90/365

Name: Gus
Three words to describe yourself: persistent, reflective, open-minded
Gus was born in Sanibel Island, Florida and even though he only lived there for three years, he recalls riding in the seat on his mom's bike around the island and visiting the beaches. His family moved to Alabama, and Gus said he didn't want to talk about living there. After Alabama, the family lived in Kentucky for six years, and then moved to Georgia. Gus is studying Biological Engineering at UGA because "it's a broad field," and he's "more interested in producing medical equipment" as opposed to being an actual doctor. He says he "can't handle the blood and guts." For life goals Gus said, “I’m going to go where the work is . . .I want to do whatever it takes to make me happy . . . go with the flow.” Since the age of six, Gus has been playing the violin and says, "It's introduced me to most of my friends . . . and I've learned a lot; more than just music, but I would not make a career out of it though." Gus's favorite place that he has traveled to is Costa Rica because "the culture was so different," and he liked meeting people who couldn't speak very good English, while he wasn't fluent in Spanish. His favorite animal is an elephant because they have a good sense of memory and have other human qualities, and the best Christmas present Gus received this year is an iPad.

89/365

Name: Rebecca
Three words to describe yourself: happy, dedicated, loyal (I told Rebecca that she was like a dog)
Rebecca lived in Smyrna, Georgia until she was twelve, and then moved to Kennesaw where she went to three different middle schools. Her father is from Nigeria, while her mom is from New York, so Rebecca is White, Black, Asian, and Native American. Her dad came to the United States at the age of twenty with the intention of becoming a doctor. He got his Doctorate of Pharmacy and is also a pastor. Currently, Rebecca attends Georgia Tech and is studying Chemical Engineering. She chose this major because she liked chemistry, but didn't want to teach. The best Christmas presents she received were a pair of boots and Just Dance 3. She would like to study abroad in Paris and the satellite Georgia Tech campus. Her favorite book is The Hunger Games, her favorite color is purple, and the coolest place Rebecca has traveled to is Clearwater, Florida because she got to swim with manatees. She is also a lifeguard and likes being in water because "it's the closest thing to flying."

88/365

Name: Mr. Moore
Three words to describe yourself: young, old, middle-aged
Mr. Moore has lived in Cobb County his whole life, and because he was born at home, he never received a birth certificate, so he predicts his age is between 92-96, but he seems to get younger and younger every year. During WWII, he served in the military, but he was stationed in Alabama "washing dishes mostly." He said, "They were the biggest pots you ever saw!" The hot cakes were his favorite dish that they served. Because Mr. Moore had Parkinson's disease, he was only able to serve for one year. Milky Ways are Mr. Moore's favorite candy, and he first remembers eating them when he "was in high school and they were a nickel." Instead of putting fruits and vegetables in the appropriate drawer in his fridge, he has a drawer full of chocolate. He even had his picture placed in the Rite Aid that says "Do not serve this man any candy." He attended Central Night School and recalls playing hooky all the time, but he did get a diploma and a class ring. He told the story of his high school initiation. They were given positions to hold real guns, and if they didn't hold them correctly "they would fail out." Mr. Moore failed out and the punishment was that he had to run through a belt line. His friend was the captain, but Mr. Moore had to run through the line even though he didn't want to. He also tells another story about his first car, a 30 Model Ford. One Sunday afternoon, Mr. Moore and his friend had planned to meet two girls. They told the girls that they were movie star scouts, and that they wanted to take their pictures in the car. the next day, the father of one of the girls knocked on Mr. Moore's door and said, "My daughter didn't show up." The police came by, but Mr. Moore had nothing to do with the disappearance of the two girls. Eventually they were found in Texas, but Mr. Moore said, "We were the last people to see them, so we would've ended up in jail." Mr. Moore met his wife through his cousin, and they were married for 64 years. He also has two sons and enjoys betting on NASCAR races.

87/365

Name: Molly 
Three words to describe yourself: caring, compassionate, adventurous
Molly was born in Charleston, West Virginia, but only lived there for the first two years of her life. She said, "It's still my blood though." Her family moved to North Carolina because her dad got a better job and her mom's family lives there. Molly recalls picking blackberries next to the train tracks with her mom. Then they moved to Ohio were "it was freezing," and then they ended up in Georgia. Molly likes the area because "everything is green," and she likes the cities of Atlanta and Athens. She doesn't like "seeing Confederate flags still and all those old Conservative ideals that people still try to hold onto." Currently, Molly is double-majoring in theater and journalism, but is not sure what she wants to pursue as far as a career goal. Film is a big interest of her's because ever since Molly was little, she's "always liked hearing a good story." I asked if she knew what her purpose in lie is and Molly replied, "To be accepting and open to all things." She would like study abroad in Spain and just travel in general because she has not been to many places. Molly would also like to join a nudist colony or start one because she likes "being naked outside."

86/365

Name: Megan
Three words to describe yourself: energetic, weird, mostly-happy, hippie
Megan lived in Littleton, Colorado until the age of seven, when her father became "on the verge of bankruptcy." Her family moved to Roswell, Georgia because the cost of living was low, and as a side note, Megan's dad is now a millionaire from his work as a financial adviser. After high school, she was an actor in downtown Atlanta, and she received her Bachelor's Degree in Arts Management. She moved to Athens and did some side work with REM, such as "walking the dogs of the manager." Megan also met her husband one day when she was walking dogs! I asked her why she became a nurse, and she replied, "Two reasons: My mom was dying of cancer and she had awful nurses and I thought 'I could do better'. I also had my first baby at a hospital, and my nurse was wonderful, and I realized 'I could do that'." She likes nursing because she likes knowing that she can help someone make a change in their life, but Megan says the worst part of the job is that: "Some days I don't have time to pee." As far as career goals, Megan would like to be certified in lactation to help mothers and babies learn how to breast feed. As a mother of three children, Megan would like to eventually take her kids to Disney World, and she says that her last two children were born at home and "that's where the hippie part comes in." Megan also told me a story about the weirdest thing that has happened to her. When she was fifteen years old, she went to underground Atlanta with a few friends for a Braves Parade. A homeless man walked by and said that he had to pee and then proceeded to do so on her leg. They went to Gap to buy jeans and then someone started shootings, so they had to duck and cover. The most interesting place Megan has traveled to is Russia, for a mission trip because she "met people who didn't have anything but still gave."

85/365

Name: Rashon
Three words to describe yourself: fast-learner, dependable, caring
Rashon is from New Jersey and lived there for twenty-eight years. She moved to Atlanta because she wanted a "change of scenery" and is a patient technician because it is something she's "always wanted to do." She was also my patient technician in the hospital! Eventually, Rashon wants to become a critical nurse because she likes taking care of people. If she had more time, she would like to travel around the world. Rashon also has three teenage sons and talks to her grandma everyday.

