Falling in Love, is such an Easy Thing to do

I'm working on a blog post right now, but it's not finished, and I felt like I hadn't done one in a while so I would just do one of those random question things. Then I remembered reading the article about 36 questions that will make you fall in love with someone. There's a Buzzfeed video you can watch about it, (I freaking love Buzzfeed). Basically there's this theory that if you go on a date and ask each other these questions, you'll fall in love. I mean, I doubt you'll fall in love with me just by reading it. I think you need to really have the interaction and hear each other's but hey, online dating is a huge thing right now, so people have probably used this online.

Think any of you will fall in love with me? Your choice.

Anyway, I was interested in what the questions were and even what I would answer to them. So why not use it as the template for my answering-random-questions post. So here wo go:


1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
This is tough. There's so many people that I look up to and am inspired by. Right now, I would probably say President Obama. I'm a democrat (not afraid to admit it) and am pretty pleased with him as a president. I think he has done a lot, and stood up to a lot of people, and has really engaged with the citizens of our country. Most of all I would really want to talk with him because of how influential he is. I would really love to share some of my political opinions with him and hear what he has to say in response. 

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Of course. Who hasn't dreamed of being famous at one point or another? I mean, I would love to be a famous rock star; duh. But I actually always wished I could host a charity-based tv show. Something like where I would do a different service project each episode; kind of like extreme home makeover but it would be helping people in a different way each week. Sounds cool, right?

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Yes, yes, yes. I sort of have a problem where when I'm talking, I'm so engaged in what I'm saying that I don't really think about what's coming out. Any time I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of talking, I go over things I want to say beforehand. 

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
Ahhhh there is so much that could go in here. I would say it would include eating thai food, seeing every show currently on Broadway, baking and then eating cannoli's, and then just going somewhere awesome with my closest friends like the beach or an amusement park, or both. 

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
Probably an hour ago when I was in the car. I love to sing in the car. I can play whatever I want, as loud as I want, and I don't have to worry about it bothering anyone. There's really no feeling like being on an open road and singing to your favorite songs. Try it. 

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
Definitely the body. I wouldn't want my aged body to hold me back from doing anything that I wanted to do. That, and I think it would be great to have the mind of a 90 year old. I would know so much more than I do now, so this would be a win-win. 

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
I don't! Should I? Theresa Caputo says in her book that the time you die is already planned out- idk about the way though. Regardless, that's not really something I would want to think about. (I definitely have a top way I don't want to die, and that's being buried alive.)

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
Well...I'm not on a date. But I guess three of my favorite qualities about myself? I am confident, I have great hair, and I know how to stand up for myself. 

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
This is tough, but I would say my independence. I grew up with parents who really sheltered me, and also parents who put me down a lot. If I didn't have this spirit of independence that I have now, I wouldn't have been able to get through it. Despite being sheltered, I really taught myself a lot. And even though they made me feel bad all the time, I was able to tell myself not to listen to the negativity and to believe in myself. And I'm really lucky to have been able to do so much on my own. 

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Like I said, my parents, especially my mother, got me down a lot. My mother especially always attacked me and my personality and the type of person I was. They always act as if they supported me, but it was just a veil that covered up how much they tried to change me. I'm lucky that I was given a natural spirit of independence because I was able to continue to be who I was even when I was told not to. 

11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
Eh, you don't need to know that much about me. I have parents who are doctors and were very strict and had high expectations for me. I went to Catholic school which gave me a great education. I played a lot of sports on got good grades. In high school I still did sports and got good grades, but I had trouble making friends. For some reason every time I got close to someone, they treated me like crap or betrayed me and thought it was funny. It kinda messed me up. Now I am at a great school. I love it. I have still struggled with friends but I've been able to realize that I don't need to be best friends with everyone. It's better to surround yourself by people who you know truly like you. Oh and I am getting ready for law school. Fun stuff. 

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Well if we are talking supernatural, I totally want to fly. Who doesn't? But out of anything, I wish I could picture and outfit and it would just appear on me. I have really great taste but it's hard to find the pieces you want, especially when the only sizes available are extra-small's. So yeah, that would be my dream ability. 

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
This is hard. I guess I would want to know who I'm going to marry/when I will meet him. I feel like that would be useful.

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
I don't know. I've done a lot, but there isn't much that I've really dreamed of doing. I mean, I love to travel and I've traveled. I wanted to go to London for a long time and I did this past winter. I think I have dreams that I haven't totally realized yet, so we will just wait for that to happen. I have thought about changing schools and going to the city, but it's so hard to afford. It's unfortunate that money holds a lot of people back from their dreams. 

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? 
This is another one I don't know. I'm proud of the things I've done in school and in sports in in work and other things. I've gotten a lot of athletic and academic awards so idk if any one thing stands out. Personally, I'm proud of myself for being able to stand up for myself and what I believe in. 

16. What do you value most in a friendship?
Definitely loyalty. Because of what I went through in high school, I constantly worry that people are just pretending to be my friends and that eventually they will turn on me. In a friend, I want to know that they are committed to our friendship. I also appreciate friends who have good senses of humor, who are smart, and who are driven.

17. What is your most treasured memory?
My freshmen year of college, my swim team won our swim championships. The men's and women's teams competed separately, but we practiced together and spent all our time together. In the past, the men's and women's teams had won individually, but never together. When they announced that not only had the girls won, but also they guys, it was the greatest feeling. We were all so happy and proud of each other, and to feel that kind of belonging as a freshmen in college was great. 

18. What is your most terrible memory?
I'm lucky that I haven't had a lot of death or disease in my family. I think the toughest thing was growing up and constantly fighting with my mom. I just remember one time she was screaming and calling me horrible names and I had no idea what brought it on and I couldn't get her to stop or get her to listen and it was so bad that I went into the garage and fell asleep crying in the car. It was so hard because there was never any reasoning with her, so I never understood where she was coming from and why she was always so mean and yelling all the time. I get that fighting with your mom is a typical teenage thing, but it was so much worse. And as a teenager who's struggling in high school, you don't want to come home to be bullied by the one person who's supposed to help. 

