Pronounced “Truh PAN Yay,” it belongs to the French New Orleans Trepagniers. My husband, Mike, gave it to me in 1995. We have six children and own our own business. Most of our free time is consumed by our passions – food, travel, & paintball.
…Well, that last one is his, but I’m always down for the ride. If I have pursued one central thing throughout the course of my life it is this – the ride is where it is at. The journey is where knowledge is gained, and wisdom is discovered. I long to learn the next cool thing.
Most of our travel is in the United States. However, Mike and I met in the Navy and have both traveled outside the US in that capacity. I enjoy being abroad. I am always most excited about exploring food. Interestingly, people seem to be more inclined to conversation when interest is expressed in their culinary traditions. As such, I have found that people, while diverse and varied, aren’t really that different in the ways that matter. Humanity, in my opinion, is generally good and connected – regardless of the flag saluted.
Our family attended the December 2019 Georgia Southern University graduation in Statesboro. Watching the doctoral students graduate, many of them appearing be the same age as myself, sparked a fun conversation.
“Are those hoodies?” I leaned unto my husband and pointed at the colorful velvet & satin adornments.
“I think they are.”
“I want a hoodie.”
“I think I saw hoodies in the bookstore” one of my helpful children offer.
“Not that kind of hoodie. THAT kind of hoodie,” I point to the field, redirecting her attention.
“But you’ve never been to college,” another confused child offers.
“But I could go if I wanted to.”
“You’re going to go through all that school just for a hoodie?” her nose scrunches, obviously unconvinced.
“If she wanted to,” Mike answers before I can.
This exchange would be told various times over the next few days – mostly as a funny story about the silly 40 something who would entertain the idea of starting college as a freshman just to obtain a hoodie – a doctoral hood. The joking stopped when my husband looked at me with no humor and said, “you really should go. You’ve always wanted to, you never been able to, you can now.”
So, with help from some amazing administrators, I was fast tracked and entered the Spring 2020 semester as a freshman, barely making the first day of class. Because college is a passion project, I had the freedom to choose any program that appealed to me regardless of future professional application. I am a lover of words, stories, and people (and the Oxford Comma). English with a writing minor was the obvious choice.
While I cannot be certain (because I never have been before), I think I might like to be an academic when I grow up – or at least, while I am growing up.
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