84/365

Name: Doug
Three words to describe yourself: eccentric, eclectic, extraordinary
This is Doug, but his artist's name is "Dug", like "I dug a hole." He was born in Vermillion, Kansas, and the morning after high school graduation, Doug left Kansas to attend Manatee Junior College in Florida for two years. He took a class called Coastal Ecosystem, and for one of his assignments, Doug had to find different foods to eat in the wild. Growing up hunting and fishing, Doug decided to kill a raccoon. This incident made him turn vegan because he was killing an animal that was "fighting for its life." He was drafted to the Vietnam War, but became a draft dodger as he looked into moving to Canada, or joining the Navy or Air Force instead. He decided to enroll in Shorter College as a junior, and his father described him as a "professional student." When he was almost finished earning his Bachelor's Degree, Doug took a course in clay and sculpture, and his passions were redirected, so he never finished. Doug also attended the Chiropractic school at Life University and was a massage therapist for a while. He is currently a landscape designer and a sculpture artist, and he "builds beautiful gardens" with his wife Kathy. She attended West Georgia, and they met during a meditation club. Azure, his daughter, describes him as a "total hippie" who drove a Volkswagen and hitchhiked across the country multiple times. He also says "warsh" instead of "wash."

83/365

Name: Jay
Three words to describe yourself: A rugged individualist
Jay was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia but lived in South Georgia from age eleven to age seventeen. The day after high school graduation, Jay tried to join Special Forces, but instead joined the Navy. He worked as the Boatswain's mate in California doing various service jobs like painting and maintenance work. After six years of working for the Navy, Jay retired and started to roof and do other "odd jobs just to survive." Currently, Jay is on probation, but he would like to travel more, and he would like to "stay right with the Lord and the government." Jay said that he was accused of threatening someone, but instead of going to trial to clear his name, Jay took the plea offer so he could get out of jail faster. He said, "It's easy to get caught up in saying something you didn't do," but Jay said that being in jail "got him out of a group of people and associates that were a bad influence. I got closer to God." I asked Jay if he knew what his purpose in life was. He replied, "I think God puts us here to help others . . . As soon as I surrendered, I got better." Jay also says he is the oldest Peter Pan.

82/365

Name: Dashay
Three words to describe yourself: silly, kind-hearted, hard-headed, caring
Dashay is another co-worker of mine and is from Atlanta, Georgia. She said she likes the state of Georgia, but "not Atlanta like I used to . . . It's become a miniature Hollywood." Living in Orlando would be a more ideal place for Dashay, but she said, "I don't know how to leave my family." She has four nieces, three nephews, and two God-kids who all live in the Atlanta area, so it's difficult to move away from family. After high school, she attended Albany State University with the intention of becoming an engineer but the math stopped her. Dashay would like to "go back to school and take up radiology" because she has always "wanted to go into the medical field," but has "to get over [her] fear of blood." She also loves music and listens to rap and R&B; with T.I. being her favorite rap artist. Jokingly she says, "I should have become a producer because of how much I love music!" I asked Dashay the question: "If you could do anything in the world without any limitations like money or time, what would you do?" She replied, "I would travel. I would take a trip every month" especially to Jamaica because she could "sit out on the beach and just look at the water."

81/365

Name: Andrew
Three words to describe yourself: fun, outgoing, open-minded
Andrew is from Marietta, Georgia and has lived here the majority of his life. He graduated from Marietta High School in 2008 and is attending Georgia Perimeter College. He intended to study business but found it to be "too broad," so he turned to education. He said that education wasn't a good fit for him either, so he took a break from school and is thinking about going to ITT Tech because "there's always going to be a need for technology . . . we're always going to be advancing." Andrew is also fascinated with astronomy and cosmology, but says it's a "dreamy thing to do." He watched the show How the Universe Works on the Science Channel and other similar shows and thought, "Wow! That's very interesting to me." Snow and cold weather are his favorite, and he would like to go snowboarding in Colorado and Oregon. He describes himself as an "outdoorsy" person who likes to go camping as well.

80/365

This is my Mom's Mom, and she is a really fly G-ma.


Name: Sylvia
Three words to describe yourself: creative, friendly, spiritual
"You know you're an adult when you can drink coffee and talk politics." These were the words spoken by my great grandfather, and a saying my Grandma frequently uses. My Grandma was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the eldest of six siblings, so she "always had to be so responsible." She was a young child during WWII, and her aunt and uncle owned a movie theater down the street from where she lived, so she recalls watching news reels of the War. She said, "It was very scary to watch . . . that's why I'm such a peace person." Her grandparents are originally from Hungary and Germany, and they emigrated around 1900 because "things were bad economically." Unfortunately my Grandma does not know a lot of information about our family history because my great-great grandmother would just "turn up her nose, shake her head, and roll her eyes." I guess things were that bad.

She had known my Grandpa from an early age because he lived down the street, but they did not start dating until after high school because he was five years older than she was. She married at age nineteen, and several years later my Grandpa was drafted for the Vietnam War. He couldn't fight, however, because he had flat feet. When my Grandma was twenty-seven, my Grandpa got a job offer in Tampa to sell architectural hardware like metal doors and frames. In Tampa, my Grandma sewed clothing for money and raised four kids. They lived in Tampa for thirty years until my Grandpa died from a heart attack. My Grandma then moved to Kennesaw, Georgia because my Aunt and Uncle were already living there. Her goal has been to "fix-up the yard and the house . . . and it's a work-in-progress." She wants "the place to look good, and when people come over, they can enjoy being here in the atmosphere." She learned how to garden at an early age because her parents had a garden as well. She says that her purpose in life is "to bring beauty in the world, whether it's through gardening or sewing something beautiful."

My Grandma is also a Unity of Kennesaw Chaplain, which is basically a prayer practitioner. My great Aunt introduced her to Unity Church when she sent my Grandma the Daily Word, after my Grandpa died. After this, she "slowly began to change [her] mind about spirituality." My Grandma also has two old-lady dogs and "twelve wonderful grandchildren!" She would eventually like to travel to Europe, especially Ireland.

79/365

Name: Eddie
Three words to describe yourself: funny, negative, sincere
Eddie grew up in London, England but moved to Hertfordshire when he was older. He said London was "very hustle and bustle" while "living in the countryside is more friendly." At the age of eight he was discovered by his soccer coach, and at eleven he was scouted to play for his country and played for a few years. At fifteen, he broke both of his tibiae, so he could not play soccer again. He decided to coach instead and has been doing so for the past twenty-five years, and he has coached in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the U.S. One of his friends sponsored Eddie to live in New York, so he got a three-year working visa. It was hard for him to adjust to American culture because of "how people dress, the food, different mannerisms," but the biggest culture shock was the clothing. He said, "Guys in Europe focus more on designers and wear tighter clothing, but here, it's girls who pay attention to designers." Eddie also said that Americans ask him "a lot of weird questions like 'Do you know the Queen? Do women shave their legs?' I think they're getting mixed up with France." He also doesn't understand why Americans say "awesome", "y'all, or "'I'm bad' . . . like bad, opposite of good, or opposite of wrong?" Also, the state of Georgia does not currently have a major league soccer team, so Eddie's biggest goal is to coach a MLS soccer team in Georgia. The coolest place he has traveled to was Australia because of "the history and the landscape--it's like a safari!"

