The Friday Five on a Monday

1. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Lots of things, including most unrealistically, Olympic gymnast and dressage champion. The ones that lasted the longest were veterinarian, astronaut, and Nobel-prize-winning chemist.

2. Did you follow through? If not, what happened?

Reality? I mean, I don’t particularly like taking massive physical risks with my body, and I have rarely ever ridden a horse. I did eventually become a PhD chemist, but I don’t rate my chances of winning a Nobel prize in that or anything else very highly.

3. Is your life turning out the way you thought it would when you were a kid? If not, is it better or worse?

It’s definitely better, and certainly not as I envisaged. As a child, I didn't think I’d spend most of my adult life living in another country, didn’t dream of becoming an academic, and was fairly convinced from the point at which it became an option that I’d never have kids.

4. Paradoxes aside, if you could time-travel back to when you were 10 years old, what would you tell your 10-year-old self?

Good job writing that book and getting it printed by your auntie, you’ll be proud of that forever! And yes, you will always have a cat. Sometimes more than one. So don’t worry about that.

5. Do you think the child you were, would like the adult you've become?

I think so. She’d certainly be happy that the adult was still a little bit (okay, a lot) weird.