Backstory: Am I smarter than a 5th grader? We’ll find out!

Around the time I was putting together my Nudges list, the capital city of Michigan came up in conversation. No one in my little group could come up with it. (Detroit, FYI.) In addition to feeling embarrassed that I couldn’t come up with the answer on the spot, this  planted a seed in me as I thought about how much fun I have had learning: spelling bees, vocabulary tests, geography, algebra (oh, how I loved algebra!). I miss using the part of my brain that loves the process of looking things up, learning, memorizing, and testing.

But that was only part of the inspiration for me. Earlier this year a dear friend became a U.S. citizen and I had the privilege of attending her naturalization ceremony. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Afterwards, she shared with me her test materials, which Thor and I were sure we would ace. Actually, there were a few answers we didn’t know!

So I’m going to take this opportunity to (re)learn a bit about my beloved country.

If this particular nudge doesn’t appeal, here are some options: learn the capitals of countries in a specific region, memorize a portion (or all) of the periodic table, look up the Latin names for the plants in your backyard. Do something the tickles your curiosity bone and have fun with it!