78/365

Name: Wally
Three words to describe yourself: sensitive, caring, stubborn
Wally is a co-worker of mine and she is from Virginia. At the age of seventeen, she moved to Richmond to live with her sister and work at the Richmond Times Dispatch as a newspaper layout designer. Her first marriage was to a math teacher and they moved to Florida because of the weather and "when you're a teacher, you can find work anywhere." They were married for thirteen years, and then Wally married a police officer. She says, "I like the men in uniform I guess." They had a business building fishing towers and they built a house in the North Georgia mountains. Years later, her husband got sick and past away, but now she lives with her sister in Woodstock. Her ultimate dream is to have a boat in the Caribbean where she can go snorkeling, diving, and gambling, which is why she plays the lottery every weekend. Jamaica is Wally's favorite place that she has traveled to because "the people are so friendly and the water is beautiful . . . and you ate fresh fish right off the boat." Wally claims she "was a fish in another life."

77/365

Name: Mehak

Three words to describe yourself: kind, outgoing, spontaneous

Mehak was born in Karachi, Pakistan, but moved to Miami at six months of age. Her dad came to the States for college, but when he got married in Pakistan, It didn't work out, so they moved to the States. At age eight, her family moved to Kennesaw because her "dad had a better job opportunity . . . and it was a better place to raise kids". When I asked what she liked/didn't like about living in Kennesaw, she said, "I don't hate living in Kennesaw, but I like the people that live here". Mehak would eventually like to go to med school and become a radiologist. She has "always wanted to be a doctor or a pediatrician, but it didn't seem practical . . . it takes twelve years to finish school . . . and being Desi, I'll probably get married in the middle. Radiology seemed cool . . . and it takes four to five years less to finish school." Most of her family lives in Pakistan, so Mehak does get to visit. The biggest culture shock for her when she goes to Pakistan is that "women are not very independent in Pakistan . . . most women don't drive or have a job . . . they don't even grow grocery shopping, unless they can walk there . . . and the amount of child labor there is pretty bad". Mehak also likes playing sports for fun, running, reading, and writing. The Harry Potter books are naturally her favorite to read!

76/365

Name: Tammy
Three words to describe yourself: funky, sassy, eclectic
Tammy is the owner of Eclectic Living in downtown Kennesaw (next to the train depot), and she said that everything is 30-50% off because they are going out of business. So if you're in need of Christmas gifts, or just like to look at trinkets, you should definitely stop by! Also, they only take cash or checks. She was born in California, but grew up in Ohio because her father was in the Navy. I asked what she remembers the most about living in Ohio, and Tammy replied, "trying to escape". She went to Miami University in Ohio to get a degree in business and teaching, but after school, she went to Chicago to be an air traffic controller. Her friend's dad was one, and Tammy liked the job because of the benefits she received including the pay, the time off, the ability to travel, and she "got to boss a lot of men around". She's been to Europe several times and owns a home in Acapulco, Mexico. After getting married up North, she quit her job, moved to Kennesaw, and opened her store. It was actually her dream to own this store and she picked out the name for it twenty years ago. Looking back on her move to the South, Tammy says it was "silly to move and quit my job for a man" (she's going through the process of a divorce currently). I asked what her plans were after the business closed, and she said, "I don't know. Have any suggestions?" So we talked about teaching and how difficult/stressful it would be to handle kids other than your own. Something that is on her list is to visit the Taj Majal because she wants to see a palace that a man built for a woman, and needs "to see something romantic . . . now more than ever".

75/365

Name: Francisco 'Paco'
Three words to describe yourself: obnoxious, outgoing, fun-loving
Paco was born in Monterrey, Mexico and moved to Suwanee, Georgia when he was thirteen years old. His father is a salesman, so the family moved because of his job. At the age of four, Paco learned English, so adjusting to American culture wasn't too difficult for him. He could enunciate words well, but it "took a while to learn the lingo". Compared to Mexico, Paco said he likes the "spacious neighborhoods" in America because he did not have a front or back yard growing up. He is studying broadcasting journalism in hopes of eventually becoming a sportscaster, and would like to play the guitar well. We also exchanged a few stories, and Paco told me his most embarrassing one when he was ten years old. He had just taken a shower and for some reason decided to sit on the sink. His parents knocked on the door, which scared him, and he fell on the floor. His eyelid was cut open, so he had to get stitches, but he told his parents that he fell out of the shower, instead of the sink. One time, his family went skiing in New Mexico, and he lost his family at the ski park. Instead of freaking out, he went to one of the workers, and when his family found him, he was drinking hot chocolate with the ski hill employees. Also, Paco wants to try out for the UGA football team next year, and he has to get surgery on his shoulder over break, so best of luck to you!

74/385

Name: Rohit Shetty
Rohit did not want to describe himself in three words because he said that whatever he gave would be negative. Rohit is from Commerce, GA but spent his middle school and high school years in Athens because his mom works for the University. He studied business at U. Penn because he wanted to start his own business. For a while, Rohit had his own business, but is now working part-time in finance. He said that "when you're seventeen, you don't really know what you want to do". As far as long-term goals, Rohit is not certain about what he wants, but he wants to be "working in what makes people happy". In his spare time, he likes to read, and the most recent book he has read is The Ways and Power of Love by Pitrim Sorokin. San Francisco is the prettiest place he has visited, and Rohit says he would like to eventually live in the Palo Alto/Silicon Valley area.

73/365

Name: Maria
Three words to describe yourself: semi-intelligent, ambitious, sometimes-lazy
Maria was born in Panama City, Panama because her father was stationed there, and her mom was able to make her a Panama citizen. She doesn't remember living in Panama because she moved back to the U.S. when she was one. Did I mention that Maria also has a twin sister that lives on my hall? Well she does, and they're both cool people. Maria goes to Georgia State University, not UGA, so she is separated from her twin. She said "it's cool" now that they're distanced, but when meeting people, she does not get that initial reaction of "oh wow you're twins!" I asked if they had any weird twin things going, and Maria said they had their own language as children and that they "could tell how the other one was thinking". She likes being in Atlanta because of the atmosphere and is studying Neuroscience/Pre-Med. In high school, Maria was interested in psychology, so she thought about counseling or a psychologist as potential career paths. She looked into neuroscience, but GSU did not offer it as a major. Three weeks before school started, however, the school emailed her saying they would offer it. Maria also has a bucket list, and some things she would like to cross off include: visit the black beach in Costa Rica, visit Panama, and bungee-jump off of the highest cliff in New Zealand. She also loves to cook and has invented her own dish of seasoned fish with a tomato gravy sauce with a poached egg on top!

72/365

Name: Mad Carge Jr.

