It's Time to be... different.

Kayleigh Fraser created the"Get to Know Me #Challenge". I read someone else's entry and i thought i might try it.

These are the rules:

"We all bare our deepest pains in our poetry and weave them into our fictional tales but who else are we? What are some of the things we do for pleasure behind the scenes of our writings? What are some things no one would likely guess about you?

Choose any 10 of your random quirks or facts that come to mind, don’t overthink them! And share in your stories 🥰❤️✨"

Here we go!

1. I have an insane appetite. Spoiler alert! I'm Italian. Therefore, food, in all of its glorious forms, has always been the biggest, bestest, delicous-nest thing in my life. It means coming together for meals, sharing with each other and talking (loudly) over the dinner table. It represents family, and there's no better meal than all of your aunties', uncles', grandparents' and cousins' recipes put together on one massive table. I am Italian! 🇮🇹🤌

2. I am a theatre kid. Yes, very stereotypical, i know. But it's true. I have always loved acting and performing - i even wrote a poem about it. And looking back at videos of little me, it's so obvious. I am a loud, confident, slightly crazy, theatre kid that loves the spotlight and some drama more than anything. I'm going to take this moment to boast about the musicals i've seen, unfortunately not the broadway cast but they were still amazing: Matilda, Frozen, Hamilton, Hairspray, Mary Poppins and SIX. I have gone through a Heathers phase, but I reckon Frozen and Hamilton are still the best out of the ones I've seen.

3. I am scared of heights. Okay, so let me rephrase. Giant metal birds launched into the air that fly thousands of k's above the ocean? (planes, i'm talking about planes) Absolutely no problem! Climbing trees? Easy. Climbing a rope across from tree to tree and then going on a platform and into a zip line WITH A HARNESS. Woah. That's terrifying. I really don't know. I'm nervous even thinking about it. But it's weird, because i'm fine in a plane... i even look out the window, take photos. But sometimes even the climb to the top of giant waterslides scares me. In fact, i remember going to the top of a waterslide and then freaking out because i didn't want to go down.. despite my mother telling me that i had done it when i was even younger!

4. I am an only child. I've already written about this but i thought i'd bring it up again considering most people don't realise that it's just me. Nope. No sibling rivalry. Just me. Unless you count pets as siblings? Then i have a younger brother (my doggo) and four glorious younger sisters (my 4 chickens). Yeah. Read that poem i wrote. It kinda gives you my perspective. I'll leave you with this: being an only child.. it's not what you think.

5. It feels as if i am "unconsciously stressed". I don't really know how to explain this... but i'll try anyway :)

Do you ever have those nights where you're awake, in bed, and you're meant to be asleep. You know you're meant to be asleep. You've counted the minutes, seconds, even. And you know that "usually" you are asleep right now. But you're not. You're awake. Conscious. But not... thinking about anything. Not.. aware of anything that's due, that you've forgotten. You're just awake. But you're nervous. It's there, in your stomach. You can feel the bursting feeling of butterflies inside you, yet it is 11:34 at night and there is nothing to be stressed about!

Sometimes, I even show signs of being stressed, like constantly checking my emails, fiddling or even picking my fingernails (all nervous habits) and there isn't a SINGLE reason to!

Is it just me?

6. Writing is my escape. But so is reading and playing piano. I try to find so many ways to express myself. You're getting just a snippet on Vocal. This is my "writing". I do it to show what's on my mind, in the moment. How i feel, what i want to say but can't. I read, also, to fill my mind with something other than reality. I try to connect with the characters, really imagine them. Their world comes alive in my mind and i love it. And playing piano. Just.. improvising. Letting my fingers take over and do whatever comes to mind. It's never perfect. But i've gotten into the habit of recording the tunes i come up with. I do it for characters too. I send them on a journey and the music tells their story. I love the colour that emotion and music and creativity brings. It's unique to the person that creates it, and that's irreplaceable.

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Ugh, i can never think of interesting things about myself!

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7. I am learning to speak Italian. I am Italian (I have already made that very clear). My great-grandparents were born lived in Italy before they came to Australia at the time of the Second World War. I have the massive family and amazing food to prove it. But I feel as though I need to be able to experiene this culture myself. I have travelled to Italy, with my family for a holiday... but that was different. I was younger.. I didn't really try to recognise my heritage, but now I do. My goal is to be fluent, and I'm getting there. I am passionate about being Italian, and I want to someday live in Italy. I love making handmade pasta with my Dad. I enjoy talking about my family's past with my Mum. I love it. I love the culture, the music the unity and community that is Italy! And I need to know some of those recipes!

8. I will always choose to be happy. I am a teenager, let me make that clear, please. I am a stranger, you are all strangers. And I am at "that time" of my life where I am finding myself. Who I am. What I love. What I value the most, who I want to be and all that stuff. I've changed and grown a LOT. But most importantly, I've learned to be brave. To choose happiness. I was treated unfairly by people in my "group". It was not nice. But I left them. I left, I was done - and to be fair, now that you know this, you might even be able to recognise this in my work. I have found people that make me feel good about myself. I am not fighting every day to be "liked" or to "fit in". I don't care anymore. I have accepted myself. Recognised my kindness, compassion, love of all things theatre-kid and Italy. And these people, I am myself when I am around them. I feel good. I feel excited to be with them. And it's an easy friendship.. there's no "terms and conditions". You're just included because you're you. And I love that. I am finally happy.

9. 12 hours of sleep. Minimum. It speaks for itself. I might be a teenager, but jeez louise! HOW do people live off of 6 hours of sleep?! HOW can you function as a human?! You need to sleep, my friends!! Close your eyes! Get comfortable! Take a day (or a week) off and relax!! Imagine I am saying this in an Italian accent because believe it or not, in the afternoon after lunch the whole of Italy pretty much shuts down for a nap called a "siesta". Every day. IT'S AMAZING!! And exactly what the rest of the world NEEDS to start doing! Mumma mia!! Fun fact: if i go to bed late, say, 11:00 on a friday night, i WILL sleep to 11:00 the next day!! It's incredible! Also, the best thing you can do when you're sick is sleep (just a tip from my Mum 😊)

10. Ahhh. The final one. What to put here? I really don't know! What do you believe would fill this space suitably enough? How about...

10. Questions I want answered sometime soon.

(Warning, brace yourself, these are BIG questions)

Who discovered the universe?

Who names things? Why is grass, grass and not sky or orange?

Colours... why does our brain "feel" colours (as in, we associate specific colours with emotions, eg: blue = sad, yellow = happy ect.)

If brain transplants were possible... then that would mean I'd literally be inside someone else's body... living their life.. but as me.. my brain.. what??

Again, who names things? But why do we call oxygen, oxygen.. when it would have the same qualities if it was called something else...

How the HECK do microscopes work?!

Society isn't real.. right? It's just a... feeling, an expectation that must be obeyed? Does that make sense?

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Ok i think i'm done. I hope you enjoyed reading all that! Thank you for getting this far, thank you for being here you amazing humans, thank you for being strong, brave, loving, kind all those wonderful human-y things.

Thanks for reading!

Red ❤️