In my teenage years, there was a lot of angst going on.

I definitely wouldn't consider myself a professional, but I like to dress up like one.

My friends actually used to call me the 'Female Conor Oberst.' I got to open up with him once, and I told him about that, and he thought it was hilarious.

In some ways, being on the road is like summer camp. There's a camaraderie, but I'm also learning how to be more of a leader.

I started off in this business in 1998, and I didn't fit in. There was no place for me, and I always felt like an oddball. Nobody really understood my work or what I wanted to do in my references.

I am used to moving homes in football, and it seems to be a recurring theme in my career.

In recent years, I've been writing because I'm fortunate enough to work in the world of food television, to travel and taste and learn about cooking from the best chefs in the business.

I think I constantly refer back to some of the things that I learned in New England and throughout my career. It was a great stepping stone, and it also gave me time to mature as a player and as a quarterback.