Three words to describe yourself: black, ginger, alcoholic

These two halves found each other last year when they both lived in Rutherford Residence Hall and helped moved each other in. Mad likes going downtown and playing drinking games. He likes being on UGA Housing probation as well because it "makes drinking more dangerous . . . and we laugh in the face of danger". For class year, Mad defines himself as a "junior-and-a-half" (one part is a senior and the other is a sophomore), so his goal is to stay in Athens next year. I asked if there were any wild stories to be shared, and he says he has a love triangle going with a man names Silas DeLuca. Silas walked in on them with an older Southern gentleman, so Silas threw a TV out of the window and hit Adam, who was doing rounds. I asked if there was anything else people should know, and my friend Molly replied for them, "They're really boring".

71/365

I love my roommate!!!


Name: Sara Beth
Three words to describe yourself: coolest person ever
Sara Beth was born in raised in Blairsville, GA but she likes to think she has lived in other places. This summer, she was a counselor for a Christian camp that she has been attending every summer since 3rd grade. It was ten minutes away from Asheville, NC and being a counselor "made [her] realize kids aren't too bad". A few years ago, Sara Beth also attended a program at Georgetown University for over a month, and it gave her a "broad sense" of what she wanted to do in life. After taking an Intro. to the American Political System class, she realized that she "likes seeing how government works". She also took an Intro. to Justice and Peace class where she learned about injustice awareness, and "how through government, you can fix all the things that are wrong", so she's studying Political Science. In the dorm room, next to her desk, there is a record player, where Sara Beth frequently plays vinyl records. She describes herself as "a huge fan of music" but feels she can't talk about it because she doesn't play an instrument or read music. As far as college goes, her favorite thing about being at UGA is "knowing that [she] can make decisions on [her] own" and does not have to rely on parents. The 24 hour waffles (at Snelling Dinning Hall) are the second best thing. When I asked her what the most difficult part is, she said "It's a lot harder to make friends than I thought it would be . . . I thought people would branch out, but they only gravitate towards people they know". My roommate tends to get herself stuck in a lot of awkward situations, and she was willing to tell me her most embarrassing moment. Her dad owns the Zaxby's in Blairsville, and he guilt-tripped her into wearing a chicken suit to the basketball game to take pictures with kids during halftime. Sara Beth stressed to me that everyone attends the high school basketball games because there is nothing better to do. She agreed to dress up because nobody would know, and she was going to take this secret "to the grave". A few weeks later she was at a soccer game and one of her younger brother's friends was sitting near her.When the friends recognized who she was he said loudly, "OH you were the girl in the chicken suit!" Sara Beth's new nickname became "Little Zack".

70/365

Name: Zoe
Three words to describe yourself: obnoxious, loud, funny
Zoe was born in Los Angeles, but she moved to Atlanta when she was four, so she identifies herself as being from Atlanta. She still has family in California, so Zoe still visits. For a career goal, Zoe would like to own her own restaurant called "Just for Starters", and the restaurant would serve only appetizers. Her family always ate together, so this sparked her love for cooking as she "[thinks] it's the perfect medium". She says, "It's incredibly valuable and I wouldn't give it up for the world". She is an accounting major and loves living in Rutherford residential hall because "it's so social", and Zoe describes herself as a "social person". The most difficult thing about college has been "making it to classes". Zoe also plays the guitar and "fake-piano".

69/365

So I lost my notebook with all of my notes in it, so I am writing this from memory. If I ever find my notebook, I'll add more facts! I'm sorry!


Name: Joe
Three words to describe yourself: smart, funny, dissenting
Joe moved to Macon, GA in the 6th grade, and before then, he lived all over the South including Tennessee and South Carolina. His dad is a pharmaceutical representative, so the family had to move frequently. Joe would like to become a doctor and the inspiration for this comes from the fact that his grandfather, uncle, and cousin are doctors as well. Joe enjoys watching movies and will watch just about anything, and A Knight's Tale is the most recent film he's watched. He is also excited that it's December because Joe loves Christmas music. The Bahamas are his favorite place that he's traveled to, and Joe would like to travel to Europe and Australia, as well as the Bahamas again.

68/365

Name: Jo Jack Disaster
Three words to describe yourself: scum****, drunk, junkie, womanizer
Jo Jack traces his roots back to San Francisco, CA where he lived there for the first thirteen years of his life. After age thirteen, he moved to Colorado and has since traveled all over the United States for "work, pleasure, and seeing parts of the country nobody has seen before". I asked him where the prettiest place is that he's seen and without skipping a beat, he replied "western Montana". He also likes the desert for its spikes, bristles, extreme temperatures, and the wildlife that only comes out at night. Jo Jack got tired of slaying hippies in Sacramento, so he moved locations to Athens, and he gets around the country by hitchhiking on freight trains. Compared to other cities he has stayed in, Jo Jack says Athens is very welcoming because of the Southern hospitality. For a long term goal, he would like to get a business license and open up his own music venue where bands can stay and perform.

67/365

Name: Molly
Three words to describe yourself: BAMF, sarcastic, passionate
Molly is from Columbus, GA, but for the past two years, she lived in Carrollton, GA where she attended the University of West Georgia. She wanted to leave high school early because she “got restless” and wanted to do something new and different. She was a business major and wanted to do something with music production, but realized business was not her thing, so she changed her major to English. It's “something I enjoyed, something I’m good at”. Her current aspirations are to figure out what her aspirations are, but she will probably go to graduate school. Because she is considered a junior, she can live off-campus in her own apartment. I asked Molly what the pros and cons are for living alone and Molly replied, "I like to take my clothes off, slide around on the hardwood floor, and pretend like I'm superman and no one would judge me". The downside, however, is getting scared; she saw Natalie Portman in Black Swan, so Molly is afraid of the mirrors in her apartment. She would like to travel to New Zealand (how come everybody that I interview wants to go there?), France, England, and all over the U.S. Molly also thinks about religion a lot and says, "I want to be one of those really cool people that live out their faith, but logic stops me from believing in something more important”. John Mayer sang "Your Body is a Wonderland" to her in 5^th grade when she was front row at his concert. Commenting on the experience, Molly says, “On some level it’s probably creepy, but on another level, I pride myself in it . . . and being able to claim that . . . what a title to claim”. She likes to play the guitar, piano, "and piddle around with other things such as: clarinet, flute, ukulele, and mandolin". Molly does sing and record music as well, and her music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/molly.stokes

66/365

Name: Roxanne
Three words to describe yourself: happy, weird, loud
Roxanne is from Woodstock and is "not a fan" of the city because "it's the bubble . . . it's the suburbs." She would much rather be in Maine living out her dream of opening up her own coffee shop. As a "coffee-addict", she likes the "idea of a personal business where you have regular visitors". Maine is Roxanne's ideal location because she likes small towns, the ocean, and beaches that are not sandy. As far as college goes, she "hates big schools" and doesn't like football. She says football "is very slow paced . . . nothing happens . . . I don't have the patience to watch it". She is a journalism major because she likes to write, and the best thing that happened to her today was that she "didn't have to do anything!" She owns three miniature schnauzers, but wants a husky, a maltipoo, and a teacup pig. Roxanne is also a vegetarian and prefers indie-alternative music.