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
Of course. I would stop going to school, I would stop studying for the lsats. I would eat whatever I wanted, I would probably go after any guy I was interested in. I would travel and have fun. I would drop everyone from my life who I wasn't happy with. 

20. What does friendship mean to you?
Friendship is about supporting someone you care about. It's about being there for them and making them happy. Friendships are the easiest when two people like each other and appreciate each other and feel comfortable together. A good friend is ultimately someone that makes you happy, and that you make happy. 

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
Affection creeps me out if it's from someone who isn't a boyfriend/girlfriend. I'm not really sure why. I hate when other people touch me even if it's in a nice way. I just wish people would respect that. 
Love? I haven't quite figured that out yet. 

22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
Well, I'm not talking to a specific person, but I can tell you qualities that I like in people. I love people who smile and laugh. I love people who aren't afraid to be who they are, and I like it when people complement others. It's a real sign of being both kind and humble. 

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?
We're close in the sense that we talk a lot and always know what's going on with each other. I've already pointed out that my parents and I haven't always gotten along, but they've also always kept tabs on me, so I guess you could say we're close. They try to be warm, but how things have been in the past make it hard for me to accept them when they try to be warm. I would still say I had a happy childhood in comparison to others. Yeah I felt attacked a lot, but I'm lucky to have had more opportunities than most. I got to travel a lot, I got a great education, and I was able to be involved in a lot. 

24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
So I established this in a lot of other questions. I don't want to bore anyone with more of my mom troubles. 

25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “
To anyone reading this: "we are both great people. We are both beautiful people. We both deserve great things." Y'all are wonderful. Everyone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “
"I wish I had someone with whom I could share a great vacation." I hate going on vacation with my family cuz we fight the whole time. I've always wanted to just grab a friend and go on vacation together. I am happier around my friends and I'm also more comfortable with myself and probably more outgoing. I would really love to just go on a fun getaway with another person. 

27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
I would really want them to know that it's important to let me know when I've done something wrong. I picked up a lot of bad qualities from my parents and it has hurt my friendships. Sometimes I pick on my friends or I fight with them and I don't realize that I'm doing it. It really helps when they just let me know, but a lot of times they hold it in and that makes it worse. If I ever do something wrong, just tell me. I won't get upset or fight, I'll be thankful that you let me know so that I can stop it. 

28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.
This seems like a repeat. If it has to be something that I wouldn't normally say to a person, especially a guy, I would admit that I was physically attracted to them. When I like a guy, I'll complement his intelligence or personality or something, but not usually looks because that's so much more straightforward.  

29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
Okay so luckily my most embarrassing moment is something I can laugh about. I'm a huge fangirl. I am obsessed with a lot of celebrities, especially Broadway stars. When I was in London, I got to see a show starring Aaron Tveit who is my second favorite Broadway star. Needless to say I was freaking out. I was freaking out in the weeks leading up to it. I think everyone was getting sick of me talking about him hahaha. So anyway, we saw the show and I was just staring at him the whole time because he was so close- I missed a lot of the show cuz I was too busy looking at him. So when the show got out, we waited around for him, and I was hyperventilating. When he finally walked over to us, I jumped behind my group because I was so scared. They kind of parted so he could see me, since they all knew we were basically there for me, and when he asked what he could do for us, I kind of just shoved my program in front of him and didn't say anything because I was panicking. I eventually blurted out something like 'I love you, I'm such a big fan'; I don't really remember. All my friends thought it was hilarious. We took a group picture and I sort of shoved someone out of the way to be next to him, which I didn't even think about til later. And I was shaking the whole time. I thought he couldn't feel it but everyone else in the picture could, so he definitely could. So yeah, it was embarrassing, but worse things have happened. 

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
The last time I cried was in front of someone was to my mom, because I was trying to be real adult about a situation and like always, she tried to deflect anything about herself and just tell me all the things that are wrong with me. I've always thought then when you have a problem with something that someone does, the best thing to do is calmly approach them about it. Unfortunately that never works for her. She gets angry and refuses to accept that there is anything wrong with her, and then attacks me by pointing out my flaws and my mistakes. It's horrible, but I can't just appease her. I'm not that kind of person. So I have to just stand my ground. 

31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
Seriously? Hasn't this been asked like 4 times already? Maybe the point is to continue complementing someone because it makes them like you more. Well, I love everyone, as long as they are kind people. Always be kind and be confident. 

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
Never joke about the way someone looks. Don't joke about weight or height or hair or skin. It's not funny. It's hurtful. It makes people think it's okay to be mean if you pretend it's funny. Just don't joke about anything at the expense of others. Don't use gay jokes or transgender jokes or racial jokes or sexist jokes. Nothing is funny if it's mean. 

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?
I would regret not telling my best friend how much she means to me. We've always been close, but we didn't really become best friends until this winter when we both went through tough break-ups. Hers was with her boyfriend of a few years, and mine was with who I thought was my best friend. It was tough but it really brought us together. She's such a great person. I've always been really proud of myself, so sometimes I struggle to admit that people have better qualities than me, but I have never doubted hers. She is so smart, and wise. I trust her advice more than anyone's and I'm never afraid to bring it to her. 
I feel like I've told her this indirectly, but I like the idea of telling people how important they are to you. 

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
I guess it would be any cash that I had; that makes the most sense. Assuming my money was in my pocket, I would probably try to save either my guitar or my ukulele. I'm not the best musician, I never really took lessons or anything and don't have the time to perfect them, but they are still important to me and bring me happiness. 

35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
Definitely my brother. We aren't the closest, but we never fought as kids. I yell at him all the time for being ignorant and self-centered and close minded, but he's a great kid. He's driven, he's smart, he's funny, and even though he drives makes me angry sometimes, he's still really important to me. 

36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
My biggest personal problem is that I've acquired a lot of bad traits from my parents. My dad likes to pick on people because he thinks it's funny, and my mom is arrogant and condescending. I try really hard not to be this way but I've been around it my whole life, so it's really hard not to. So the advice I would ask is how to get rid of qualities that have been a part of you for so long. It's so hard. 
So if anyone wants to comment and let me know, I would love that.


