What's Your Story?

[Liz Bajjalieh(spock lover)]

So I haven't done this in a while, so I'm going to do it again and see what happens!

So I completely and utterly love people. Like, we suck sometimes, but people just rock. That's why I love to hear their stories, where they came from, what made them who they are, whatever!

So that's why I ask again: what's your story? Tell me whatever you want, interpret the question in whichever way you feel is appropriate. I can't wait to hear your responses! (feel free to message me if you're not comfortable mentioning something publicly.)

-Liz Bajjalieh

[Matthew John Palka]

No problem. I'm grateful that I got a response. 

Thank you! 

[Mikayla PhoenixTears]

So I know this post is a bit old... but I'll reply anyways. So I am honestly really new to Nerfighters. So new that this is the first post I've read and commented on! I signed up about a week ago I think. Being a member of the Harry Potter community, I've heard SO much about this! I started watching the vlog brothers' videos on youtube a few weeks ago and am addicted! There's so many though... I've got a lot of catching up to do! :p But I thought I would join because it's an awesome place to meet new people that have the same interests as you! Anyways, I don't really know how to reply to the question. Or how to begin rather. I guess I'll start by saying I've been into Harry Potter since I was 6 years old. My mom read them to me for the first few years. I saw the first movie when it came into theatres when I was 7. I've grown up with the series and I can't think of a life without it. It's like a home away from home. I've always been a shy kid. But my real shyness hit (for some reason) when I started grade 9. I don't know why it got so much worse. I think it was because it was a new school (and really big!), and even though all my friends went to that school, I still felt awkward. In the group I hung out with I would only talk to 2 people in that group. The 2 that were my friends. I felt really uncomfortable in that group. And I knew most kids in it for most of my life. We didn't really have the same interests... at all... some of the kids would even mock me! So I wasn't very interactive with the group and kind of just observed. That made one of my closest friends mad and she stopped being friends with me because, her reason, I was to shy. Anyways, I stopped hanging out with them and I basically only had 3 friends left at that school. But by the end of grade 11, things changed for the better. My best friend, whose a year older, had her group of friends. I knew them all very well but didn't hang out with them. They were a year older and I only really felt close to my  best friend. But I started hanging out with couple of my friends (who I knew in elementary school but only became friends with in high school) and their group. I am now in first year University and I am really close to this group! We all have the same interests, we all have parties together, we are all nerds. I felt like I belong! Unlike with the other group, I think they could have cared less whether I was there or not. Anyways, I was extremely shy in grade 9. I am still shy now and still feel uncomfortable approaching people, but the steps I have made from grade 9 are unthinkable! I am WAY less shy and I am proud of myself for it! I still have to get over my "fear" of approaching my peers who I may not be that familiar with. I always think that's awkward. But hopefully one day I will! So now in first year University, I wasn't as nervous starting it as my first day of high school (for some reason). There are still times I feel lonely here. I have met quite a few people and say hi to a few in the hall. I've made a couple of friends but that's it. Sometimes I think maybe I would make more friends if I chose another school? Anyways, the 2 friends that I made have made other friends. I know a lot of their friends that they made but I don't feel totally comfortable with them yet. So still don't really just walk up to their rooms where they hang out and approach them. I hope to make friends here though. My other friends have all made a lot of new friends and I'm just having such a hard time. But the work load is keeping me so busy! It's insane! I have so much to do next week I'm at that phase where I just don't feel like doing it because I don't think i'll get it all done! So anyways, I LOVE music! It's kind of my escape. I play the piano and guitar (and clarinet in high school / elementary school). I consider piano my main instrument though. I basically play (on piano and guitar) covers of popular songs. Anything that I listen to and like... which is mainly music I hear on the radio that a lot of people know (I love 1D) and Starkid stuff. I don't think I can live without music. I've done shows, recitals and competitions. I love it. I love writing to! I am actually currently planning a novel. I want to become a better writer before I begin to write it though (oh and don't let this be any indication of my writing. I'm writing quickly and informally. I'm hungry and want to get to the cafe to eat!). I also LOVE travelling. I've been to quite a few places but would love to visit Europe one day. And, also, I strongly believe in the whole "You Only Live Once" thing. I really do think that we should leave our lives to the fullest. I have a bucket list and always work on completing items because you really do only live once. I want to do as much as I can in the world, and experience as much as possible, in the relatively short time we have. Through my many past experiences, I have learned so much! I've had negative experiences (such as the whole grade 9 break up with  my friends) that I've learned from and positive experiences that have inspired me beyond means and has made me who I am. I've had pretty cool experiences that have also been inspiring and has given me a view of different aspects of the world. If the world ended today, I could look back on my life and be pretty content with it. I have an amazing family and wonderful friends and I have been through many incredible (some surreal) experiences. But if I stopped here and just lived the rest of my life with nothing to aspire to, then when I'm like 80 I will look back and my life will seem... empty. So I am always looking for new experiences and adventures in my life. YOLO! (I don't necessarily like the acronyms for that for some reason but it's true!). Anyways, I think I am just writing so much and rambling on because I don't feel like dealing with the abundance of homework. Ah it's to much! So anyways, just wanted to say hi. This seems like a really awesome community! Now I must conquer this homework... it is like pulling teeth. 