65/365

Name: Kristin
Three words to describe yourself: artistic, funny, witty
Kristin has lived in Blairsville almost her whole life, but now lives in Demorest, GA where she attends Piedmont College. She is studying Profound and Severe Special Education and she would like to be an art therapist for a special education academy. In high school, she interned for the special ed. department and knew she wanted to continue working in this area. The best thing that has happened to her today was eating frozen yogurt with her friend and my roomie, Sarabeth. She also plays softball at Piedmont and was voted "Best Hair" in high school. Ecuador is her favorite place that she has traveled to, and Kristin went there for a mission trip for a week and a half. She was able to work with kids, and was surprised that in Ecuador, "the food was not good".

64/365

Name: Patrick
Three words to describe yourself: crazy, methodical, interested
Before moving to Atlanta four years ago, Patrick lived in Lansing, MI for fourteen years. His family had to move because of his dad's job with the government. The biggest shock to him was the climate difference and Patrick prefers Atlanta most of the time, but misses Michigan in the winters. His goal is to work for the government as a diplomat and seeing his dad's work as a government employee inspired his decision to do so. The best thing that has happened to him today is that he revised a topic of a policy he's writing for Roosevelt Scholars. As an "avid reader", Patrick loves to read science fiction books and The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown is his favorite novel. Patrick also likes to run "for the sake of running". He says that running "is something that can take your mind off of stuff you need to do".

63/365

So I am kind of embarrassed to say that Lacey is the first person I interviewed in which I didn't ask for her picture, so I had to do some Facebook stalking. I hope you don't mind, Lacey!


Name: Lacey
Three words to describe yourself: loud, outgoing, energetic
Lacey is from Covington, GA but lived in Tucker, GA before then. Her parents "wanted a front yard", so her family now owns a 388 acre property and have turned it into a hunting camp. From the time she was young, Lacey knew she wanted to be famous. At the age of four, she was in a Christmas commercial for South Lake Mall. She hasn't been on TV since, but as a theater major, she's on her way! She enjoys being on the stage because "theater is the one place where anybody is accepted by everybody". She is an anthropology major as well and interns for the Athens Museum of Natural History in the archaeology department. She is interested in "finding out about different peoples' cultures and how different people live". Washington DC is her dream place to live because it has "a really good Shakespeare scene" and she would like to eventually intern for the Smithsonian Museum. If acting does not work out, she plans on going to law school because being a lawyer "is sort of like performing". Lacey is also in the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and loves it because her sorority "is a mix of different people" and "it's fun!" The best thing that has happened to Lacey today is she finished all of her papers for finals and her fun fact is she drives a pink Jeep Wrangler that says Barbie on the side.

62/365

Name: Ayo
Three words to describe yourself: eager, enthusiastic, token
Ayo is from Gainesville, GA and has lived there for twelve years. Before Gainesville, he lived in Yonkers, NY. Even though he does not live in New York, Ayo says that it "feels like home" even though he left at a young age. His mom's side of the family still lives there, so he visits often. His goal is to "be successful in the business world", and he was inspired to do so because of his experience with "personal ventures" as a kid; including selling candy on the side. We talked about basketball for a while, and Ayo is an Atlanta Hawks fan. I told him I liked the Spurs and he responded that the "Spurs are boring, old, and crusty". Whatever. As far as college, Ayo's favorite thing about UGA is being able to meet new people and have new experiences. The hardest thing has been "transitioning away from the people you knew and branching out". Ayo also enjoys playing basketball for fun and watching Sports Center and game shows.

61/365

Name: Shantell
Three words to describe yourself: smart, party-freak, funny
Shantell was born in San Fernando Valley in California and both of her parents are from Mexico. At the age of fifteen, her father moved from Mexico to leave his family and pursue better economic opportunities and her parents met in California. Her uncle was married to an American and living in Myrtle Beach. He told Shantell's dad about how Myrtle Beach had more job opportunities and offered cheaper living than California did, so he drove across the country to visit Shantell's brother to see what the area was like. The rest of her family flew on a plane that landed in Atlanta and the airline ended up losing their luggage, so they had to stay with an aunt that lived in Atlanta. The family liked the Atlanta area, so they decided to move to Gaineville, GA because it is the poultry capital of the world and her father works in that field. For short-term goals, Shantell would like to graduate from college and either go into the dentistry or the food science fields. For the long-term, she wants to retire in Mexico in either Guadalajara or Puerta Vallarta. She says that Mexico "is so free . . . who knows about the drug cartels now", but "In the U.S. it's work, work, work . . . it's so tedious . . . I can't see myself relaxing in an environment like that". She also enjoys art and loves to draw with colored pencils and acrylic paint.

60/365

Name: Jacob
Three words to describe yourself: thoughtful, environmentally conscious, music, humanitarian
Jacob's dad was in the military when he was younger, so he moved the U.S. when he was young. He was born in Charleston, SC, but moved to Louisiana, and then to Fairfield, CA. At the age of six, his family moved to Blairsville, GA because his grandparents lived there. Blairsville is in Southern Appalachia, so Jacob enjoys going hiking, backpacking, and mountain bike riding. The longest hike he has been on was for four days. In his life, Jacob would like to "revolutionize the energy market by promoting green energy". His family recycles and he listened to Jane Goodall give a lecture at Young Harris College which "sparked [his] interests". He has been playing the acoustic guitar for seven years and played trumpet in high school. Also, Jacob keeps a goal list in his dorm room and shared some of his goals with me. He would like to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, visit Poland, and become fluent in German. His great-grandpa lived in Germany during Pre-WW2 and moved to America because he did not want to be a part of the Nazi movement, so Jacob wants to visit the area where his family came from.

59/365

Name: Scotty
Three words to describe yourself: tall, alpha-male, antiquated 
Scotty is from Duluth, GA and describes the city as "suburban chic". He enjoys the downtown area and the historic nature of the city. At UGA, he plans on earning his "MRS degree" and was "kind of kidding" when he said this. He does not consider himself "a long-term goal kind of person . . . [he keeps] things in perspective" but he said he's open to change. As an indentured servant to Rebecca Jones, his social life is mostly composed of making sure Rebecca is happy. In his free time, he likes to draw, paint, make tables, and do whatever he can to please Rebecca Jones. Since the age of five, Scotty has been playing the piano and he can sing but "not what others would consider 'well'". Scotty lives by a quote that goes something along the lines of "be true to yourself today and to tomorrow's self, even if they contradict each other". I believe Emerson said this, so correct me if I am wrong! Scotty also has blood type AB- and wanted his picture to be on the body of a giraffe, with a unicorn horn on his head. I am obviously very talented with Microsoft Paint.

