Hi Everyone! I'm Kate Downes, your NEW Macaroni Kid publisher! I'm so excited to not only be a part of the Macaroni Kid community, but I am also thrilled to be able to connect with the families and businesses of Monmouth Beach, Spring Lake, Bay Head and those that fall between.
In order for you to get a better idea of who I am, I thought it might be fun to list 5 fun facts about myself. While these might not give you all of the details of my past 33 years, I'm hopeful that it will leave room for all of us to get to know each other better via emails, social media likes, private messages or even a wave while walking on the beach!
1. I wasn't athletic, but I loved being part of a team! As a kid, my parents encouraged me to try everything. They supported the "walk" I did during my middle school track try out, they silently taught me which. way to run down a basketball court while playing in my first basketball game and they didn't turn their heads while I casually picked up caterpillars in the outfield of my t-ball field. While those moments did not foster a love for track, basketball or softball, it did plant an "athletic supporter" seed within me. I went on to be a cheerleader for my middle school basketball team, a 3 year varsity swimmer, a 10 year tap dancer and later a half marathon completer!
2. It's spelled K.A.T.E.L.Y.N. As phonetical as it looks, my name has been butchered for most of my life. From my baptism to my college classroom, the pronunciations have been comical.
3. I never ate Chinese food until I went to college. Growing up I was a PICKY eater, so much so that my grandma told me that I would be the only person to thrive in jail based on my preference to eat bread and water. It wasn't until the first night in my dorm that I was approached about ordering from a local Chinese restaurant. Completely unsure what to order, I played it simple by requesting Chicken Lo Mein.
4. I ran my first (and only) half marathon in Hershey Park. After doing a complete 180 as it related to my interest in physical activity, I learned that I LOVE TO RUN! It started off slow and on a treadmill, but later lead me to daily 5 mile runs and a 2 hour completion of a half marathon.
5. I have a thing for pickles! While it started as a drunk craving, my husband now knows that throwing out his deli pickle will ultimately land him in the "dog house."
XOXO
Kate