So... I hope whoever is reading this enjoyed it. I liked it, and whoever reads what I write, I really want to learn about you too. I love to meet people and make friends, so comment!

Differences Between High School and College

Today I came across a list of the differences between high school and college, intended to teach high school students what college is like. However, I disagree with a lot of it and I would hate for it to mislead highschoolers. So here, I am putting the list, and will follow each statement with my commentary.

25. In high school, you do homework. In college, you study.

Totally wrong. I do homework all the time. We all do homework. I also study. You do both in high school and both in college. 

24. No food is allowed in the hall in high school. In college, food must be provided at an event before students will come.

It's more like alcohol. Students will do anything if there is alcohol included. Food definitely helps though. 

23. In high school, you wear your backpack on one shoulder; in college, on both.

Truth. You should actually do it in high school too. It's so much better for your shoulders. 

22. In college, the professors can tell you the answer without looking at the teacher’s guide.

True. But you don't really use lessons plans like in high school. A lot of classes are based on discussion, not cut and dry answers. 

21. In college, there are no tardy slips.

No, but you can still get in trouble for being late. Some professors will take off points, others will just lock you out. But it's true that some don't care if you are late. 

20. In high school, you have to live with your parents. In college, you get to live with your friends.

True, but don't think it's all fun and games. There's definitely times when you need space. It's more like you're living with yourself- that's the best way to do it. But you always have friends around which is great.

19. In college, you don’t have to wait in a certain lunch line to be cool.

That was a thing in high school? What?

18. Only nerds e-mailed in high school. (Cool kids hadn’t heard of it.)

Again, I'm not really sure what this means. But seriously, check your freaking email. You'll miss lots of important stuff if you don't. Use facebook too. I know it's not super cool anymore, but it's really useful to create pages for work and clubs and study groups. 

17. In high school, you’re told what classes to take. In college, you get to choose; that is, as long as the classes don’t conflict and you have the prerequisites and the classes aren’t closed and you’ve paid your tuition.

You're still given a list of classes you need to take- but you get to choose among them. It's based on your major. I have to take 4 American History courses- but I can pick which 4 I want. And you get electives just like in high school. But yeah, you can't really take anything upper-level unless you took the 100 level. 

16. In high school, if you screw up you can usually sweet-talk your way out of it. In college, you’re lucky to ever talk with the professor.

So not true. This is totally dependent on the type of school you go to. If you go to a small school, all the professors will know you. I'm great friends with my professors actually. If you go to a bigger school you might not know them all that well, but they will probably still have office hours so you will be able to talk to them. 

15. In high school, fire drills are planned by the administration; in college, by the drunk frat boys on their way home when the bars close.

Actually, the school still has required fire drills in college. They have to. It's state law. 

14. In college, any test consists of a larger percentage of your grade than your high school final exams ever did.

Again, not necessarily true. It's totally dependent on how the professor decides to run the class. 

13. In high school, when the teacher said, “Good morning,” you mumbled back. In college, when the professor says, “Good morning,” you write it down.

Um, seriously what is this. I have a lot of classes that I don't take notes in, mostly because they are discussion based. The notes I take come from a lot of the reading that I do outside of class. Regardless...I wouldn't write down Good Morning. 

12. In high school, freshman guys hit on senior girls. In college, senior guys hit on freshman girls.

True. But also everyone hits on everyone. It's not really about what grade/class you're in. Nobody pays attention to that. 

11. In college, weekends start on Thursday.

This is only because it's really easy to make your schedule so that you don't have Friday classes. Yay college!

10. In college, it’s much more difficult to figure out the course schedule of the man/woman you have a crush on, in order to figure out where he/she will be walking around campus and at what time to find them there.

Pretty sure this is called stalking. Regardless, it's not totally true. I know where to find anyone on my campus, because I go to a small school. Every school is different. 

9. Once you’ve obtained the information described in #10, it’s much more time-consuming to run between classes to that place where you know he/she will be in order to “just happen to bump into him/her.”

Again, not true for me since I go to a small college. 

8. In college, there’s no one to tell you not to eat pizza three meals a day.

Truth. And there's pizza available at all hours of the day. Hence the freshmen 15. 

7. In college, your dad doesn’t pay for dates.

Did your dad pay for dates in high school? 

6. In high school, it never took 3 or 4 weeks to get money from Mom and Dad.

Get a job. Stop asking your parents for money. You're in college to learn how to be on your own. I have a job and so I have money when I need it. 

5. College guys are cuter than high school boys.

Well duh. 

4. College women are legal.

I don't like this because I believe it is suggesting something inappropriate...

3. In college, when you miss a class (or two or three), you don’t need a note from your parents saying you were skip….uh, sick that day.

No, but some professors will take points off unless you have a doctor's note so...

2. In high school, you can’t go out to lunch because it’s not allowed. In college, you can’t go out to lunch because you can’t afford it.

Well this is totally true. 

1. In college, you can blow off studying by writing lists like this.

You can blow off anything. anytime. College means procrastination on a whole new level. 

Raise Your Voice, Change the World

This spring I read Off the Sidelines by New York State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Seriously,  it was inspiring. If you are interested in politics, in women's rights, in being a working mom, whatever; you should read this. Here's what i have to say...

Kirsten Gillibrand was elected to the House of Representatives to represent New York State’s 20^th Congressional District in 2006. In 2008 she joined Chuck Schumer as New York’s junior senator. In 2014, she published Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World. In her autobiographical text, she discusses her career in the law, her election process, and the work she has done in Congress since being elected. Though she touches on a number of topics, the main themes of her work are the fight for women’s rights and the ability to fight for your beliefs: in Congress, in politics, in the working world, in schools, and everywhere else in American life.