58/365

Name: Kelli
Kelli lives in the Maryland/Virginia area and was traveling from San Antonio to Atlanta to Reagan International in DC. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and double majored in business and psychology. She is now a credit analyst working for Wells Fargo. Before her dad retired, he was a military officer, so her family moved around a lot when Kelli was younger. She was born in Korea, then the family moved to Texas, Germany, New York, back to Korea, then to Tennessee, and finally to college in Austin. Living in Germany was her favorite place because "you could travel all over Europe" and see monuments such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower. As a fluent Korean speaker, Kelli loves the food and the culture of Korea, but she likes the DC area because it "has all four seasons . . . and there's lots of culture and interesting people". Out of all the places Kelli has lived in, moving to Texas was the biggest culture shock because "people are so friendly, there's so much space and it's a big state". Her short term goal is to get on the management track at Wells Fargo, but eventually she would like to "settle down, get married, have kids, and enjoy life". Kelli considers herself "deeply Christian", and she sings at her church and volunteers at Vacation Bible School. She has also taken a mission trip to Arizona, so she wants to do more mission work in her free time.

57/365

Name: Patricia 
Three words to describe yourself: kind, truthful, considerate
Patricia is my step mom's mother, and she has been my grandmother for the past ten years. She was born during the Great Depression, has lived in San Antonio, TX her whole life, and has one younger brother. Her mom died from breast cancer when Patricia was seven-years-old, so she had to raise her brother herself. Her dad was also an electrician, so he always had a job, so the family wasn't "dirt poor". She was prom queen of her high school and studied elementary education in college for two years. Not finishing her college degree was her biggest regret in life, but she was a girl-scout leader for twenty years and has taught in the Catholic School. "Pregnant women were not allowed to go out", and Patricia was not content doing secretarial work. She did not even drive a car until she was married at age twenty. Her goal in life has been to "just have fun" and she has greatly enjoyed her life thus far. Currently, Patricia's goal in life is "to stay healthy" and help get my grandpa through his sickness. He worked at Southwestern Bell for forty-five years and has never missed a day of work--so he is a fighter! Patricia has been married for 58 years, and she has six children & a lot of grandchildren, so she "has the big family now that [she] didn't have growing up".

56/365

Name: Kirt
Three words to describe yourself: ridiculously, good, looking
Kirt is currently dating my older sister, Jackie, and they have been together for "a long time", or more than 2 1/2 years. He was born in South Miami, FL and he "loved it". There was "nothing but going to the beach, palm trees, and coconuts". He attended Florida Gulf Coast University, was the Student Body President, and double majored in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. Growing up around a family who was in the military, Kirt wanted to become either a lawyer or a part of the Defense Security Services (DSS). The house rules growing up were: "you have to do karate and boy scouts until you're eighteen", and Kirt is both a black belt and an eagle scout. Being a lawyer therefore "fit with what [he] was learning growing up". Last June, he graduated from Northwestern University with his Juris Doctor and loves living in Chicago because "whatever you want to do, you can do it . . . you can go to world-class museums, baseball games, football games". I asked him what he likes about Jackie and he replied, "She is ridiculous, insanely smart, ridiculously good-looking, and is the most caring person you'll ever meet . . . that's what sets her apart". Kirt is half-Spanish and half-White and always has a story to tell! His name was supposed to be "Kirk", but the nurse misspelled the name on the birth certificate. The family would have changed his name, but they were leaving for Venezuela in a few weeks, so it was too short of time to change the name on the passport. He has traveled everywhere in South America and Europe, but he'd like to go to New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland. Growing up, his family also owned a wolf named Kaska. His dad did not tell his mom that he was buying a wolf, and Kirt's mom was "so unbelievably livid" when she found out. Kirt has never broken any bones, but he has been skydiving, bungee jumping, and been hit in the head with a golf club. His mom worked as nurse at his high school and when Kirt went to her office with blood streaming down his face and arms, he said, "Mom, I need to go to the hospital". She replied, "What is that? Ketchup?" Kirt ended up with eleven staples in his head. In the future, Kirt would like to buy a lake house/ranch and "just chill out all day" and "go with the flow" of life.

55/365

Name: Mia
Three words to describe yourself: materialistic, spacey, easygoing
Mia is from Alamo Heights, TX, and area in greater San Antonio, TX and she likes in because "[she's] comfortable". Her mother is Canadian and her father is Turkish. She is a sophomore at San Antonio College studying merchandise-marketing and would eventually like to become a buyer for a store. Her inspiration for pursuing this career came from going to Saks 5th Avenue and "hating the layout". Mia wants to work for a small business because "big ones are mean and ugly". She would love to live in New York, if she had a penthouse on 5th Avenue. "No way would I want to go there and struggle". Working for a consignment store, Mia considers herself a "thrifter" and likes thrifting because "you don't get screwed by the big guy". In her free time, she likes to make wooden picture frames out of canoes and has been playing the piano for eleven years.

54/365

Name: Tammy Quintanilla
Three words to describe yourself: outgoing, down-to-earth, I love life!
I have known Tammy since I was born and I consider her as my aunt, or another mom ;) She was born in Pensacola, FL but was raised in Guadalajara, where her parents originally met, until she was fourteen. Her second uncle, Luis Echeverría Álvarez was the President of Mexico in the 70's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Echeverr%C3%ADa). When her dad passed away when she was fourteen, Tammy moved to Tucson, AZ to live in the United States. She "hated living here" and it took her three years to learn English. After Arizona, she moved to El Paso, TX where she "met the first love of [her] life". Tammy and her husband lived in Hawaii for two years, but divorced because he was a "womanizer". Tammy says she "learned a lot from that marriage . . . people can't take you for granted". She then moved to Austin, TX because her family moved there as well. One night, Tammy went downtown with a friend, met her second husband, Michael, and they married six months later.

They moved to Plattsburgh, NY because Michael was stationed there, and they met my parents who were also living on base. Tammy's car had broke down, so she walked over to my parents house to ask for a ride, and her and my mom have been best friends ever since! My older sister, Jackie, was only a year old when they met, so Tammy played a big role in my sister's life as far as helping to raise her. Tammy and my mom believe they are sisters separated at birth and that they were probably best friends in another life. She told me a story about how she thought that my parents house was on fire and she ran--eight months pregnant--to their house to "try and save" my mom, but it was just steam escaping from the house. From Plattsburgh, they moved to Corpus Christi, TX where Michael was going to earn his Master's Degree. Then they moved to San Antonio, TX where Michael earned his PhD in Psychology at Our Lady of the Lake University. My parents moved to Bethesda, MD; where I was born, and where I believe my dad went to medical school or to complete his residency--I'll have to verify that. Afterwards, my dad was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, so the Quintanilla's and the Pruitt's were reunited again!

Tammy and Michael became divorced a few years ago. She met another guy, named Miguel, who was a fireman and, for twenty years, has been living four blocks away from her house and she never knew him. (Note: my mom is currently dating a retired fireman...I tell you these two women are the same person). She fell in love with Miguel and described him as "somebody that can love you for who you are". Tammy was getting "scared when things started falling into place" as far as meeting him at this point in her life. After a year and a half of dating, Miguel asked Tammy to marry her on a Monday night, and she said "yes". Tammy had a weird feeling, however, that she knew "Miguel is not going to live for long". Miguel sadly died in a drowning accident in a lake the following Wednesday. It has been difficult for Tammy to move on from her loss, but she enjoys "being herself" and living the single life. In a few years, she would like to move back to Austin to start life fresh. I told her that she could just move in to our "sorority house" with my mom in Georgia because my younger sister will be in college. After all, both of them said they would live together in Florida when they retire!

