10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

Let’s face it. Most of us are nosy people. At some point, I am guessing that you were probably curious about my life. I consider myself to be a fairly private person for the most part. Tiani Angela, who runs a blog called tianiangela.com, inspired me to write this vulnerable blog post. You can read her original blog post here. Like Tiani’s blog post, my blog post is extra-personal as well. Please read without judgement and keep and open mind. Thanks. 😊

10 Interesting Facts About Me

1. I am an only child. And I am not happy about it. I was never happy about it. I always felt like I was meant to have a sibling and being an only child felt “wrong” to me. When I was 18, I learned that I was a double-rainbow baby which explains a lot 🌈🌈 When I was 12, I asked my parents to adopt an orphan from China and sadly, they said no. I think that is where my fascination for Asian culture started.

2. I married an Asian boy. The fascination for Asian culture continued into my adult years. Although I have long graduated from reading manga and seldom watch anime these days, my husband has taught me a lot about his Asian roots, specifically Singaporean roots. I met him in January 2013 and we have been together ever since. He is my rock and we have been married since May 2016.

Celebrating Mother’s Day. with the hubby. You can’t go wrong with a cake from Costco!

3. I am mother to a Eurasian toddler. Most of you already know that I am a mom since it’s in my About Me section, yet people often seemed surprised when I tell them. I am a Millennial in my late twenties so I am not that young anymore. I try to follow other bloggers who are also in their 20’s+ but a few younger bloggers have slipped through the cracks. My daughter is a rambunctious 4-year old who loves life. Her favourite thing to say is, “Mommy, be happy.”

4. I had a miscarriage in October, 2015. My daughter was planned and she is a rainbow baby. Prior to having my daughter, I had a miscarriage and it was devastating. I feel like miscarriage is a topic that often gets swept under the rug even though 1:4 women end up having a miscarriage in their lifetime. Miscarriage is more common than people think and it shouldn’t be ignored. For anyone who has had a miscarriage, I want you to know that you are not alone. 👼

5. Given the choice, I would be a fruitarian. I ❤ Fruit! I find the fruitarian lifestyle intriguing and it would be my diet of choice if boundaries did not exist. However, I have a background in nutrition and neutraceutical sciences (NANS) from the University of Guelph, so I know that a fruitarian diet is not the answer to long-term health and longevity.

6. My pupils are different sizes. And this is concerning to neurologists. Ironically, my first clinical placement this semester was on an acute neurosurgery/neurology unit. I cannot tell you how concerned some of the staff was when I told them that I was born this way. When pupils are two different sizes, this usually indicates some kind of brain lesion or altered level of consciousness (LOC).

7. Also related to eyes, I am a carrier of Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR). Even though I am asymptomatic, my daughter is one of the unlucky few who is symptomatic. She was born blind in her left eye as a result of FEVR. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, FEVR defines a group of inherited diseases with abnormal retinal angiogenesis leading to incomplete vascularization of the peripheral retina. Every 3-6 months, my daughter gets routine surgery and receives laser surgery if necessary. Laser surgery is dependent on the progression of this eye disease. If she does not receive routine checkups, there is a risk that she could become blind in both eyes because the disease typically affects the eyes bilaterally.

Despite FEVR, she is a happy child 🌞

8. I was anorexic when I was 13 years old. I hate it when people try to glamorize anorexia to get attention or pretend they have an eating disorder when in fact they don’t. You’ll often notice this in the blogging sphere and social media and it’s is one of my pet peeves. I can tell you that anorexia is NOT glamorous. It is an eating disorder (ED) that the individual cannot control. These individuals know that it is wrong; they have insight but they lack judgement. I wish I had pictures and clothes to show you what I looked like at 98 lbs. but I don’t have any “memorabilia”. My parents threw out those memories without my permission. 

9. I attended 3 different universities. I am not making this up, unlike some people I know. I attended University of Guelph from 2010-2014 and obtained a degree in biological sciences. I also minored in nutrition and neutraceutical sciences (NANS). Sadly, I realized that I would not be able to truly thrive with this degree so I took some courses through Athabasca University, an accredited online university in Canada. Now, I am nursing student who is living in Alberta and I plan to graduate by the end of the year. It’s been a long journey and I am really, really tired of school. 