            Not everyone who goes in to politics starts out there. Kirsten explains this in her book while describing her law career. She attended Dartmouth University as her undergraduate and graduated from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Law in 1991. After graduation she was hired at Davis Polk law firm in Manhattan where she was a defense attorney and worked major litigation cases. She made good money and was well respected. For years, she kept her life busy- working hours on end and either running outside or going to church in her little free time. She says that it was not until a few years later when she considered other options. In 1995, Hillary Clinton, who was the first lady at the time, spoke at the Fourth World Conference on Women which was being held in Beijing. At the time, Kirsten had not been feeling that her heart was in her work, and Hillary’s words made her see things clearer: “On that day, Hillary said her line about women’s rights being human rights, a line that I’ve repeated almost once a week for the past ten years. Her words were so simple, brave, and powerful, and when I heard them, something woke up in me.” Listening to Hillary speak made Kirsten realize that she needed to be focusing on the things that were really important to her. After thinking about it, she realized that what she wanted to be doing was changing the world for people, and she could not do that by working as a New York City attorney. Her experience is proof that in our society, not everyone is automatically interested in politics, but the politicians we have elected have the ability to instill that interest. In a democracy, the elected officials are not only expected to represent, but to make their constituents interested in the politics that surround them.

            Becoming a member of the political world is difficult, even when you have connections. Kirsten had relatives in politics, and therefore plenty of family friends in the field. Her first piece of advice she was given about joining the political world was to join the New York City chapter of the Women’s Leadership Forum. She just needed to give them $1000. She quickly learned that to join the political world, you do what needs to be done, whether it seems productive or not. She was taught, “in politics, you do what’s needed. If a candidate needs you to stuff an envelope, you stuff an envelope. When you believe in a cause, you aren’t picky; you just help. I think her argument here is difficult to accept, but true. Passion means taking on whatever it is that you are passionate about, and supporting it in whatever way you can. Citizens of the United States are being taught that to support something, they may be required to do small jobs, or simply donate money, which can feel defeating. However in our democracy, little jobs can equal big results.

Kirsten continued to be inspired by the politicians that she already looked up to. Joining the Women’s Leadership Forum gave her the ability to attend an event at which Hillary Clinton was speaking. There, Hillary said something that finally gave Kirsten the push to jump right into the political world. Hillary said, “Decisions are being made every day in Washington, and if you are not a part of those decisions, you might not like what they decide, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.” After that, Kirsten joined every political program she could find- boards, committees, mentor groups, etc. When Hillary Clinton decided to run for the New York State Senate in 2000, Kirsten wanted to join her campaign. However, it was incredibly difficult. She made calls and sent emails, but no one in the campaign offices had anything for Kirsten to do. She attended one of Hillary’s events and told her how much she wanted to help. Hillary gave Kirsten her secretary’s information, but when Kirsten contacted her, they still didn’t have work for her to do. Kirsten went to numerous events held by Hillary Clinton until finally she told her that no one in the office was giving her the ability to help out. So right then and there, Hillary gave Kirsten a job: to host a breakfast get-together with young women around the state who were like Kirsten, to talk to them about the issues and enlist their help and their votes. After Hillary’s election, Kirsten got in touch with Andrew Cuomo, who was serving as Secretary of Housing. He told Kirsten that if she truly wanted to be in the political world that she could not help from New York; she needed to move to Washington DC. So she did. Hillary showed Kirsten one of her early lessons about being a good representative: it’s hard to hear everyone’s voice at once, but always enlist help when it’s offered. You can never get too much help and as a representative. The best way to serve your people is to let them be involved. In a democracy such as ours, citizens have the opportunity to do that.

            It is difficult to gain support for an election when you have little background in politics. When Kirsten ran for the House of Representatives in the 20^th District, she was facing an area that had for years been Republican, and she was a Democrat. When she decided to run, she reached out to a friend who was a pollster, and he told her she had no chance of winning. He did not let her down easy or beat around the bush. He said that no matter how much she campaigned or how much money she raised, there would always be too many Republicans in the district. Even her own husband said he did not want to support her initiative unless she could prove to him that she could win. Also, Hillary Clinton was not sure that Kirsten should go for it. She questioned Kirsten on what she would do about her husband and her family and her other commitments. In other words, when you decide to run for office, you might not have everyone you want on your side. That is why as a representative, it is important to reach out to the people and gain their respect. Candidates with little political background have to rely on their voters and therefore be connected with the people because that can be their biggest source of support.

Being a Congressperson can come with a lot of negative politics. When Kirsten decided to run for office, Hillary Clinton told her, “Campaigns can be nasty stuff. You need to have a thick skin.” When you run for office, your entire life becomes public knowledge. Kirsten could not hide her family from the public eye, nor could she hide her personal life. Everything from her weight to her fashion to her marriage was looked at and criticized. Opponents attacked all the men in her family: her dad, her brother, and especially her husband. Her opponent, incumbent John Sweeney, ran numerous attacks ads against her that led to a truly nasty campaign. Although, Kirsten accredits a lot of these attack ads to her eventual win in late 2005. Attack ads are not uncommon; representatives use them all the time. What does that say about the role of being a representative? For us, it could say that being able to represent your voter’s means having to attack other representatives. It says that representatives cannot be in it to help each other, because helping others can mean the loss of your own ability to help your constituents. There is room for hundreds of representatives in the House, but only one in each district. Sweeney’s use of attacks ads displays the idea that wanting to be a representative means using whatever means necessary to ensure other people cannot do the same.

            Kirsten Gillibrand stresses that to be a good senator, you need to know what issues to fight for, and this happens by listening to your constituents. She states, "You can drop stacks of paper on my desk, but they won't be as effective as a single human being willing to speak honestly about her life." She continues to say that, "Good ideas don't come from Washington. They come from individuals willing to share their experiences and needs." For Kirsten, being a Congresswoman, means following the idea of a delegate-representative. She fights for the issues that her constituents want her to fight for, not necessarily what she personally wants. However, I think Kirsten is both a trustee and a delegate. She listens to what the people of New York bring to her, and then she takes those matters on and fights for them the way that she sees best fit. Kirsten Gillibrand is proof that representatives do not have to be one or the other; they can be both.

            Being a woman in politics, and in any business, is extremely difficult. Kirsten begins by talking about the stigma in America that assumes women should either want to work small jobs while their husbands make the big bucks or be stay-at-home moms. Women can be smart and empowered and work any job they want. However, when a woman stands up and enters into the world of business or politics or science, she is put down. Kirsten says, "It frustrates me how many people automatically assume the worst about ambitious women. Too few people believe that you can be ambitious, feminine, and a decent person at the same time." For Kirsten, taking a stand on issues meant people looking negatively at her as a woman, ignoring the issues themselves. On top of that, she found that being a woman at all made her a target, regardless of the issues. A study she was shown told her that “all comments about women, positive or negative, hurt what voters think of them." What does this say about our nation? Women are still such a rarity in government that they cannot become a part of the public eye in any way without being put down.

