork with a glass of wine or beer, curled up on the couch with a blanket and coffee.  I’m getting there.

What’s your favorite/most-played song at the moment?

I’m sooo sick of everything on the radio.  That said, I discovered The Griswolds last summer and still can’t stop listening to them.  And anything Fitz & the Tantrums always gets me going.  And y’all know Anberlin is hands down my favorite band ever.

What do you purely because it brings you joy?

Sleep.  Kidding.  I love making things tidy.  Weird right?  Especially since my house is kind of a disaster.

I also love creating things just because I want to, not because I have to write a post on it or I signed up for a class.  Just sitting down to make something and not knowing exactly how it will turn out is fun.

If you could choose one responsibility in your career or life to eliminate, what would it be and why?

Making decisions.  I hate making decisions.  I also am not a fan of customer service, but that’s kind of my whole job, so I can’t really eliminate that.

If you could choose one super power, what would it be and how would you use it?

I’m so torn between flying and making time stop.  Or turning everything into ice cream.

I’m sure if you asked me a few years ago, I’d say turning back time or reading minds.  I’m happy to say I’m more confident now, so I don’t think I’d need those super powers anymore.

What’s your favorite room in your house?

My entire house is kind of in transition.  I think the winner goes to the kitchen.  It’s the most complete of all of the rooms and my mom installed seriously awesome appliances before she left.  I LOVE my stove/oven.  Gas stove with a convection oven and warming drawer/mini oven in the bottom.  It’s a baker’s paradise.

Post your favorite photo of yourself and tell us the backstory. Do you remember what you were thinking, doing, or experiencing that day?

I scrolled through some photos but I really don’t take pictures of myself, so I didn’t see much I wanted to share.  Sorry, guys.  I still love the photo here with the duck (and Jonathan) though.

I think it’s the stigma attached to “selfie.”  Ugh I hate that work.  I used to take pictures all the time with me and my best friend just being goofy and making silly faces, but we haven’t taken a single picture of us since she’s been home.

What’s your go-to order at a coffee shop?

It depends where I am, but 99% of the time, I’ll get regular coffee.  I’ve been going to Coffee Buddha a lot more recently (it’s another one of my happy places) and I usually just get regular coffee but an iced coffee with Vietnamese Spice syrup is so refreshing for summer and their Peanut Buddha latte rocks, too.

So tell me about yourself today. Pick one of these questions (or all 11) and answer in the comments!

Oh!  If you have burning questions you want me to answer in a future Ask Me Anything series, leave them below, too!