10. I own a 210ish year old violin. Or something like that. I lost track of its exact age; my violin is ancient. It’s been passed down in the family and got sold at one point. Fortunately, my dad was very lucky and managed to rescue the violin for me, which I received as a birthday gift. I named my violin Matilda the III and she has a very rich, pure sound. I haven’t played her in years since she doesn’t live with me, but I love the way she sounds. 

Well, there you have it! Did anything in my list surprise you? If so, what did you find most surprising? Do you know me as well as you thought you did? Please join the conversation and leave a comment below ↓ If you decide to write a similar blog post, please let me know so I can check it out. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

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Published by Hilary Tan

I am currently in the process of finding my inner goddess as I search for inner peace, find mental clarity, develop mental toughness, and crush goals. Come join me on this journey so we can live our best lives!

67 thoughts on “10 Things You Might Not Know About Me”

  1. Jessica E. Larsen says:

    Wow… I can’t imagine how bittersweet it feels to be in a rainbow baby position from you to your child. 😦 And I completely understand your feeling about anorexia. I got a PSTD (I’m better now) and I hate it when people halfway make fun of it like it’s no big deal because they got some trauma too blah blah…

    We got some in common. I’m also a mom of a Eurasian toddler, except we’re flip. I’m the Asian and he’s Norwegian.

    I too wish to declare myself as Fruitarian! 😁

    I still haven’t graduated from manga and anime 😂

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Cookie Girl🤪 says:

    Whoa…loved knowing a some parts of you and your amazing family. Gurlie, you are truly blessed with the beautiful and wonderful family which is wonderfully flawed. I also dealt with weight loss before but I’m all good now, it’s a great thing that you’re showing us things that we probably wouldn’t ever have known. Bec is truly a rainbow and sunshine babe, cherish her and your husband and yourself as well! x

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Looking in from the outside, I can imagine that people may think my life is perfect. It is very far from perfect and imperfectly flawed 🙊I feel like social media mainly highlights everyone’s lives which is becoming a problem for people’s mental health, especially. Writing this blog post was a breath of fresh air. I know some people who will have a problem with it (they read this blog) but I don’t care. Being able to truly be authentic feels so much better than pretending to be something I’m not 😅 Thank you for reading and commenting!

      Liked by 2 people

      • Cookie Girl🤪 says:

        Absolutely, Hill! Write for your happiness and what makes you feel nice. I can say as well, people are quick to judge, especially on Instagram and all those other social media platforms. For me, I find it awfully disgusting. I’ll agree as well, I’d rather spill other than keep everything to myself and let the others make up stuff about me. That we have in common.💜

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        Totally! People can be so judgmental. Some people get satisfaction seeing others fail…. they are toxic, especially when they follow our social media accounts without our best interests at heart 💔Be careful who you follow and who you are allowing to follow you on these platforms 🤫 Not all of our followers are truly looking out for us, which is another reason why I often find myself being hyper-aware about what I share online.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Yup. Rainbow baby is one of those terms that isn’t well known unless you were to join a pregnancy forum lol I may or may not have done that in the past 🤫

      Honestly, I suck at the violin now because it’s been years since I played it. It needs major tuning and new strings. It currently resides at my parents house halfway across the country. It’s like a trophy because neither of them play it. My dad even stole strings from it one day after his strings snapped, and he never bothered replacing them. 🤦‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

  7. ceponatia says:

    I used to be into anime big time (while I was dating a girl who was obsessed with it, not coincidentally I’m sure) but generally can’t watch it anymore. Not out of disdain or anything, it just doesn’t hold my interest. I’m a big fan of Asian cinema though. Wong Kar-Wai is my favorite director and I’m also a big fan of Bong Joon-Ho’s movies. I also have a heavy bias toward Asian women, haha.