As a woman in politics, Kirsten found that if she was not being ignored because of her gender, she was being critiqued on her looks. Unfortunately, much of the focus on women is about how they look, not what they do. As an attorney, Kirsten was told not to dress too fancy because no one would take her seriously. She refused to wear anything other than a gray or navy pantsuit. She worried that if she wore a skirt instead of pants, or red instead of black, that she would put off the image of caring more about her style than her cases. This viewpoint did not change when she became a senator. She was constantly criticized for changing her looks. Men in Congress would either comment on her weight gains, or hit on her. She once received a comment from a male senator saying, “You’re even pretty when you’re fat!” When she was up for reelection, her campaign manager told her, “To win the election, you need to be pretty again.” He said it not because he thought she was unattractive, but because election statistics show that politicians whose appearances change (looking heavier, older, more tired) while in office do not get reelected. Kirsten explains the issue that men are not held to this same standard. No woman in Congress would hit on a man in Congress. No Congresswoman would tell a Congressman that he needed to bulk up. Yet in our current politics, women are criticized for their looks more than for their policies. Being a good representative should not depend on gender, however in the American democracy, being able to be heard by other members of Congress is much more difficult as a woman.

            Kirsten’s ability to get into the political world suggests that it is not necessarily about education, but about connections. Kirsten went to UCLA Law not because she thought it was the best school, but because she was following her current boyfriend. Though UCLA is a great school, we cannot be sure what type of education she received there and how prepared she was for a role in the political world, since she attended the school to be an attorney. Her ability to join politics came from the fact that her mother was an attorney, her father a lobbyist, and her grandmother the founder of the Albany Democratic Women’s Club. Of course they did not do the work for her. She had to educate herself, put herself out there, join groups, listen to the news and speak up about it; but she was able to do so because she had family friends in the business who gave her those opportunities. During her race, she contacted every woman in politics she had ever been introduced to, as well as judges, pollers, lobbyists, government officials, and scholars. Kirsten’s book shows that she understands how Congress works and is efficient at her job, but the process of her getting there suggests that without connections, one may not stand a chance of being elected. This says that in our democracy, hard work does not necessarily lead to success, but knowing the right people does.

            Kirsten’s explanation of the best way to be an efficient representative is the simple phrase: keep your friends close but your enemies closer. When Kirsten sought out to be a member of the House of Representatives, she was in a district surrounded by Republicans. She knew she was up for a fight, and it was not the democrats she needed to win over. She consulted with polling specialists who told her that the democrats in the district would vote democrat, but the Republicans might not necessarily vote Republican. Therefore, it was her job to give them a reason to vote for her: "If you only talk to your supporters, you'll never change anybody's minds." As a representative, not everyone you represent will agree with your policies. I admire Kirsten’s outlook that she sees it as her job to meet and talk with these people and make them understand why she does what she does.

            Kirsten has no secrets, whether it is her choice or not. As a politician, she cannot hide anything in her life. Sweeney used this against her in their congressional race. However, Kirsten has come to embrace it. After her senatorial election, she began posting her schedule online for the public to see, figuring that “anybody could Google anything these days.” Her staff worried that it would hurt her, since no other member of Congress did that. However, Kirsten argues that people have the right to know what she is doing, saying “If I can’t defend taking a meeting, then I shouldn’t be taking it.” This is another thing I admire about her. She believes in herself enough to feel comfortable letting her constituents know the details of her work. She knows what she is doing is important, and can defend herself as so. She understands that to be a good representative, she needs to prove that her constituents can trust her; something that not many politicians do.

            Kirsten offers three important lessons in her book. Lesson 1: Don’t wait to tell your story. She finds that she is most fueled to fight for an issue when it was brought to her by someone who is really passionate about it. She has had women with low-paying jobs come to her about healthcare, or victims of rape come to her about sexual assault in the military, or men diagnosed with diseases after working at 9/11 sites. These people are passionate about the issues they bring to Kirsten, and it is their passion that drives her to fight for them. She has had major victories in all three of these issues. She was able to pass a 9/11 healthcare bill that provided healthcare to people who worked at 9/11 sites and were either injured or diagnosed with diseases. In 2014 she got a majority vote in Congress towards a bill that would keep sexual assault cases from being decided within military ranks. She is currently working on summer programs that will help low-income families feed their children.

            Believe others will care. That is the second lesson she offers. She understands that there may be lots of cynics in Washington, but explains that the role of being a representative is to care about your constituents concerns, and there are genuine people in office who want to hear them. Kirsten serves as an example of someone who cares, as she is constantly meeting with people all over New York State to hear what they have to say, and then bringing those issues to Congress (which can be seen by looking at her calendar). Her third lesson is that persistence works. There are a lot of people in this country, so though representatives do want to hear what you have to say, it is hard, but she encourages people to call, email, visit, and do whatever they can, because it will pay off in the end. Kirsten said it took her dozens of phone calls with Hillary Clinton to really make progress on some important issues, but it worked. She uses this method herself whenever she gets the chance to see President Obama. She explains, “I’ve learned to use every second I get with the president wisely. If I have his ear, I have an obligation to my constituents to advocate for them. Every time I know I am going to see President Obama, I have a mission.” She sets an example for the American people- we are all representatives. We all fight for our own issues and continue to bring them to others who represent us, until we have enough people on board.