53/365

Name: Edward
Three words to describe yourself: short, hardworking, disciplined
Edward was born in Abilene, TX but spent the first ten years of his life living in Panama and said the country was "paradise". He did not have television growing up, so he had to play outdoors. His father was in the military, so his family had to move around a lot. Edward spent junior high living in South Dakota, one year in New York, and one year in Phoenix, AZ. When I asked how moving around affected him growing up, he replied, "When you first move, it's difficult to meet friends", but he is still in touch with his best friend from 5th grade. Edward moved to Germany during high school and said the country "was more fun than any other place [he's lived in]". He met my dad in Germany in 10th grade English and Geometry classes. My dad was "the class clown" in school and Edward was the very shy new student so they "built up a friendship". One day my dad had asked him, "Hey Ed, you want to skip class?". "We've been friends ever since".  I asked if he could tell me any other crazy stories about being friends with my dad. He pleaded the 5th. Edward now has two sons, is a single-parent, and is an engineer. He works with micro-electrical mechanical systems, or MEMS, and builds computer chips.

52/365

Name: Kenon
Three words to describe yourself: introverted, honest, trustworthy
Kenon currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, but he is originally from San Antonio and is visiting his family for the holidays. He enjoys San Antonio because he "likes the people . . . real friendly" and there's "no snow". In Philadelphia, Kenon works for a "Big Bank" (he wouldn't give me the name, and I understand). He graduated from UT San Antonio and his father was in the military at Lackland AFB. Being in the military, his family had to move around a lot, and for Kenon, living in Naples, Italy was the "biggest in [his] memory". It was a "different place, different language". He thinks moving around a lot has a child helped him in life because it's "easier to meet people . . . with going to a new place every three years of so". Also, Kenon liked "living with other people in the military . . . you become close". The mustache he is currently sporting is not his normal facial look as he is participating in the "Movember" thing.

51/365

Name: Brandy
Three words to describe yourself: funny, critical, understanding
I met Brandy at Cuppy's, a local coffee shop in Kennesaw, and it turns out that she is a Junior at Kennesaw Mountain High and knows my younger sister who also goes there! Small world! Brandy was born in Jackson, GA and her parents divorced when she was five. When her dad met his new wife from Kennesaw, she moved with him there as well because of the better school system. She played softball during 9th and 10th grade, but decided to play in the rec league this year because she felt that high school softball was becoming "so competitive" and she "felt inferior" to the other players. As a Junior, she is still trying to figure out what to do in life. Brandy can picture herself in twenty years with a house and family, but "the process of getting to college is nerve-wracking". She would like to do something in the medical field such as pathology and is thinking about studying at either Kennesaw State University or Mercer University. She wanted to be a neurosurgeon but did not want to be in school "for twenty years". Her mom is a registered nurse, so she was exposed to the medical field at an early age and she understood the financial stability that normally goes along with those types of careers. Brandy has felt this way her whole life--except in 4th grade when she wanted to be an astronaut. She enjoys working at Cuppy's because "the people are great" and she can walk to work. At Kennesaw Mtn., Brandy is a part of the magnet math & science program and hated the program during 9th grade, but now that she is older, the program is "like one big happy family . . . you appreciate them more". Originally, she did not want to apply to the magnet program but her dad told her, "you can get unlimited texting if you join". So Brandy applied, but "[the texting] wasn't worth it". Good luck to you, Brandy, in all of your endeavors!

50/365

Name: Theresa Tran
Three words to describe yourself: indecisive, funny, appreciative
Today is a special day. It is "Tranniversary". Or for those of you who do not know Theresa, it is her 19th birthday! Theresa loves putting "Tran" into any word she can. She was born in Smyrna, GA and moved to Fredericksburg, VA when she was five-years-old. After 4th grade, her family moved to Kennesaw, GA because her grandparents were already living there. She is a first-generation American and is proud of her Asian heritage. Her mom left Cambodia because the Khmer Rouge ended, while her father left Vietnam during the Communist takeover. Her dad is very conservative because of this and calls CNN "Communist News Network". She enjoys speaking in Vietnamese accents "especially when you hear [her] rendition of Pride and Prejudice". Theresa has traveled to Cambodia and "a lot of the roads there are not nice but they're building them . . . I rode an elephant . . . I fed it a banana . . . I also fed banana chips to a monkey". In her lifetime, Theresa would like to write a book because she would like to be able to ask: "I have a book, what do you have?" On a more serious note, she would like to be a small animal veterinarian as opposed to a large animal one because she "[doesn't] like sticking her hand up...well...you know". She predicts that my dog, Casey, will live to be twenty years old (I hope so because he is eleven!). Her inspiration for becoming a vet comes from her love of puppies and her experience interning for a vet's office. Theresa also enjoys puns and asks, "Who doesn't like puns? . . . if you don't [like puns] there's something wrong with you . . . like unresolved childhood issues". As a final food for thought Theresa states, "Spay and neuter your pets...and stay in school!"

49/365

Name: Jackson
Three words to describe yourself: driven, funny, laid-back
Jackson is from Savannah, GA and loves it there because he's twenty minutes from the beach. For the past four summers, he has worked for the same mini golf place. "I tell myself I'm not going back . . . but they somehow entice me to return". In his lifetime, Jackson would like to "be a successful lawyer . . . and have a nice family". He is pre-law and currently studying international affairs--instead of political science--because he feels this field may lead him to more opportunities than politics, such as working for the state department. Jackson has a lot of experience with politics because he had two internships working on the campaigns of Jack Kingston and Saxby Chambliss. He would like to go to UGA's law school or possibly Tulane University and is thinking about practicing corporate law. The TV show "Suits" on USA is his dream job. As far as school goes "Monday through Friday [he's] all business" but likes to go out downtown on the weekends. For Jackson, the best thing about college has been the "freedom . . . doing whatever you want . . . but I've seen a lot of people abuse that privilege". The hardest thing has been "remembering 1000 different people's names that you've just met". His music is consisted of 50 percent country and 50 percent rap, and he likes watching Burn Notice and Law and Order on USA. Being a Georgia native, he also likes watching the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Bulldogs play.

48/365

Name: Alyssa
Three words to describe yourself: determined, stress-prone, social
Alyssa is from Marietta, GA and has lived there for twelve years. She was born in North Carolina and lived in Alabama, but was too young to remember living in those locations. She says she has "a bad sweet tooth" and does not have a favorite dessert. When Alyssa was younger, she wanted to be a veterinarian, but her mom convinced her otherwise. She became interested in knowing how the body worked and how people contracted disease, so she turned her attention to becoming a doctor. After watching House and other medical shows, however, Alyssa noticed that she would cringe at the scenes showing surgery, so she "couldn't be a surgeon". Instead, she would like to be a medical researcher with the CDC and is interested in pathology. When I asked her about college in general, Alyssa said that the best thing is "getting away from parents" and the "social aspect", while the worst thing is the "stress level" and taking "fifteen hours of classes plus RHA [meetings]". She has traveled to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Hawaii and said the Bahamas were "beautiful, but it would be scary to live there . . . people harass you". In Hawaii, Alyssa found it strange that "they have chickens running around everywhere" including the airport. Purple is her favorite color and she enjoys pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks!

