Hey everyone. This week I felt like writing about something very unserious. I’ve also seen a lot of other bloggers write renditions of this prompt, and I was inspired to draft my own. So, here are fifteen things most people don’t know about me for those of you who are interested:
1. I’ve applied to over 20 modeling agencies.
The summer after I graduated from college, so literally last summer, I submitted photo applications to over 20 modeling agencies. I don’t remember the exact number but it was a shit ton. And the goal here was obviously to become a model. Because modeling needs more diversity when it comes to height, weight, body shape and size, features, race, ethnicity, and other characteristics.
I thought modeling would be an amazing job to have. A little ambitious of me, yet when you have nothing to lose, why not try at the very least? And so I did. And didn’t hear anything back except one rejection email. So that’s embarrassing. Probably why I typically refrain from sharing that little fact about myself.
2. I used to do point fighting and won first place in a tournament for it.
I wanna say this was when I was in 3rd grade. So a long ass time ago. But I did do point fighting, which is a form of competitive sparring where fighters score points by landing clean, controlled strikes on the designated target areas of their opponent.
And while this was an activity I didn’t do for very long, I did manage to win a massive first-place trophy at the only tournament I competed in. I think it’s floating around in the basement somewhere.
3. I’m not really a dog or a cat person.
I’m someone who tolerates animals, and I guess you could say I “like” them, but given the chance, I will not be buying and taking care of my own. I do enjoy walking with my little Dalmatian, but the incessant barking when one little thing moves outside is a level of annoying you just wouldn’t understand unless you have dogs.
4. Being late is nightmare territory for me.
I have a lot of fears—heights, bridges, car accidents, losing my teeth, sharks, and things of the like. But being late, that’s some nightmare territory shit and honest to God I have no clue why. But I’m fucking horrified of being late places such as work, class, appointments, races, and whatever else. If it’s scheduled and I’m not on time or 10 minutes early, I’m entering panic mode. Maybe I need to explore this fear. I don’t know, does anyone else relate?
5. My idea of a perfect day:
Most people don’t know my idea of a perfect day because it’s not one of those things everyone goes around asking. But in the case anyone does want to know, here it is: wake up, have coffee and breakfast. While I sip on my coffee, I read or journal. Just a slow start to the morning. Something peaceful to help me keep my sanity. Next is a morning workout of sorts, either running, a walk, or maybe the gym. After this, I get ready for the beach and have breakfast #2. Also, I don’t live near a beach, but my perfect day must be met with one. So I lay out on the beach for hours, sunbathing and swimming. We bring sandwiches to the beach and have a sort of midday picnic. After that, we pop in a couple of beachfront boutiques and shops to see what’s up before heading home for a quick shower and nap. After nap time, we go out for dinner and cocktails on a patio, paying prices way above my own personal means of living. Maybe we’ll hop to a bar or two before going back to my lovely beach home to play a few rounds of Quiplash.
And that’s the perfect day.
6. I’m a dancer at heart.
I’m always dancing or twirling around for some reason. I just love to dance. I wish there were more places to go dancing in my hometown. But anyway, I did dance when I was younger, and I would always do Just Dance games or my own choreography to film with my sister. I guess you could also say I had a studio of my own in my basement. Or that’s at least what I treated it like. I played so much Dance Moms down there.
And I never really let my love of dance die, even after I quit taking classes. I just sorta pivoted into doing my own thing. In college, I actually did a few hip-hop classes at the MizzouRec, and most recently, I took two classes at Playground LA. Which I won’t be doing again.
But anyway, yeah. I love to dance.
7. I went through an obsessive Spirit phase as a child.
As in Spirit, yes, I mean the horse movie. I watched this movie way too many times to count, went through a phase where I only listened to the Spirit soundtrack, and yes, even turned my bedroom into a makeshift horse barn. I “played” Spirit all the time and even damaged the house in doing so. Basically, I tied my dog—a Boxer named Bugs—to this baby doll crib I had in my bedroom using a jump rope and a leash because I was pretending that he was Spirit and that I was the Native American guy from the movie. And when my mom called him to go outside to the bathroom, he darted out of my bedroom, babydoll crib attached, bouncing down the halls, denting the drywall at every corner he turned. And he even shattered the sliding glass mirror doors in my sister’s and I’s bedroom.
