Allow Me to Introduce Myself

So you can get to know me a little better

I’ve never been very good at the whole “talk about yourself” game. I’m more the shy, quiet, introverted type. Frankly, the thought of anyone focusing attention solely on me makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide. In all honesty, I don’t think I’m overly interesting.

But I’m relatively new to Medium (been here less than a month), and I just got added as a writer for Illumination, so I figured I would give this whole introduction thing a shot.

Early Life

I was born in Ontario, Canada, in the early 1980s. Yes, you heard me correctly. I am a child of the ‘80s (I feel so old). The decade of the best cartoons, the most fabulous hair bands, and some of the worst fashion trends I’ve ever seen. (Seriously, what were people thinking?).

Honestly, it was a great time to be a child. There was no internet (the horror!) and cell phones weren’t even a thing yet. If we wanted to entertain ourselves, we had to use our imaginations — a strange concept in today’s world. We would ride our bikes around the neighborhood and play outside for hours at a time.

Ah, the good old days.

When I was 12 years old, I had a giant upheaval in my life. It came in the form of a scoliosis diagnosis. Discovering that I had a 38-degree curve in my lower spine was not something I was prepared for. Adding the necessity of wearing a plastic torso brace 23 hours a day for the next four years was something I was even less prepared for. That was a very challenging time in my life, but it helped shape the person I am today. I learned a lot from that experience.

Personal Interests

I have a variety of things that I am passionate about. They also happen to make good inspiration for writing material.

Books

I am an avid reader. I will read anything I can get my hands on for the most part. Some of my favorite authors are Karen Rose, Dean Koontz, and Nora Roberts. I have eclectic tastes.

I also love the Twilight series, and I refuse to apologize for that!

Conventions

In 2013, I started watching a tv show called Supernatural. I quickly became obsessed and soon after that, I discovered the exciting world of fan conventions. Since then, I have attended 24 different cons, 12 of which were dedicated exclusively to Supernatural. I have met a total of 113 various celebrities in the last seven years. It’s been a wild ride that I cannot wait to continue (if we’re ever allowed to have massive gatherings of people again.)

Music

I have a passionate love for music in all its forms. I studied vocal music all through high school. I was also an active member of the school choir every year. Singing was like breathing to me — necessary to live every day.

I have very eclectic musical tastes. There’s very little music that I won’t give at least a tentative listen. For the last several years, I’ve also been (very slowly) teaching myself to play the guitar. It’s a work in progress.

Writing

I know. This one is rather obvious, right? I mean, why else would I be here? I’ve had a passionate love of the written word for as long as I can remember. I love to express my thoughts via writing (whether through articles like this or through poetry). I find writing incredibly cathartic. It helps me make sense of the chaotic world around me.

Movies & Television

Growing up as an introvert, I spent a lot of my free time on my own. As a result, my love of film and television began. They allowed me to escape into someone else’s reality for a little while. I own hundreds of movies and shows on DVD, and I retreat to them quite frequently.

Musical Theater

I love going to watch Broadway-style musicals in person. There’s something magical about getting lost in those worlds for a few hours at a time. Some of my favorites are Rent, Les Miserables, Wicked, The Lion King, and The Phantom of the Opera. I miss experiencing live musical theater. I hope we can get it back soon.

Travel

I caught the travel bug in my early 20s when I took a vacation to Las Vegas. Since then, I have traveled to six different countries and visited 15 states in the US (some of them multiple times). Oddly enough, I have never been outside of my own province when it comes to visiting places in my own country. Some day, when we finally have the freedom to travel again, I hope to remedy that mistake.

My Writing

I write from a place of honesty and emotion. I tell it as I see it. I don’t know how to write any other way. My writing here on Medium so far has mostly been me sharing what I have learned through my own experiences. I have published pieces with The Innovation, Be Yourself, and Be Unique. You can check out those articles below:

In the future, I plan to continue down this path. I would also like to branch out a bit. I intend to cover a wide variety of topics, including (but not limited to) music, movies, television, dealing with anxiety and depression, living with chronic pain and scoliosis, more tales from the customer service life, and my love of travel.

I’m looking forward to continuing my journey with Medium and with writing in general. I hope to make some new friends along the way, so feel free to reach out to me if you feel inclined.

You can connect with me here on Medium or via Twitter.

Thank you to Dr Mehmet Yildiz for creating Illumination and being so open to accepting new writers for the publication. I look forward to sharing more of my work with all of you in the future.