25 Things You Don’t Know About Ian Somerhalder

Louisiana native Ian Somerhalder, 34, spills his secrets to Us Weekly. You can catch him on The Vampire Diaries on CW Thursdays at 8 P.M.

1. I went to my first Mardi Gras at 3 months old.

2. My friend Butch introduced me to Nietzsche at 16 years old and changed my world.

3. If I wasn't an actor, I'd be a marine biologist.

4. I found my cat on the Lost set.

5. I consider my pets to be mine, my family's and my friends'-- so I have more than I could count.

6. I love social media because it's a total game changer.

7. I flew 83 times last year.

8. I can write in cursive with my feet.

9. I would love to go to Mars.

10. I have to eat every hour.

11. Fast food freaks me out.

12. The thing I miss most about my hometown-- Covington, Louisiana-- is being immersed in nature.

13. When I need to get away, I hook my Airstream trailer to my Audi hybrid and disappear deep into the wilderness.

14. I wish I could paint.

15. Spaghetti Westerns are my favorite movies.

16. I cofounded the IS Foundation in 2010 to empower and educate our youth.

17. The women in my life have had the most impact on who I am today.

18. I put truffle oil on everything I eat.

19. My last meal would be gumbo.

20. I won't eat Tangerines on Tuesdays.

21. I've met Grumpy Cat.

22. I want to see the end of deforestation through sustainable solutions.

23. I wish we could all understand that sustainability, education, innovation and compassion are essential for progress on our planet.

24. My guilty pleasure is Cap'n Crunch.

25. I'm writing this list in the back of a New York City taxicab.