What is your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is not being enough. Growing up with three older siblings who were smart, tall, athletic, and so involved, I feel a lot of pressure to leave my mark somehow. Now that I am a little older, this fear has shrunk. Nowadays, I try to push myself out of my comfort zone. I don’t care what others think. Sometimes it works great, but even on the best days, I may fail. I find myself shrinking back into my comfort zone when someone I care about expresses doubt in my abilities. I seek improvement.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I have no clue where I’d want to live if I had total freedom to choose. A part of me would love to go somewhere that winter isn’t brutal, but the other part of me would miss the beauty of the snow-draped trees in my backyard or how gorgeous the sunsets look when it’s frigid out and there is a slight glaze of ice on the snow caked on the cornfields. I would also love to experience city life, but I know that I would miss the quietness and small community feeling. I could live without everyone, or most people, knowing who I was. In conclusion, I have no clue. 

What is your favorite childhood memory?

My favorite childhood memory is being at my grandparents’ house with my cousin Emma or my siblings. I remember playing hide and seek in their barn. We used to climb the hay bales and wait for our grandpa to walk in to see what we were up to. When he’d catch us, we’d quickly stumble down the backside to slip out the back sliding door. My cousin Emma and I would play inside with the many tea sets our grandma had or play outside, running around, climbing trees or riding the horses.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? What is your favorite type?

I own 32 pairs of shoes, and I would have a hard time choosing my favorite pair. I love my Brooks tennis shoes, my Target rain boots, and my Sorel winter boots. They are all perfect for different uses!

Who has the biggest impact on your life?

My grandparents and probably my siblings. My grandparents showed me what love was when I was younger and how distance won’t get in the way if you truly love someone. My grandfather served in the Vietnam War, and hearing about their love letters and packages made me excited to find that one day. My siblings helped me find my voice and to express my feelings without losing my temper. Yes, I still try to work on that part, but no one can get under your skin like a sibling can. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully, I am working in a hospital as a nurse. I want to gain experience in a decent-sized hospital and know what it is actually like. I hope to live in a house either by myself or with a significant other, (and) potentially (have) my Nurse Practitioner license. Truthfully, I just want to be at a job and have a life where my happy days outweigh my bad days. I just want to be in a good place.  

Who do you wish you could be for a day?

Honestly, I don’t have anyone that I would want to be. There are people I’d love to meet or get to spend a day with, like Tom Holland or Taylor Swift, but I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone. 

Who was your childhood role model?

My childhood role model was definitely Hannah Montana or Taylor Swift. (I’d say) Hannah Montana, aka Miley, because she led a “double life” and she got to experience being famous but also (being) a small-town girl, (or) Taylor Swift because she was such a good writer and singer that she made me want to pursue singing. I would imagine what it would be like to be a singer or performer, and it took up most of my childhood pretending I was like them. I admired them because they knew they had so many young kids watching them. They did their best to stay in the positive spotlight. 

What is your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is when people lie to you because they know what happened will hurt you. Now, I cannot say I have never lied, but after these last few years, I have come to really value the truth and honesty from the people closest to me. I would rather sit down and talk about how something actually happened or why it happened than learn the truth from someone who only told me because they thought I should know. The truth may hurt, but learning someone you trusted lied to your face hurts worse.