Ok, so probably not the most solid life advice, but I’m going for a seemingly deep title here to kick things off.
Blogging. Is it really scary? Like am I going to have nightmares and live in fear of running this blog? Probably not. But does it make me nervous? Does it make me feel vulnerable? Absolutely. So I am going to try it, in hopes that quotes like “your comfort zone is a beautiful thing, but nothing ever grows there” and “life begins at the end of your comfort zone” are accurate. I could use some growing. (And that’s not just a short joke on myself…)
Anyway, let me introduce myself and let you decide if you think it’s worth continuing to read.
My name is Jordan Harler, formerly Jordan Parchman. No, I did not get married, no, I did not make this new last name up. I got adopted as an adult by my step-father about 3 years ago and with the new last name began a “new” life – that’s something for an entirely different post, but I will write on that soon.
I am from Carrollton, Texas and currently living in Bozeman, Montana. Basically went from one of the most heavily populated areas [and HOTTEST] to a fairly small city (by my Texas standards) that also happens to be SUPER COLD. I moved up here in 2010 after I graduated high school, bright-eyed and eager for my college adventure in this big-ole, beautiful state! I went to Montana State University and got my bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education (previously referred to as Home Economics). Can I just preface this now by saying I never – and I mean NEVER – foresaw myself as a teacher, however it is one of the best parts of my life. I currently teach in a tiny town just outside of Bozeman, where I have 7th graders all the way through seniors in high school shuffling in and out of my class, hopefully learning some life skills along the way. Now I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself, yawn! I don’t want to read another teaching blog… (especially if you aren’t a teacher yourself)… but let me assure you, this is only one small portion of this blog and my life.
As a teacher in general but specifically in Montana, I don’t exactly make the big bucks. Therefore I do have a second job which is bartending and waitressing at a local bar/restaurant/casino. I probably have just as many stories from working there as I do in the school. I promise, I will be giving you doses of both crazy worlds.
Now for my lovessssss…. I am one of those DOG MOMS that considers her fur babies to be more important than a lot of people in my life. Roll your eyes, disagree, whatever, but it won’t change my mind. My dogs have loved me unconditionally and given me reasons to live during my lowest points. Loki is a 10 year old American Eskimo fluff ball, and Lexi is a 3 year old black lab, ball-crazy girl. They are the cutest and you will see alllllll the pictures of them for sure.
I’m small – hence the TINY before the Texan. But if you know anything about Texas and Texans, then you know that is an oxymoron. You can’t be from Texas and truly be “small”. We have big hair and big personalities to match it! I always tell people, I have the same amount (or more) of sass as “normal-sized” folks but it’s just condensed into my lil’ body and trust, that can be a lot more terrifying at times. ha
Some random facts:
I don’t like napkins or old paper in books. I have texture issues and it makes me freak out. Swear, I get goosebumps and feel icky when I touch it.
I am lactose-intolerant but that doesn’t stop me from eating all the cheese.
I have been living with my boyfriend for about half a year now and am the messy one in the relationship, so I’m working on being a bit more tidy.
When I’m home, I live in grey sweat pants and a different shade of grey t-shirt that I steal from my boyfriends drawer (all variations of the same, old, college shirt of his… seriously, the guy has like 13 of them…). I call it my uniform.
I am the definition of fit-ish. I try to stay active and I enjoy working out and hiking, yada yada, but I’m not as dedicated as I used to be and even though I might not look too out of shape, I definitely have been known to pause and catch my breath after a floor or two of stairs.
I’m SUPER into planning events. I would like to work towards doing that as a side-hustle.
I’m not into the use of the word retard or retarded. I will call you out on that.
I have aspirations to travel to all the places and eat all the food. Part of that comes from my childhood pen pal, Rex, who was a chicken. Shit you not.
I’ve always felt that I express myself better in writing. I loved journaling in junior high (shoutout to Ms. Johnson for allowing class time for this). Talking face to face is challenging for me sometimes because I am extremely emotional and prone to crying.
So yeah, there’s a snippet of who I am. I don’t have any special talents or a perfect life, but I think it’s pretty fun and am enjoying learning as I go.
Tiny Texan Thoughts 
So nice to get to know you better Jordan! Love your stories.
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