Behind the Blog: Get to Know Me Q&A
A few days ago I asked you all on Instagram to drop some questions for a Q&A and I must say, you delivered.
What are you most excited for in college?
I’m naturally really excited to make new friends, explore a new city, and finally step out on my own, but I think I’m most looking forward to finally getting to focus my education on something I’m passionate about. I love writing and jotting down plots and story ideas, so getting to study literature and creative writing in depth while developing the tools to hone in on the craft itself is really exciting!
Where are you going to college?
I’ll be going to Howard University, but not physically going because all of my classes were moved online. Hopefully I’ll be able to actually go in the new year.
I’d luv to know your thoughts and feelings in general in the midst of this transition in your life + covid.
I think I’ve gotten to the point where I can accept that the vision I had for my summer and fall isn’t going to be happening, but every once in a while it’ll just hit me. On Tuesday I had to cancel my on campus housing and it definitely stung. Moving out and having a fresh start felt like such a sure thing so to have that possibility taken away was difficult.
One big thing that’s gotten me through it is reminding myself that I’m not the only one who is confused or disappointed or who has had to pivot my life because of the pandemic. We’re all in this weird dance trying to envision a new future and a new way of life, and I think those feelings apply to my transition to college as well. As an incoming freshman it’s almost reassuring to know that we’re all just trying to get and keep our shit together.
What’s your favorite thing about Oregon?
There are so many things I love about Oregon but I’d say my favorite is the environment. The coast? The mountains? The valley? The gorge? Too beautiful. And as a lover of the rain and clouds, this is just the place to be.
Favorite emotion?
Playful. I spend a lot of time taking things too seriously.
What things do you write about in your free time?
Lately it feels like all I’ve been writing are scholarship essays and blog posts, but I try to squeeze in some time to write fiction. I keep coming back to an idea I had a few summers ago that’s loosely based on the two months I spent in Ethiopia back in 2012. The story came from this question of what it would be like if I went again but at this age and under really unfortunate circumstances.
What is your main inspiration?
There’s this Toni Morrison quote in my bullet journal that says “Your life is already artful—waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art.” I think I’m inspired by the thought that everything I’ve ever seen and experienced or will see and experience is something to draw inspiration from and to make art out of.
Color pallet! African dance! Music! Zodiac!
I’m a deep autumn who hasn’t been able to take an African class in forever and misses it so much and has been listening to a lot of acoustic soul and alternative with the exception of a few songs. Also, I’m Pisces sun, Scorpio moon, and Taurus rising (double water sign gang)!
1956 Olympia SM3
What’s the oldest object in your room and what’s the story behind it?
Kind of a long story, but here goes. A nineteen-year-old boy from Minnesota leaves his family farm to join the military during World War II. He ends up on Normandy Beach on D-Day and survives. After the war, he travels around Europe with his military friends. Eventually, he comes stateside, gets a job, and buys this typewriter.
A short while later, he falls in love and marries and settles down to have a family. He builds a house for them then helps build the house next door. Some twenty years later, my parents move into the house next door with my then one-year-old brother. I’m born four years down the road.
Since our grandparents all live in Ethiopia, our next-door neighbor and his wife treat my brother and I like grandkids. And when I begin to show interest in writing, he gives me his typewriter. Maybe one day I’ll do a whole post about my next-door neighbors since there’s a lot more to talk about, but that’s the story of the oldest object in my room.
What’s your very first memory?
When I was little my mom used to carry me in a baby sling and I just remember waking up and being strapped to her back as she walked around the house opening the windows and turning on the kettle.
Why did you start sewing or wanting to learn?
My earliest memory of sewing is from the third grade. I must’ve been fed up about my parents not buying clothes for my dolls because I started by designing and stitching little outfits for them. I was very scissor happy which drove my parents crazy and I would cut up just about any fabric I could get my hands on. My dad’s family business in Ethiopia is a tailor shop and my mom is a very creative, make-something-out-of-nothing person so I think I just got the bug from them. Now a significant amount of my wardrobe is homemade.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Besides writing and sewing, I’ve been getting into film photography! My dad recently found some of his old cameras and I bought my first roll of film last week to experiment. It’s been super fun taking the camera with me during walks and I’m looking forward to getting the photos developed. Besides that, binge-watching The Office is another favorite.
Current favorite songsss?
I’m absolutely in love with “On Your Own” by Charlotte Day Wilson, “At Your Best” by Frank Ocean, and too many songs to list by Lianne La Havas (I’ve been going on a bit of a marathon through her music). She just dropped her self titled album last week and it’s beautiful!
Dream dinner guest?
I’d have to say Solange because I love her too much to pick anyone else. Her artistry is so out of this world and she seems like a fun person to share a meal with too. Also, I was listening to her Song Exploder episode last week and I had no idea how soothing her speaking voice is!
What’s your dream job?
Ideally, it would be doing what I do now—blogging and writing fiction—but with a living wage attached! Hopefully I’ll get there one day.
What do you feel is the most beautiful thing inside and outside of yourself?
My creativity/imagination and my hair are the first two things that come to mind, even though the latter sometimes drives me nuts.
