Kait Anelauskas 
30 for 30
Well, today is my last day in my 20s. I’ll turn 30 on the 30th! I think that’s also called your Golden Birthday, which is suppose to be lucky! I’m ready to take on a new year and a new decade. My 20s were pretty great, and I have no doubt my 30s will be even better!
In honor of this special occasion, here are 30 things you may not know about me…
- My full name represents all of my heritage: I’m 1/2 Lithuanian (Anelauskas), 1/4 Irish (Kaitlin), and 1/4 German (Elizabeth)
- My grandparents were farmers in Lithuania, and fled to Germany during WWII. My grandmother came to the US not knowing any english, with 3 young children, and no husband (he had to wait 3 years to come over and join her) – talk about amazing!
- In 2008, right after the Olympics, I got to meet Michael Phelps at a Fidelity-sponsored event. And, Michael shares my exact same birthday, so happy golden birthday to him as well!
Meeting Michael Phelps!
- I’ve never lived outside of Massachusetts, or further than 40 minutes from Boston
- I once went through a phase in middle school in which I wore ripped jeans, chunky boots, and a ball chain necklace (ok, yes, you can laugh picturing this! And no, I am not sharing a picture of this…)
- I attempted to do my first triathlon in the summer of 2006. Unfortunately, I came down with a stomach bug a few days before and didn’t make it to the start. It took me 6 years to try again!
- I played the flute for 8 years in school. I still take it out and play every once in a while.
- I can’t handle needles. I still close my eyes and try not to pass out whenever I need to get a shot!
- I went digital for a few years, but now I’m back to a paper planner. Something about writing stuff down (and crossing off to dos!) I’m an obsessive list-maker!
- I have 1 younger sister, but I am the little sister – she is 5’11”! Sister-brag: She is the all-time leading scorer in basketball at our high school, and was inducted into the hall of fame! She is also my best friend.
Jill and I at her Hall of Fame induction
- I feel old when I remember when we didn’t have a computer. My family got one when I was in the fifth grade! And I didn’t have my own cell phone until college.
- My most daring adventure so far has been bungee jumping in New Zealand. I was shaking pretty hard when I was about to jump and almost couldn’t do it, but after they (joking…I think?) threatened to push me off, I made the leap! Bucket list, check.
Bungee!!!
- New Zealand is also my favorite place I’ve visited so far. A beautiful country with the nicest people! I would go back in a minute – hoping to make it back to race there some day.
- I have 3 big scars – one on my shoulder from when I was really little (grabbed a hot cup of coffee and pulled it off the counter and on to my shoulder…smooth), and one on each knee from falling while running (my middle name is NOT grace. #clutz).
- I hate being scared. Scary movies, things jumping out at me, etc… no, thanks.
- I LOVE ice cream. I could give up cake and cookies forever, but not ice cream. I prefer mine in a cone with no toppings (except sprinkles, if I’m feeling kinda crazy). Any coffee-based flavor tops my list, as well as watermelon sherbet.
I found MY ice cream!
- I can’t whistle. I can make a weak sound, but I can’t whistle a tune.
- I hate my feet and you’ll probably never see me wear flip flops or open-toed shoes, outside of the beach / pool.
- I don’t have a good voice, but I love to sing. I won’t sing in public, but I have been known to crush some tunes in my car.
- Confession time – I once had my room almost entirely wallpapered with ‘N Sync photos & posters. JT 4 eva.
- I love the beach and being at the ocean, but dislike swimming in the ocean. Too many creatures, and I don’t really like salt water. I make an exception for riding waves!
- I’m an IFSJ personality (introverted, observant, feeling, judging) on the Myers Briggs personality test. Some strengths: supportive, reliable, enthusiastic, and hard-working. Weaknesses: shy, take things too personally, overload themselves.
- I’m left handed. I do almost everything with my left-hand, except when I played softball – I batted right handed.
- I spent 10 years as a student at Bentley College/University (it changed from a College to a University in the 1 year I took off between undergrad and grad school). I really love being a student – I wish I could do that full-time again!
- It took me a while to decide whether to swim or run in college. I ended up swimming all 4 years, and ran 1 season of outdoor track my freshman year. It was just too much to try to do 2 sports!
Bentley Swim Team ’04 champs!
- I always dreamed of running the Boston Marathon, and after I finished college, I trained for my first marathon and qualified… crazy, back then (2008) you could qualify in January for the Boston marathon the same year! I couldn’t have done it without my awesome Cambridge Running Club friends – they really pushed me and encouraged me to go for it, even when I didn’t believe I could actually get the qualifying time.
- Growing up, my summer jobs were always at the Medfield Swim Pond. I taught lessons, lifeguarded, and coached the swim team. I loved coaching swimming, and hope to do that again some day!
- I’ve needed glasses since middle school, and started wearing contacts in high school. I’m pretty blind without them!
- In the 8 years since college, I’ve moved 9 times (all in the Boston area). I wouldn’t recommend that… I now refuse to move without hiring movers, and hopefully our next place will be more long-term!
- I got engaged last weekend! Matt totally surprised me with a proposal on one of our regular bike loops. Best early birthday gift ever!
Matt and I are engaged!
Kait Anelauskas 
Congratulations Kaitlin!
Congratulations on the engagement!! Happy Birthday 🙂
I loved learning these super cool facts about you!
p.s. I also love ice cream and I do not love swimming in the ocean – I’m too afraid of dead bodies (the nearest Ocean swim to me is Southie so…it’s a possibility!)