Awkward Admiration: Tara Anderson

This blog post isn’t about my travels. But in case you were wondering, I’m in Paris. I’d blog more, but I’m currently trying to convince someone, anyone to marry me so I can live here forever.

“Hi there, Pierre. How do you feel about awkward Americans? No? What about your friend? How does he feel about awkward Americans? No? Hmmm….”

No, instead this blog post is about the amazing  and tall Tara Anderson.

Tara is doing a blog series of the best aspects of 2009. And Tara named me as the best new person in her life in 2009. No, really she did! You can read it right here. That’s right. Someone likes me! Unlike Pierre. I’m as surprised as you are by this blog post but even more honored.

Ralph Waldo Emerson famously defines success as…”To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children.”

Which puts me at 1 out of 2 as children usually shy away from me. But as Tara is someone who is immensely intelligent and someone I admire immensely, so this blog post meant the world to me.

I remember being intimidated by Tara and her Lijit reputation as a social media specialist for Lijit. She’s known as one of the best in the industry and was a total trailblazer here in Boulder and the rest of the startup world. That and her handshake is incredibly strong and intimidating. Be forewarned, Tara can kill a deer with her bare hands. She probably has. And then Adam, her adorable husband makes it in a gourmet meal with the vegetables they grew together in their garden. After they finished a marathon together. Like I said, Tara is intimidating.

But despite her many successes as an athlete, gardener, social media specialist, blogger, photographer and tall person, she can’t stay intimidating for long. She is one of the warmest, most genuine people you will meet. She filled the year of 2009 with fun memories. I’ve never helped someone purchase a wedding dress the week before their wedding while leaving a conference early. Or how she can rock a fur coat better than anyone else in Boulder e.g. Ingrid’s birthday party. Or how I can relax going to a tech event because I know I can find Tara being the life of the party.

Tara also gives me great advice. She told me to write a list of everything I wanted to find in a future husband. Which I did. In my iPhone. When I told her this, she told me, “ELAINE, what do you think the Universe is going to find your list in your iPHONE? No, you need to write that on paper.”

So I started writing the list along with my New Year’s Resolutions on a notebook while at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris when a very cute American named CJ struck up a conversation with me. And I thought, “OMG, Tara was so right. This paper thing is really working out.”

But then he said he would be right back, and he wasn’t right back. That’s ok. Tara still gives really great advice.

As Tara’s blog says, “It’s a tarable life.” And I am thankful for the tarable in my life.

**I’d post a picture together of us, but in the only one we have together, I have my angry Russian expression going on.

Tagged as: Tara Anderson, Tarable Life