Chapter 4: Life - L before A
Who I am in a
nutshell: a city girl, but a farm girl at heart, an optimist, a lover of
people, animals, and learning new things, a traveler, an outdoorswoman, someone
who loves spending time with family. Let me tell you how I have become who I am
in a little more detail.
I’ve moved many times
in my life. Blaine to Shoreview to
Minneapolis to Frazee, back to Minneapolis, and then the biggest move of all to
Denver, Colorado. Each place holds significant
events that made me who I am. Blaine is
hard for me to remember as I was just a baby, but I do recall photographs of my
mom and dad and I at Breezy Point on vacations, riding in their baby blue
Volkswagen bug, and stories of my crazy babysitters. I am able to remember a little more of my
time in Shoreview. I lived in on a cul
de sac with lots of other kids my age, so most time was spent roaming the
streets on our bikes, playing Barbie’s on snow days, and lots of outside
playing in the summertime. I started
school there and immediately attached myself to our school song (which just
happened to be to the same tune as the Minnesota Rouser). I spent many days/nights singing this song as
it was my new favorite (my parents will tell you it was more like yelling)! From there I went to Minneapolis where my mom
and I moved in with Howie. We lived in
the Linden Hills area and it was beautiful!
We would bike to the lakes (Calhoun, Harriet, and Isles), there were
plenty of parks to play in, and a tennis court nearby that I could rollerblade
on. This is where I feel like I started
to grow up. I was trusted to stay home
alone, I learned how to cook for myself (even though I only ate 5 things at
this age), and I started to form some meaningful friendships. Once I graduated from 6th grade, I
was allowed more independence and was able to take the city bus to Southdale or
meet my friends by bike further than I had ever been from home. I loved being in the city and was crushed
when I found out we were moving to Frazee, a small town with only 1,200 people
and we would be living on a farm, where I would be far from everyone and
everything I knew. I actually grew to
love the farm (after much grumbling) with all of the open space, animals, and
new family close by.
My family has also
contributed to the person I have become.
First, my mother. I grew up
trying to be the exact opposite as her (as most kids do). She was organized, made lists, and was able
to design any room. All of which drove
me crazy as a young girl and teenager. I
wanted to be spontaneous, messy, and lacked the skills to pull design concepts
together. I am pretty sure we both drove
each other crazy as I grew up because we were so different. A big event seemed to flip on a switch in me
that began to change me; this was when I left Turkey Town USA for my second
stint in the big city of Minneapolis for my freshman year at the U of M. I was stoked to be away from my parents, on
my own, and back in the city. Slowly,
being away from home made me realize how much I appreciated my mom and we began
to talk on a regular basis every week. I
soon became a planner, an organizer, an interior designer (although never to be
as talented as she is), and can see myself one day being a mother. I still continue to enjoy spontaneity and
small messes, but I talk to my mom at least once a day and actually enjoy
making a to-do list. I thank her every
day for passing on these important parts that make up who I am today.
Next is my
father. It should be obvious that he is
an integral part of my life as I trusted him enough to marry my Andy and I, but
let me tell you a little about how he has shaped me. From as far back as I can remember, I was
definitely a daddy’s girl. A lot of
pictures from my childhood are of me on my dad’s lap or him holding me. I always liked being around him because there
was a feeling of safety and contentment.
As a little girl, I definitely abused this power I had over him by going
to him before my mom if I wanted something.
All I had to do for a new cabbage patch kid or pound puppy was bat my eyelashes
and stick out my lower lip and we would be on our way to the store. His love was much more than just material
things. I was always told that I could
do anything I put my mind to. He really
meant this and encouraged me to try new things and push myself to be my
best. That was the key though, I should
strive to be my best and not compare myself to others’ best. This has always allowed me to believe in
myself and if I have any doubt, all I need to do is think about my dad and know
that I should go for it. Along with his
constant support, he has also allowed me to be imperfect and make
mistakes. This was key for me growing up
as I made quite a few! He always helped
me through the process of learning from each mistake and growing from the
experience. This was such a valuable
lesson to learn that has carried into my adult hood and made me so perfect
today (just kidding). His constant
support, unconditional love, and allowance to be imperfect have shaped who I am
and how I will raise children of my own someday.
I am thankful for all
of the opportunities and challenges I have faced and know that there will be
many more in this new journey. All of my
moves and influences from family have helped me get in touch with who I am and
learn how to be in a relationship with someone else. I feel confident that the road ahead will be
full of more opportunities, challenges, and possibly moves to new cities and I
know they will be much better with my best friend by my side!
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