Maybe I should’ve considered other hobbies.
8. I used to despise Brad Pitt.
I’m not sure why. I possibly thought he was completely overrated, and I didn’t understand the fame outside of his physical appearance. But I’ve made a full 180, and I absolutely love this man and his movies. I recently saw F1 about a month ago and loved it, but he’s also in a couple of other favorites of mine, such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bullet Train, and Moneyball. So yeah, not sure what that phase was about, but I’m a Brad supporter nowadays.
9. I got my hair permed freshman year of college.
I think most of us struggle with identity when we have to live away from home in the first year of college. Luckily for me, my crisis only presented itself in expensive physical alterations, online shopping, dieting, and self-isolation. Maybe luckily isn’t the right word. My God. But yeah, it was one of those situations where I was so sick of looking the same day after day, so I just got a perm and hoped that would increase feelings of fulfillment. And I didn’t actually hate it. And I wouldn’t be opposed to getting a perm again. TBD on that.
10. I’ve never been stung by a wasp, and I’ve only been stung by a bee once.
Luckily, I’ve gone 23 and a half years without being stung by a wasp. Knock on wood. And I’ve only been stung by a bee once on my pinky toe during a game of kickball with my neighbors. And I cried A LOT. So fingers crossed I don’t get stung again.
11. My sister and I ran an imaginary summer camp called Lata Ge Ota.
In the summers, my younger sister and I let our imaginations run rampant with the creation of Lata Ge Ota summer camp. It was a very serious endeavor, too. T-shirts were made, camp meetings were held, and itineraries were made. We even brought this delusional camp into the public eye of the Washington City Pool from time to time. We also had camp alter egos. I won’t elaborate on that, but just know Lata Ge Ota was a very serious part of our childhoods.
12. I still have a baby tooth.
I still have a baby tooth, and every once in a while, I have a nightmare about losing it. This is because the adult tooth that would replace it is structurally crooked and wouldn’t grow downward to the correct spot. So in that case, I’d either have a gap in my smile or have to pay for a fake tooth. Most likely the latter.
13. I got swimmers’ ear all the time as a child, and this is why:
So when I was younger, I got swimmer’s ear multiple times a summer. I swam a lot and had small inner ear canals, which was a big factor, but I also did something else that may have contributed. When my ears itched, I used one of those water bottles with a squirt nozzle and shot a straight line of water directly into my ear because it felt immaculate. It was the best way to itch my ears. Little did I know I was giving myself a literal fucking ear infection. Genius over here. I may or may not have permanent hearing damage as well.
14. I used to own two mannequins.
When I was a kid, like 4th through 6th grade, I had a large human-sized mannequin that I asked to get for Christmas. I also had a mini one that was doll-sized that I also probably got for Christmas or my birthday. I was obsessed and infatuated with all things fashion when I was young. And despite the way I dress, I still am. I love vogue style shit. Le fleur. High-end fashion. I basically played Covet Fashion for a living in 7th and 8th grade.
But yeah, I had these mannequins and fabrics and sewing tools and would just create, play around with styles, outfits, see what worked. I was creative in my own way. Come present day, those mannequins have made their way to Goodwill, but nonetheless, they once belonged to me. Not something most people would know about me.
15. I didn’t start drinking until I was 21.
I had this really weird relationship with alcohol before I turned 21, and didn’t drink at all in high school. I drank very rarely and very little in my sophomore year of college before I was 21, but nothing significant. I think it was a combination of feeling embarrassed about it, like I was breaking a rule or being a bad person, and the second-hand embarrassment I felt being around other people who did drink. I guess it didn’t feel very authentic either. I’ve seen, as I think we all have, the not-so-pretty, cool, and silly side of alcohol. And that was something that steered me away from it.
But now as an of-age lady, I have no shame, no problem, and absolutely no beef with having a drink in my hand. And that’s that.
Thanks for reading!
That was fifteen things most people don’t know about me. But if you read this now, you do. And I’m honestly a pretty open book, so coming up with these things was a bit of a challenge, yet here we are.
Okay, be back next week.