            If I had no other knowledge of politics, or of Congress and representation, I would think every member of Congress has got it right, because I would assume this was the autobiography of the average Congressperson. Kirsten is an exception to the rule. To me, she seems to know exactly what she is doing. She is both a trustee and a delegate. She voices the concerns that are brought to her. She reaches out to every politician she can for help. She does not keep secrets. She balances work and family, and her time between DC and New York. If I were to read her book without any prior knowledge of the government, I would not know what a standout she is. However, reading it and knowing the struggles that other candidates face, I can argue that Kirsten Gillibrand has got it right. Ignoring policies and political parties, though I agree with many of them, she is the perfect example of someone who knows how to be a representative in the United States government. I am inspired by the work that she does and the mindset in which she does it. She says, "I'm a big believer in making your own luck- putting yourself in the best possible position to take advantage of your circumstances." She makes me want to be more active in political issues and reach out to my representatives. I agree with her when she says "There are women doing amazing things and you should be one of them."I believe that were anyone to read her book, they would feel the same way too.

Some things about me...

This blog is anonymous, but I still think anyone who reads it should have the right to know things about me, so I found this list of 99 questions on tumblr and answered them.
(And boy did it take me forever.) But here you go.

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

Oh geez. This is way hard. I have no idea, but my best guess would be Drops of Jupiter by Train, Classic by MKTO, Sunday Morning by Maroon 5, Enchanted and All Too Well by Taylor Swift, and I Must Be Dreaming by the Maine.

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Again, this is way too hard. I could maybe narrow it down to Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Colfer, and Tyra Banks. Ellen inspires me because of how dedicated to charity she is. I am a big Chris Colfer fan because he is talented in so many areas; he can act and dance and sing and write and give speeches. Tyra is probably one of the most confident people in the country, and as a real successful model, she is always telling people to be happy with themselves and how they look and to understand their true beauty.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, open to a random page and pick a random line.

"I wanted to be seen as an excellent lawyer, not an excellent woman lawyer."

This is from Off The Sidelines by Kirsten Gillibrand. If you don’t know who she is, she is the New York State Senator- a conservative Democrat. I am reading the book for a class but we were able to pick the representative. It’s a really great book about being a woman in the business and political world, and how as women we need to fight for our rights, even when we know it will be a tough fight.

4: What do you think about most?

Um, everything that I’m stressed about, because I’m always stressed about something.

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

My last received text was from my best friend, but all it says is ‘sure’. Not that exciting. It was just her responding to me recommending we go to lunch at 1.

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

I sleep with clothes, but only light clothes, because I hate being hot when I’m sleeping.

7: What's your strangest talent?

Well, I don’t know what is considered weird, but I’m like the bomb at making lists. I also am pretty good at catching food in my mouth. So that’s cool.

8: Girls... (finish the sentence); Boys... (finish the sentence)

Girls rule, boys drool? I don’t know what else.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

I don’t think so, but I guess I could just not know. I have written them about other people though. In high school I was on the competition poetry team. I got 2^nd place in the nature category for writing a poem about how I hated Walt Whitman but my teacher told me I needed to write a Whitmanesque poem.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Well I play real guitar, so I rarely play air guitar. But the last time I played regular guitar was a couple days ago when my friend Laura who is a singer came over and we played Hey Stephen for my friend Stephen.

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

Yes. It’s embarrassing, but I am like deathly afraid of fish. I’m a swimmer but I won’t go into open water. I’m also afraid of ghosts. I mean, a lot of people are afraid of ghosts, but it’s a problem for me because I’m real interested in them so I watch all the shows about them and then don’t sleep for weeks because I convince myself that my room is haunted.

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Um what? Ew no.

13: What's your religion?

I’m Russian Orthodox. It’s real similar to Catholic, but slightly different days for holidays and it’s a little bit more conservative.

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

My school is on one of the Finger Lakes, so I love to go outside and take pictures of the boathouse, and the light reflecting off the water, and the sunset over the lake.

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Both, but I’m probably more often behind the camera because I love to take pictures. I really like to document things that I do so that I can look back on them. Of course if I’m doing something fun, I want to make sure to get pictures of myself too. I sort of force my friends to take pictures of me and with me.

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

I probably listen more to individual artists than to bands, in which case I would say Taylor Swift.

17: What was the last lie you told?

I mean, I try not to lie too often, but I did tell my professor I wasn’t feeling well so I couldn’t go to class, which wasn’t necessarily true because I wasn’t sick, but I think mental health should count.

18: Do you believe in karma?

I don’t believe in it, but I really wish it existed.

19: What does your URL mean?

I don’t know what the letters specifically stand for but I know it’s just like a web address.

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

My greatest weakness is that I worry too much. I worry that I’m doing things wrong or that I’m not pleasing people. I think my greatest strength is my independence. I can make my own decisions and stand up for myself.

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

Well I have a new celebrity crush every week. I like to tweet about my weekly obsessions, but I think Zac Efron will always win over all of them. He’s freaking gorgeous, and I grew up during the high school musical age, and now he’s doing more mature stuff and I just love him.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

I have not, mostly because I’m not comfortable, but when the lake is warm enough, I go swimming at night with my teammates and some of them will skinny dip.

23: How do you vent your anger?

I guess this depends on the issue. I’m lucky to have friends who I can talk to about things, and in some issues I talk it out with my friends. Other times I just wait out the problem. When something upsets me, I usually get over it. Sometimes this is good, because it doesn’t eat away at me, but other times I think it’s bad because then I’m not taking care of the issue and I’m just letting it go.

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

Yes! I collect parrots; not real ones. I have pictures and statuettes and clay ones and all kinds. I get them almost every place I visit and I name them all. My favorites are probably the painted ceramic ones I have hanging from my ceiling so they look real. I always wanted a real one because they are so pretty, but my parents thought it would be too loud. Also the macaws are like way expensive.

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Neither. I’m just really busy sometimes so texting is so much easier. If it needs to include talking then I will skype if the conversation is going to be long, but I will talk on the phone if it’s going to be quick.

26: Are you happy with the person you've become?

I’m only a college student, so I feel like I’m still developing as a person. I am pleased with a lot of aspects of myself. I am confident and headstrong and driven. Sometimes I stress too much and I am stubborn, but I will learn how to fix those things about myself. I have always been responsible and independent and determined to learn and be successful, so I am lucky to be that way.

27: What's a sound you hate; sound you love?

I hate really loud things, like the vacuum and the blow dryer. I love the sound of ocean waves and pouring rain. Doesn’t everybody?

28: What's your biggest "what if"?