PS. Sorry i didn't put this into paragraphs or a very organizational way. 

[Liz Bajjalieh(spock lover)]

So sorry for the delayed reply! I have no real excuse, I was just busy.

Ah, thank you so much for the story! I'm glad you're finding people who matter. I've had that struggle myself in high school. Finding the right people can be so, well, awesome. I completely agree with the "YOLO" mentality. If you keep thinking with a mind to live, I know you'll lead a wonderful life :) thank you so much for sharing, and good luck in University!

[Emma Brady]

My story begins five years ago where I met a girl on the first induction day, I was quiet, shy, very dark-minded, and really, alone... over the years were leant each-other inside out and somewhere along the line realized that we needed each-other, neither of us wanted the other to be with anyone else, so we were then together, we loved each-other, and no matter what we argued about it was us, people got in the way, mental wars were fought, but it was perfect, then her parents find out and now we cannot talk, I see her every day, but she will lose her family if they find out she said a word to me, and the strong, happy person she made me has changed, and I'm starting to think that my story is returning to the beginning, like some kind of twisted circle. Despite all that I still try to be happy for the people who I can barely count as friends- they didn't know about it, still don't- I see reasons to be happy, but it's difficult... My story is a cruel one, but one which has taught me so much in the most painful ways, but it has made me a better person.

I find it hard to get to know people, and I tend to destroy my own friendships, there are very few people who can put up with me when I get in a bad way, but I know there are people who will, and that makes me happy, but my insecurities make it difficult to put myself out there... so I guess this is a small step... and for that I'm glad.

I tend to live in a world of writing, which helps me get by, it's unique, but it helps on the worst days, not too sure if anyone else does that... Either way, my story is my own, with its own twists and turns, and a plot I would have never considered with so much more I still don't know of.

[Liz Bajjalieh(spock lover)]

I am so sorry for my delayed reply. I have no real excuse, I was just busy.

Thank you for your story. Being gay/lesbian is hard at this time. but I know you've probably heard it a thousand times before, but it is getting better. The world is opening up to the idea. I hope things work out with your girl. If not, there are plenty of wonderful people out there. Heartbreak is hard, so hard, I know. But I hope it works out. Things will get better. It's all about finding the right community. I myself am bisexual, and I can tell you, I've found love and understanding. And you will too. Best of luck on your journey to self discovery.

[Robin]

Alrighty. Aaah....well, I had a good childhood. Got to do some travel, even. Lived for a year in Switzerland. Despite that, I don't speak French, Italian, or German. Grew up, went off to college. Studied anthropology. Went on a dig in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile where we dug up occasional pot sherds and lots of 600 year old llama dung. Eventually graduated college and went on to grad school, getting my masters in Museum Studies.

Then...well...it kind of went down hill a lot. I injured both my hands. There was a time when I couldn't drive, couldn't hold a pencil, and had to use speech commands to use a computer. Technically it was tendinitis, but whenever I say that people don't really understand how bad it was. Particularly since I'm an artist on the side. I had a relapse or two on top of that, and the economy crashed in the meantime. I gradually strove towards healing. I can now use my hands MUCH more, but I still have to take breaks. But hey, enough to do graphic and web design!