    I also attended 3 different universities but unlike you I didn’t obtain a degree from 2 of them. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Same here, I hardly watch it these days. It’s hard enough to find a series that holds my interest. If anything, I will watch anime movies because less time-consuming and only takes 1-2 hours of my time. That’s cool that you attended 3 different universities. What made you decide to take courses at university? What did you study? What is your degree? Tbh I do not enjoy university despite what a lot of people think.

      Liked by 1 person

      • ceponatia says:

        It would be cooler if I didn’t attend 3 universities because I kept failing, haha! I’m getting a bachelor’s in IT currently. I’m much more successful in school now that I’m sober, go figure. I don’t think I ENJOY it… I like that I do well but considering most of my classmates are borderline illiterate it’s not that much of a self-esteem boost and makes me worry that my degree will be worthless.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        You’re a good writer, so you definitely have an advantage over your classmates. At least you have developed an appreciation for being in university, even if it is not your cup of tea.

        My grades were horrible the first time I got a degree. That’s why I got prerequisites at another university, which was online due to living in a remote location. I had to work extra hard to make the grades they wanted in order to even consider me as a candidate for a second degree. Then I failed clinical in third year…. 4th year wasn’t much better but I swore I would work extra hard to master these skills that I seem to struggle so badly at. Oh, and this was all done sober. 🙄

        Liked by 1 person

  9. buddy71 says:

    very interesting post. things we share…only child, interest in Asians (my ex is japanese and current gf is chinese) so you and i have “yellow fever” (lol), i am a RN and have a MS in Nursing. though i no longer need to work. we have blue eyes. you are an interesting woamn

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      LOL yellow fever 😂 How do you like being an only child? I’m 29 and still hate it as an adult. There is something about Asians that I find intriguing. Maybe because they are very disciplined and seem to excel at everything. Maybe because their culture is so interesting. I only got into anime when I was 16, and I seldom watch anime now. Tbh I’m super picky and will only watch subbed series, and I prefer the shorter 1-2 season series vs. the mainstream American-dubbed variety (with Naruto being an exception).

      Wow! I envy you for being an RN and choosing a great profession/career that pays the bills. Most undergraduate degrees lead to debt. I only cams to terms with this after obtaining a useless B.Sc. and listening to other people’s opinions. You’re smart for deciding to become a nurse and having the option to quit working! 🙌

      Liked by 1 person

  13. popsiclesociety says:

    You like to keep yourself very busy ☺️
    You are a young mom and that’s great! I believe all the experiences that you had in life it made you who you are today! And yes, listen to your sweet daughter and be happy! You have a lovely family 💕🌸

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      My 20’s was definitely an eventful decade in ways that I did not expect. I’ll be 30 next summer 😦 I let go of some people and things, and in exchange I found the things that are truly meaningful. Initially, it felt like I was taking a loss but at least I have a very clear path of what want in life, even if it sometimes feel like a struggle to get there.

      Liked by 1 person

      • popsiclesociety says:

        You’re very young and wise! Having a clear path of what you want in life being so young is not easy! Life will bring us lots of experiences and people, important is always to get the good things and move forward in this amazing journey 😉 Enjoy it Hilary!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hilary Tan says:

        Finding discipline in order to stick to long-term goals has been quite challenging. So many Millennials are distracted in this fast-paced world, that they often lose sight of what they want to achieve in life. These past few years have been a real struggle but I think it will pay off in the end. Things are finally starting to turn around but I’m not out of the woods yet! Once I’m done school, I definitely think that life will be a lot more enjoyable! School is stressful ☕️☕️☕️📚📚📚

        Like

  14. Arristella says:

    Today I learned a lot more about you that I did not know. I really enjoyed reading it. And your daughter is adorable.

    Its interesting how even though you may share parts of your life online, there are still things that people may not know.

    I actually created a similar post last month with 10 things that people may or may not find interesting about me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I may have seen your blog post, but I will check it out again in case I missed it! 😊 Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with me. My schedule is crazy so it sometimes takes a while to reply to messages.

      When I was still using Facebook, I was shocked that people actually thought I shared my entire life online. They developed this persona of me, so to say, in which they thought my online presence was how I truly acted IRL. It made me more mindful of the way I present myself on this blog.