My biggest ‘what if’ is what if my life doesn’t work out as planned. I have such a set vision of what the rest of my life will be like- college, law school, good job, big cases, hopefully in the papers for making big changes. My biggest what if is what if it doesn’t happen that way, and if it doesn’t, what way will it go?

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

Well yeah, I said earlier I totally believe in ghosts; all the way. Aliens? Maybe. I definitely think they are possible- the universe is so huge, there’s no way we can be the only ones. I’m not sure if I believe in any of the alien sightings people have claimed on Earth, but that’s just because I haven’t really researched it.

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

I touched the wall and a notebook, because I’m typing this on my bed next to my bookshelf with all my homework.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

I smell my room smell. You know how everyone’s room has its own smell? Well I think they do. They aren’t always bad smells, they are just unique to that person and you can’t always explain what creates that smell, just that it’s the room smell.

32: What's the worst place you have ever been to?

Oh geez, I feel like I have probably tried to block those memories out, so I can’t be totally sure. I’ve been plenty of awesome places, so they sort of override any bad memories, but I can think of one. In high school I went on a trip to Spain, France and Italy with other students and we had such an awesome time in Spain so we had high expectations for France and the first day we had to walk way more than we were expecting and the weather wasn’t nice and the place we were at fed us this super gross meal that none of us ate so then we were starving all day. I mean, it’s not that the country was bad, but just the circumstances made it hard to enjoy.

I know, France is a horrible answer right? Sorry

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

I haven’t been to the west coast, so I’m kind of biased, but I do love the east coast. I love New England and I love the southern states like Virginia and South Carolina and Georgia. I am dying to go to California though.

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

This is hard. I had to look it up so I wouldn’t miss anyone. I really have trouble picking people based solely on looks, because their voice and their style make them so much more attractive. My friend likes to play this game called top 5 where you name the top 5 people in school you would sleep with, solely based on looks, and I just can’t do it because I have to take into account what type of person they are. Oh! Do Broadway people count? Well they should, and in that case Aaron Tveit. I would say Jeremy Jordan who is my favorite Broadway actor, but he’s married so I have up home. Aaron is my second favorite. Oh and I met him. He’s gorgeous.

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

Are you kidding? This is way too hard. I think it’s different for everyone, and it’s their choice. For me I guess I haven’t really decided, but I just want to aim for being happy. In my opinion that means being successful in my career- that will make me happy. So everyone should just do what makes them happy.

36: Define Art.

There is no way I can define art- I especially cannot make it brief. Art envelopes so many things and it means something different to everyone. I think that’s the great thing about art- it can be something different to everyone.

37: Do you believe in luck?

I am not really sure about this one. I believe in bad luck, because I jinx myself all the time. So I guess that means I also have to believe in good luck?

38: What's the weather like right now?

It’s freaking cold because I live in central New York and our weather sucks all the time. Well not all the time but like 8 months of the year.

39: What time is it?

Um, it’s 1am. Oh geez it’s 1am. I can’t sleep in.

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

Yes I drive. No I have not crashed and knock on wood I don’t. That would be bad. I hope that doesn’t happen.

41: What was the last book you read?

This depends on if it is referring to a textbook or a book for fun. The last book I read for a class was Gideon’s Trumpet for my legal history class. It’s about the Supreme Court case that made the law that people who can’t afford attorneys will be appointed one. I love that case and that type of law. The last book I read for fun was Drinking My Way Through 14 Dating Websites. I’m not really sure what attracted me to it, but it was pretty insightful. Anyone who is considering online dating should read it just to get a feel for what the experience is like.

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

I am pretty indifferent to it.

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Some of my teammates call me sparkles because I wear a lot of glitter. One of my friends used to call me princess, but unfortunately we aren’t friends anymore.

44: What was the last film you saw?

I watch stuff on Netflix a lot so I don’t remember exactly what the last movie I watched was, but I recently watched a movie called Not Another Happy Ending. It’s about a writer who becomes very successful, but once her life is together, she can’t write because she only writes when she’s upset or stressed, so her editor tries to ruin her life so that she will write another book for him, but then he falls in love with her. I love romantic comedies.

45: What's the worst injury you've ever had?

I’m lucky to not have had too many injuries- knock on wood again. I have way too many knots in my back though, which is because I’m a swimmer, and the knots make my back hurt pretty much all hours of the day.

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

I don’t believe so, but when I was younger I remember catching fireflies in jars in my aunts backyard on a summer night. That’s a great memory.

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

I always have obsessions; literally all the time. Right now I would say I’m pretty obsessed with Derek Hough which happens every few months. He is my favorite professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars and my friend and I are trying to get tickets to see him in the Radio City show this spring.

48: What's your sexual orientation?

I’m straight, but I really don’t think that there should be any terms for sexual orientation. People should be able to like whoever they like and there shouldn’t be a need to label it because people just like people and that’s all there is to it. This shouldn’t be a question people feel the need to ask.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

I think this happens to everyone all the time, so yeah it has happened to me. It sucks but it happens and I have learned to build a thick skin when it comes to things like that.

50: Do you believe in magic?

…in a young girl’s heart!

You know that song right? You should.

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

I really wish I did, but I don’t. When someone wrong’s you, I think you should hold a grudge because it will show them that what they did was wrong. Unfortunately I forgive everybody- I am really bad at holding grudges. Yeah I’m still upset about whatever happened, but I have this need to be nice to everybody, so I can’t hold a grudge. I wish I wasn’t like this though, because it’s like I am telling them that what they did was okay.

52: What is your astrological sign?

I’m a Cancer, but I’m not really sure if that means anything.

53: Do you save money or spend it?

I do both. I spend money when I really want something, but I know how to save and how to say no to things.

54: What's the last thing you purchased?

I bought a black dress when I went shopping this weekend. Fashion tip- you can never have too many black dresses.

55: Love or lust?

Love. Duh.

56: In a relationship?

I’m not in a relationship right now. Ugh they are so tough and complicated to get into.

57: How many relationships have you had?

I hate when people ask this question. Does it matter? I don’t think people should be judged on their experience.

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

Haha no I cannot.

