Hi, I’m Amanda.
I have always been very independent, and with that comes a strong dose of oddity. A combination of “I won’t play by the rules, unless they’re my rules,” and “My rules are strange, specific, and a tad rebellious.”
When I was three years old, I talked a mile a minute. My relatives called me “Mandy-Commandy” because I always had to be the boss, dictating the roles and responsibilities of everyone around me. I was the foreman of the preschool sandbox, riding side-saddle on a tricycle that another boy pedaled for me. I instructed my peers on how best to pack the sand into the pails, the configuration and exact specifications of the buildings, recreating the masterpiece of my mind’s eye in real space—yet never having to lift a finger.
When I was a kid, I thought people were so boring. They never seemed to do things the right way, the best way. The only satisfactory people I knew were the authors of books. I felt like an author way before I actually started writing anything – I was intelligent, creative, and observant. I loved the idea of writing characters who could and would do whatever the author willed them to do, like a director cueing actors upon a stage. I became a daydreamer, constantly staring out the window during class (though I always had the right answer on the tip of my tongue). And I was imaginative, that’s for sure, but I liked the reality of following through on my imagined adventures even more.
My independent and nonconformist attitude did not help me make friends. Though I was in a Girl Scout troop when I was younger, with other girls my age, I quickly began to dread our spiritless meetings of cookie-eating and song-singing. There was so much more that we could be doing! I left the troop to become an independent Girl Scout, all by myself, and soon my vest was full of colorful patches, to the envy of my old troop members.
In middle school, I was known for the eye-catching scarves I wore. In high school, I was “The Sock Girl”, because of my colorful, patterned knee high socks. When I started college, I became “The Girl With The Ears”, an affectionate name for my tendency to wear cat ear headbands around campus. Soon, I will graduate and enter the working world. But I’m not going to let corporate culture stifle my self-expression.
When I studied abroad in Freiburg, Germany, I was nervous at first to act how I usually do. I knew that my unconventional approach to almost everything would confuse or maybe even upset the townspeople. However, I did not let that fear control me. I spent my first day exploring the town square on my own, riding the tram to the far reaches of the city, exploring hiking trails in the Black Forest mountains. I later spent a whole day hunting for peanut butter, a rare foodstuff in Germany. I finally found it in an eco-friendly grocery off the beaten path, in an area of the city populated by barefoot hippies. That area quickly became my favorite part of Freiburg.
I’m a nonconformist jack-of-all-trades.
I play an unhealthy amount of obscure, indie video games.
(controller joystick and buttons clacking)
I’ve gotten really good at graphic design.
(mouse clicks)
I used to teach advanced grammar to elementary school children.
(pencil on paper)
I have a passion for woodworking and know my way around a Lowe’s.
(rubber mallet on wood)
I can memorize all the lyrics of a song on my first listen.
I invent my own versions of classic baked goods.
(oven timer ding)
I sew stuffed animals by hand, and always add a jingle bell before closing, for that extra ring of magic.
(soft jingle bells)
I’ve always done what I wanted to do, and I’ve never wasted time following everyone else. I’ve always wanted to be doing something.
I just wish there were 25 hours in a day, so I had time to do it all.
Music provided by Scott Holmes Music. Thanks, Scott!