365 People 365 Stories Essay

Here is the essay I wrote for my English class about my blog and my reasoning for creating this project. Enjoy!

Since I have become a college student, I have begun to pay more attention to the connections that are created between people interacting with one another. On a daily basis, I have been observing the different ways in which I personally communicate with others around me both directly and indirectly. I order coffee from the barista at Jittery Joe's in the Miller Learning Center, listen to my professor give his lecture in my Human Geography class, and walk past the homeless man who asks for money in downtown Athens—all without realizing that I am communicating with other people. I noticed that I was unconsciously going through the motions of interacting with people in my daily life and not taking the time to listen to people's histories, perspectives on life, and future goals.

To examine my views and questions about humanity as a whole, I decided to create a blog project that would be composed of the biographies of 365 random individuals to determine what makes us unique as human beings even though we all want the same things in life. The title of the blog is appropriately named “365 People, 365 Stories” because I am going to randomly interview one person every day to hear his or her life story and then post a brief summary and picture on my blog for an entire year. Such questions will include but are not limited to: “What is your life story?” “What are your goals in life and how will you go about achieving those?” and “What is the most important thing in your life?” The inspiration for this specific project came from a moment when I was walking back to my Residence Hall with my friend, Chas Choran, and we were brainstorming possible paper topics for our English papers. Because I have a creative side to my personality and I love to journal, I have always wanted to create a blog, but I did not know what I wanted to write about. I wanted to be original, and this idea allowed me to be authentic because it was a topic that I have never heard of before. I am also interested in how people think and enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories and this blog is an outlet for me to do both.

The more people I meet, the more I realize that humans generally have desires to attain the same things in their lives. When I meet someone and ask what they would like to achieve in his or lifetime, the response is usually: to be financially secure, be successful, and live a happy life. Even though we wish to acquire these similar goals, our experiences and the people we encounter determine how we seek to attain our set goals in life. I think that everyone can recall one experience or person and say, “If I did not have this experience or if I did not meet this person, I would not be where I am today. My life would be completely different”. One of the reasons I began this blog was to observe how people's present lives are defined by their past experiences and how they will attain their ambitions. In order for personal growth to occur, taking risks and being spontaneous with our actions is a way in which we can manifest our desires to make these goals become our reality. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason—whether or not we know what that reason may be—and if one of the risks we take turns out to be a mistake, we will be okay in the long term because we can learn from our experiences and apply this knowledge to our future.

As a college student, I find that I am always surrounded by people. During the first two weeks of adjusting to this new lifestyle, people were friendly enough to initiate conversations and eat meals with new people. I find that as time has passed, however, people are not as willing to go out of their ways to meet other people. The person standing in front of me in line may be an employer who is looking for someone to hire and I fit his job description, or the person could be someone who just needed a positive interaction and I might be the one to brighten his or her day. I would never know these backgrounds unless I initiated a conversation with either one of them. I find that people are generally friendly enough to talk to, so why do we not take the extra distance to meet somebody new? Perhaps the reason people feel restrained to break the ice with others is because they already have an established set of friends, but I feel that the reason contains deeper levels. After analyzing my own personal mentality, I think that the fear of judgment is the number one reason why I do not introduce myself to others. I think that people do not want to be judged for who they are as a person because they are not one-hundred percent confident in themselves. I am not entirely certain this is the case for everyone on this planet, but it was applicable to me and my personal background.

I have noticed that since I have begun this project, my self-esteem has improved as far as being able to talk to people whom I have never met. I need a lot of will-power to ask a random person to tell me his or her life story, but I find that with each encounter I have, it is easier for me to be spontaneous and more carefree about preexisting judgments that I may have about myself. During my sophomore year of high school, I moved from California to Georgia and did not know a single person. The first six months of adjusting to my new Southern life was very difficult for me because I was scared to introduce myself to others without having fears of judgment. When I made the transition to break out of my shell and let my defenses down, I was able to meet new people and make lasting friendships. Even though I have overcome many fears about meeting new people, I still have insecurities about who I am as a person. When I began the process of interviewing people, I had the courage to only interview students from the University, however, since I have become more confident in my daily routine of meeting people, I have expanded my horizons to interview people not associated with UGA.

My list of interviewees contains individuals from all walks of life, including: someone from the Occupy Athens movement, a fourth grader, a resident assistant, my dog, a few Southerners, and a Greek-American captain among many other diverse people. Even though I said that I would interview people I have never met before, I find that I may not know people as well as I should. I recently sat down with my grandpa and talked with him about his life story for an hour and a half. His story of retiring and reapplying to the military and hearing some of his other life experiences inspired me and I was able to learn more about my family history. Had I not taken the time to talk to him, I may not have been able to hear his story from his perspective, so on this particular post, I asked my readers to sit down with their family members to hear about their histories. I am not sure if my readers have done this, but I hope this request urged them to think about their roots and how they developed into who they are today.

On day three of this blog project, I interviewed a girl named Robin who said that she lives by one of Plato’s quotes: “be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle”. We do not realize that people all around us are hurting; whether it is physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally. We are so wrapped up in our own lives and egos that we may not pay attention or choose not to care about others that are around us. I believe that if we are more conscientious of others and choose to pay attention to what “battles” they may be fighting, the world would be a more understanding and compassionate place. Removing all judgments sounds like an impossible thing to ask, but I hope that my blog project will be an inspiration for people to be more sensitive to others, to take more risks in their daily lives, and to say hello to a complete stranger.

47/365

Name: Emilia

Three words to describe yourself: Romanian, funny, caring

Emilia is a native of Snellville, GA but is originally from Fagras, Romania. Her family moved to the United States when she was seven years old "for better opportunities," but she goes back every summer to visit her extended family. She liked growing up in Romania because "children have more of a childhood instead of being obsessed with television". One of the biggest culture shocks of coming to the U.S. was the dependence Americans have on cars as means of transportation because in Romania, they rely more on walking from destination to destination. English was not Emilia's first language, so it was difficult for her to learn it: "I remember crying . . . it was hard to adapt . . . I missed my friends". Describing the cultural differences between Romania and the U.S., she says that Americans "are nicer . . . and more open-minded". Emilia is studying International Affairs and would like to eventually become either a U.S. or Romanian diplomat (but preferably a U.S. one). She says, "it would be nice to represent a country and to try and solve problems between countries," and wants to "give back to the community . . . even if you change one person's life for the better, it's a domino effect". In high school, she was a member of the varsity soccer team. Eventually, Emilia would like to travel to Barcelona, Spain and China. She has been to Spain before and says "it's an amazing country with nice people and a beautiful language". She wants to go to China because the culture is very unique and "the more places you visit, the more you can realize how other people think".