About Natalie

I grew up in a small, small town in Southern Illinois where I pursued art, music, and running. I attended the University of Virginia in 2005, participating in the marching band, wind ensemble, and a bit of Wushu martial arts. After many years of interest in Japanese animation and culture, I found a passion for the Japanese language at UVa and made it my major. I studied abroad in Tokyo for one semester in my third year, which was a life-changing experience in so many ways that I wasn't expecting. I also picked up a second major in Media Studies (a more theory-based counterpart to mass communications) where I learned about the effects of media on our society, and vice-versa. I graduated in 2009, married my college sweetheart three months later, and now we're living in Austin, TX, both searching for that ever-elusive dream career.

My hobbies include drawing, sewing, and web design. I'm discovering I have a passion for mysteries and puzzles (think Myst, Professor Layton, The Mole, The Amazing Race) as well as the emerging industry of consumer-level brain-machine interfacing. I suppose I'm just always looking for more mystery, adventure, and science-fiction in my life! I think someday I'd like to be an entrepreneur of some sort or work from home somehow. Does my future lie in web and graphic design? Writing? Web comics? All of the above and more? Who knows! I can't wait to find out.