New here, not new here

Hello, Federation friends and Fediversians. I'm not exactly #newhere. I joined #diaspora 6 years ago, disappeared after I got no response on my first 6 posts, and then came back 6 months ago. I've made some lovely connections, and my online world is the better for it. I'm now in the process of migrating my presence from D\* to this Hubzilla account. If you knew me before, I hope you follow me here.

If you are bumping into me for the first time, I enjoy discovering kindred spirits across the globe. Thanks for sharing your life changes, challenges, and celebrations, and for making my world a bigger, more connected place.

Let's get down to #introductions. Here's some 411 to help you decide if I'm your cup of tea: I’m a progressive, middle-age, cis-gendered, able-bodied, white, first-generation middle class, American, female IT professional. Also #INTJ (#meyersbriggs). No kids—never had the urge. My wife is the same sex but different race, culture, and religion. Also, she is shorter and more idealistic. Despite our very different upbringings, we seem to keep each other constantly amused with common pop culture references. Went to grad school in both Computer Science and Jungian Psychology. Worked for years as a #programmer in the private sector; now work as an IT Manager in #publicservice. I live in a diverse, #urban neighborhood with the usual challenges that come with density, disadvantage, and differences. A shared sense community can be sometimes tough to achieve, but it is very rewarding when it happens. I used to #meditate a lot. Nowadays, I prefer sitting on the back porch and petting the #dogs. My day job can be pretty demanding so I really appreciate small opportunities to slow down and just be present.

Interests:
\#kindness and #gratitude - I never tire of people being decent to each other and appreciative of what they've got--be it privileged or meager.
\#dogs - You got ‘em? I love ‘em. Three of our own (the legal max where I live). Show me your dogs pics.
\#iphoneography - Especially Hipstamatic with filters on “shuffle” because every picture is a surprise.
\#cocktails - I never developed any interest in cooking, but I do a pretty good kachumber cooler.
\#not-driving - OK, that’s not an actual hobby. But I’ve become a much happier human being since I ditched driving. There’s a lot of truth to #bowlingalone.

Favorite places evah:
\#denver
\#lisbon
\#tavira
\#barcelona
\#udaipur
\#essaouria
\#whitianga
\#annapolis-royal (Nova Scotia)

As far as making new friends online goes, I’m not your gal if …
\* your posts are routinely N S F W.
\* you think reverse racism is a thing.
\* you think white privilege, male privilege, or class privilege is not a thing.
\* you think feminism is up for debate.
\* any of these are your main topics of conversation.

Carry on and #beexcellenttoeachother