      I try to be as authentic and as close to the offline-me as possible, which can be challenging at times. It is tempting to overshare details about my life on here, especially since my followers and readers feel like family to me. In the back of my mind, I have to keep reminding myself that this blog is public and that an aunt or future boss could be reading it.

      Like

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I wondered if you were an only child. Yes, being an only child sucks. Idk why people see the appeal of it because I personally find it lonely. I grew up in the country where there weren’t kids to play with. Now I live in the city.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. PoojaG says:

    Very interesting to learn more about you! I’m so sorry about the miscarriage- it’s definitely a lot more common than people realise. Your daughter is adorable and definitely a blessing!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Shelly DS says:

    Whoa there’s so much about you that I didn’t know! I think the thing that touched me the most is your daughter’s eye condition… I really hope she doesn’t go blind because there is still so much for her to see! 💔

    Liked by 1 person

  18. buddy71 says:

    i guess im ok with being an only child as i know of no other way. i had to learn to play by myself and had no one to blame things on. i became very self sufficient. i am not sure where my “yellow fever” came from. i can not remember having any Asian friends or any Asians in any of the schools i went to. i loved the old Godzilla movies which were made in Japan. my first real contact with Asians was when i went overseas in the navy. i guess i just feel comfortable with them. maybe i was Asian in a past life??? i kind of feel into nursing since i was a corpsman in the navy and since i was good at it, i just went forward. i was able to challenge the LVN boards in california and then went to RN school for an AS degree. i was kind of forced to get the BS and the MS. being a nurse gave me chances to go places, do things, see people not many other jobs would give someone.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I definitely feel like we talked about this in your previous comment. That, or I am seeing doubles. One thing I noticed is that health care is definitely the way to go in terms of career, profession etc. I struggled so badly to find anything seldom related to my last degree. Compared to this degree and a nursing background, there’s a lot more opportunities for employment.

      Like

  20. n0tyetforgotten says:

    So sorry for your loss, I just wrote a couple things on my page if you’d like to read. I lost my baby two days ago. 💔 you’re welcome to share them. I also have two older ones on my blog I can find for you if you’d like

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Even though I don’t share blog posts, I do give out mentions from time to time. I would be happy to read your blog posts when I get a chance. It’s been super crazy busy lately… I’ve got literally no free time.

      I’m so sorry for your loss 😭💔I appreciate that you were open and vulnerable with sharing that with me. I wish I had some comforting words to say…. Please take some time for yourself these days 💜

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Totetally Legal says:

    Thank you for sharing this post. It felt like you confided to me (and all of us here) remote yet precious parts of yourself. I wish I had the same courage to be vulnerable and honest.

    Continue being happy, Hilary! You’re such a beautiful and smart person.

    – Tina (a fellow nurse)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I felt vulnerable writing this blog post but it felt good sharing it with the world, finally. It took me 4+ years to open up about some of these things. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you find it too difficult to be vulnerable around people. It takes time… lots of time. And that’s okay. Sometimes what we need is more time 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      FEVR, it’s a handful to say so we use the acronym. It’s pronounced like fever. Sadly, it’s a progressive eye disease with no recovery. All we can do is hope that her functioning eye stays functional via eye checkups and laser surgery every 3-6 months.

      Thank you. I met my husband while I was in university (first degree). At the time, we were going to different universities in Ontario. We’re both from Ontario and moved out west a few years ago.

      Here’s the definition for rainbow baby: A rainbow baby is a name coined for a healthy baby born after losing a baby due to miscarriage, infant loss, stillbirth, or neonatal death. The name “rainbow baby” comes from the idea of a rainbow appearing in the sky after a storm, or after a dark and turbulent time.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you, Miamii!💕 The miscarriage was awful, and having a baby was the only way I could move on. It still bothers me but not nearly as much as it did a few years ago.

      Like

  25. chloe.calendula says:

    Wow, so interesting to learn a little bit about you! Thanks for sharing about your experiences, even the sad and painful ones – you are so right that miscarriage is often just swept under the rug but I think the parents end up suffering in silence 😥

    Liked by 1 person

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