In October 2021, I created this blog for my personal growth. No one, other than a handful of close friends and family, knew about it. Being vulnerable on the internet was something I was not ready to face, and so I wrote for two or three people. On June 13th 2022, I wrote "Not All Sunshine and Rainbows". The entry is about the importance of mental health and my experience relating to it. Isn't it ironic how I feared being vulnerable on the internet, and then the first blog entry I promoted was about one of the deepest topics to share with the public? I wanted to share it due to the importance of mental health; to spread awareness and remind others that they are never alone. I became motivated to write more from the ample amount of feedback I received.
My morals are all throughout my blog--what I believe in and how I want to grow as a person, but what I have come to realize is that many do not know the smaller aspects. The smaller aspects being my music type, what I do in my spare time, my education, etc. There is so much more to a person than their beliefs. I can write thousands of blog entries sharing advice and character development stories, and yes, you can get the idea of who I am as a person. However, I have had this blog for a year and I never truly introduced myself--I jumped right into the deep stuff. Better late than never, right?
5 Fun Facts
My favorite season is Fall; the weather change, the colors, the pumpkin patches and cider mills, and the warm clothing makes me inspired to start new and switch some details of my life up.
I value all music, but R&B is my favorite (you can never go wrong with throwback music, either).
My car's name is Kiki--she is a fan fav amongst my friends (kind of).
I have the biggest fear of vomit; bridges over water comes second.
I am 5'8 (5'8 1/2 on a good day).
Education
I attended Catholic school from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. After, I attended a public school for high school. Currently, I am in college working towards a bachelor's degree in biology. My major is pre-vet, so after I gain my bachelor's, I am transferring to a different college for my master's degree in veterinary medicine (wild animals). My minor is creative writing...shocker. With my minor, I plan to keep blogging and transform this website into something greater while working on other projects on the side.
Top 3 Hobbies
Working out
Writing
Hanging with friends
My Faith
Everyone has certain topics that they could talk about for hours, and religion is one of mine. I am Catholic; I was baptized when I was 6 months and was raised in the Church. I used to be afraid of talking about it with people due to the fear of rejection. I thought people would create opinions and judgements off of my beliefs, so I never went out of my way to share this aspect of myself to others. It was not until I went to a public school that I actually became comfortable with this. I surrounded myself with people who were interested in what being Catholic consisted of, and they listened and involved themselves in the conversations.
I participated in a youth group at my church back home. We went on mission trips to places like Cincinnati and conferences in Detroit, created wellness bags for the homeless, listened to inspirational speakers who came to share their testimonies, etc. It was an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by faith-driven people, and it helped me grow in my religion.
Traveling
One of the biggest aspects of life that I am passionate about is traveling. Something about experiencing new places and all that the world offers makes life thrilling. I have been obsessed with traveling since I was young due to my mother's goal. She wanted my brother and I to hit all 50 states before we turned 18, but Covid-19 got in the way, unfortunately. I have been to 30, and plan to still visit the other 20. Some of my favorite memories: being levitated in Missouri, hiking Bryce Canyon in Utah, standing in four states at once at the Four Corners landmark (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah), and riding down the Alpine Slide down the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee. There is so much more and I wish I could go into detail, but this entry would be way too long.
With my future occupation, one of the biggest reasons I aim to be a wild animal veterinarian is for the hope to travel. Something about hopping on a plane to tend to animals in vast, unique places motivates me to prosper in school. No matter where life guides me, I know traveling will be incorporated.
Why do I write?
When I was eight, I wrote my first "book". I put book in quotations because it was probably the worst piece of work I have ever created; I have no urge to go back and find it because I know I will cringe after every sentence. I was eight though, so I do not expect anything less. It was a mystery book, and I put all my time and dedication into it for about a month. Every day after school, I would sit in my chair and write on my mini red Dell computer. After I wrote my mystery book, I slowly started different projects. I created a kid's book about a butterfly, I wrote multiple pieces of work that never got anywhere, and I went through a little poetry phase, too. In eighth grade, I wrote my second book that consisted of thirty chapters and published it; it ended up getting quite the attention, but I took it down around sophomore year for the same reason: it was sloppy. I knew that I enjoyed writing, but my writing techniques were a mess.
In 2021, I decided to bring this blog to life and it was easily one of my favorite decisions I have made. I did research, brainstormed the first few topics, played around with the tools, and made it personal. I kept it to myself for the longest time and when June 2022 rolled around, I shared it to the public. Why did I keep it a secret?
Vulnerability plays a factor; it is hard to talk about intense topics. However, it was not the main reason for the lack of promoting "Leah: In Progress". I write for myself. I write because I enjoy it. I write because it relieves stress and helps me become more down-to-Earth. Writing has always been an escape for me. If something is heavy on my mind, I need to journal or type it out. In previous posts, I have mentioned how I used to crave validation, but with my writing, I never needed someone to tell me it was adequate. It did not matter to me if someone approved because I was not writing with the intention of it being perfect; I wrote it with the intention of making me feel better. Do I love feedback? Absolutely. When people message me about certain posts, whether it is positive or negative, I appreciate it wholeheartedly and will take certain elements into consideration. At the end of the day, though, I write because it is a way to express myself.
I have so many ideas for the future. I have been addicted to writing for the past ten years, and I am just now sharing it with the public. I am minoring in creative writing to gain more insight on what I can make out of this hobby. Everyone has their thing that makes life a tad easier: sports, music/instruments, food, exercise, etc. Writing is mine. However, I will forever dislike writing essays...
There is so much more to a person than what they believe in. Sure, a person's morals are a humongous part of who they are, but so is their sense of style, favorite food, their hobbies, and so much more. Get to know both the major and minor features of someone. This entry was more casual than others that I wrote, but I felt as if it was appropriate since "Leah: In Progress" will be a year old this month and I never officially introduced who I am.
Here are a few pictures that scream: "Leah" :)