59: Where were you yesterday?

Yesterday I was at school.

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Yes of course there is. I don’t know that it’s my favorite color, but I love the black/pink/white color scheme and I love when things match, so when I got a comforter in that color scheme, I had to make everything in my room match it.

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

I am not, because they make my feet hot.

62: What's your favourite animal?

Parrots!

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

I don’t want to have to make someone like me. I want them to like me because of the person I am, not because I specifically went out of my way to do something that made them like me. I want them to like the everyday me.

64: Where is your best friend?

The problem with this is that best friends change all the time. It’s unfortunate. Probably the thing I’ve always wanted most in life is a best friend that lasts, and it’s the only thing I’ve never had because they are always betraying me and letting me down. My current best friend is probably sleeping in her room right now because it’s freaking 1:30am.

65: Give me your top 5 favorite blogs on Tumblr.

Are you kidding? I can’t. I really love political blogs though because they can be fun and funny and truthful and they make people think about things that are important.

66: What is your heritage?

I’m actually adopted, but I was raised by a Russian family, which is pretty cool.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

I was definitely sleeping. Sleep is really important to me, especially as an athlete, so I always try to get 8 hours. This is pretty ironic though since I have a sleeping problem.

68: What do you think is Satan's last name?

Um, Satan? Idk.

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

Whoa whoa whoa. Don’t go around asking people that. Like please don’t ever ask someone that because it could make them feel uncomfortable and that’s not nice. Also don’t tell me what to do.

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

Yes, I definitely think so. I am an incredibly loyal person and always trying to please people, so yeah I would want a friend like that. I might be a little needy or a little forceful or pushy, but we all have our flaws.

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Are you kidding me? I would in no circumstance choose work over a dog in danger! Also as a lifeguard it would be my duty. Also I would for sure sue my boss or bring the incident to someone higher up than him because I should not get fired for saving a dog. Also I am super obsessed with being on time so I would never be at risk of being fired for being late- unless I was saving dogs every day.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

A)     I would probably write letters to people to read after the fact, because I imagine it would suck to know that everyone knows about it. B) I have no freaking idea! I would probably use all the money I have to buy plane tickets to go to places that I’ve always wanted to go. Or I would by tickets to a bunch of Broadway shows and then wait outside to meet my favorite actors and take pictures with them. C) Hell yeah!

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

This is not fair. Aren’t they mutual? Either would be ruined knowing the other couldn’t exist.

74: What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

Probably Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield; it’s a fun and uplifting song, and she has a great vocal range in it. Also there’s a choir that sings along at the end which makes the last chorus really cool to listen to.

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

Haha no.

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

I would say commitment, because if neither person is really dedicated to the relationship, then there’s no point in being in one. If your heart’s not in it, then it’s not genuine.

77: How can I win your heart?

Be a good person.

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

I think it can, but it can also bring crime and stuff like that, so I wouldn’t encourage striving for insanity.

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

I don’t know when it happened, but at some point I finally gained the ability to stop fighting for friendships that weren’t worth it. I’ve had a lot of toxic friendships and a lot of people who take me for granted and treat me like crap, and only recently was I able to stop trying to keep up with friendships that were hurting me. I’m really glad I was finally able to do that and make those decisions.

80: What size shoes do you wear?

I wear a ten which sucks because there’s never any shoes in that size.

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

That is not a decision I feel prepared to make now.

82: What is your favorite word?

This is the stupidest question. There are a lot of words.

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

Broken. Is that bad? It’s probably just because it’s so common.

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

I always say patience is a virtue, because I really hate impatient people. It’s kind of ironic though because I tend to be pretty impatient. I’m working on it though.

85: What's the last song you listened to?

I think it was Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor. She’s great.

86: Basic question; what's your favorite color?

This is tough because it depends on the context: favorite color clothing, favorite color in the sunset, favorite color crayon. Usually my go-to answer is purple.

87: What is your current desktop picture?

Right now it is an image of a painting that I found un tumblr. It is a couple walking down a lit street at night with trees lining the walk. It is mostly shapes though with not a lot of small details, and the trees are really colorful like dark blue and orange and red.

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

This is so tough. Right now, it would probably be my old best friend. I gave so much to her and really devoted my life to being her friend. It became such a norm for me and I relied on her and then she just dumped me without explanation and acted like I never existed. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. It was a lot like a breakup and for a long time I couldn’t leave my room because my life had been flipped upside down and I didn’t know how to make up for this big hole in my life. It’s still tough now because so many things remind me of her, and it really sucks because I wish I could prove that I don’t need her, because I’m so upset that she would do that to me after I gave everything I had to our friendship.

89: What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

I would probably be afraid to tell the truth about my previous answer. It was really tough for me, and I’m the kind of person who tries to be strong for everybody. So it’s tough for me to admit weakness.

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do?

I would most definitely have a heart attack or a stroke or something that resulted in me passing out.

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

I have seriously always wanted to fly. How cool would that be? I could get places faster and have the bird’s eye view and it would probably be really peaceful.

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

I would seriously love to relive the point when I put a little dent in my parent’s car. It is really small and hardly noticeable but I have such a guilty conscience that I just feel so bad about it.

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

This is tough, but like I said, I would really love to forget the ending of that friendship.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Zac Efron; no doubt about it.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Well Monaco was definitely the prettiest place I’ve ever been, but this past winter I went to London and had such an amazing time there and I felt so much happier than I did at school, so I would probably go there.

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

No? I don’t think so.

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

No! I have been in a car with someone who threw up though, but that was because she gets car sick, not because she was drinking.

98: Ever been on a plane?

Yes! I’ve traveled a lot. I’ve been to a lot of places in the US, also Canada, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and various places in Europe.

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

This depends on how brief I have to be. I would say to politicians, it’s time we have equal rights- rights that don’t regard race, gender, or sexual orientation. Every citizen gets the same rights. To girls my age, I would say stop finding ways to put yourself down- you are beautiful and talented and have no reason to believe otherwise. To everyone, I would say stop judging people and ideas. Don’t make judgements about things before you know more about them. It would make our society such a better place. (I realize this is geared more towards the US than the world, but you gotta start small.