Currently I'm back in school. An economy like this doesn't have a lot of museum jobs. My goal is to go into user interface design, so I'm taking graduate courses in human computer interaction. On the side I have an online art business where I make masks (http://robinred.etsy.com). I also run a webcomic (http://rlfcomic.com). It's the third or fourth I've done. Started back in college with one called Mixed Myth.

Recently things have taken a turn for the worse again, unfortunately. I am not going to go into details, but it's one of those things where everything you know is suddenly upside down, in a very bad way. But I'm still keeping up with classes, and I hope to graduate this summer.

[Liz Bajjalieh(spock lover)]

I am so sorry for my delayed reply. I have no real excuse, I was just busy.

Thank you so much for your story. I checked out your masks: they look beautiful! The web comics look wonderful as well, though I wasn't able to go as much into depth with those to be honest.(I'll continue looking through, though!) I hope things improve for you. But you sound like a strong, hard working human being, so I'm sure you will do wonderfully. Best of luck on your life journey. Being an artist is a wonderful, WONDERFUL thing to be.

[Mark wants lotsa friends]

SPOILER ALERT: Be prepared to get bummed out.

Once upon a time, I had lots of friends and family and straight A's and a job. Then all that disappeared. Then I lived in my car for 4 months. Then my parents let me live with them ... for free! yay! And now it's super awkward and everyone else in my family hates me! And I have to live with them! Then I'm 23. I'm watching youtube again. It helps distract me. I remember the vlogbrothers. Then I'm here typing this.

I try to stay positive. No matter how bad it gets, there is always someone else who has it worse. For instance, 2pac has it pretty bad right now -- 2pac is dead. At least I can walk around and do stuff alive people can do. So I'm thankful for that. I'm interested in the chemistry behind drugs. I'm planning to go back to school to get my PharmD. I've heard horror stories of working in pharmacy -- saturated job market, disrespect from Doctors, cruel and immoral business tactics, fiends lurking in the parking lots -- but hey, almost anything is better than doing nothing all day. And plus, it'll all be worth it if I can make even the smallest impact on a person's life. Little things like that make me feel less rotten and more like a human being. The End!

Thank you for reading! Great Topic, Liz! DFTBA! :)

[Liz Bajjalieh(spock lover)]

Don't worry, I wasn't bummed out. I can tell you're a very optimistic person, I admire that greatly! Best of luck to you in getting a job in the pharmacy world, that sounds like a wonderful job. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

[Elena Charis [is dead]]

So I grew up well, with both of my parents, a sister, and three brothers. my parents didn't mean to have so many children... only 4 were purposeful. I was always a docile child, never wanted anything much more than what was given me. We were never loaded, nut we also never had much financial difficulties. I was the most socially awkward person I know, and while sometimes being a wallflower was enjoyable, mostly I hated it. Particularly when it came to boys. I had a fair share of failed crushes.

I like to think my story started in Summer of 2011, the year I went to Spain. After I came back home, I knew immediately that I was going back. And I did. Twice the next Summer actually. During the next semester I thought up ideas about traveling, to Barcelona and beyond. After New Year, I started hatching this crazy plan to bike from Texas, where I live, to the bottom of South America and back. Everyone I told said it was crazy (although that much I knew), but they also said that I should do it. I obviously could not do it right then, due to school and money and whatnot. I began plotting a route, working out, researching. I learned about Ian Hibell, who is now my hero. I started biking everywhere. I started praying to God that I would make it through highschool. I wanted to break free of the monotony that engulfs most of us.

Luckily, I survived, and became a film student, where I met my destined travel buddy. After we graduated (and after a kickstarter) we were all set. It felt like forever to get out of Texas, but even longer to go through Mexico. We slept with family friends or kind strangers, and camped out if we had to. We stocked up on food whenever possible, and ate like kings (if poor kings) every night. We overall enjoyed ourselves and were sad when it was over. We were thrown a welcome home party and felt every bit as badass as we had hoped as we rode our bikes in. That was almost the end, but that thought was put to an end after we had gotten well rested.

After that first trip, we went just about everywhere. We biked in all 50 states but did not stop with the USA. We roamed Europe. We explored Africa. We Roughed Asia. It was everything we had hoped for our lives and more. But I started slowing down after a while. I had lived my life to the fullest. I settled down in Barcelona and lived out the long wanted dream of being the old lady down the street who always had cookies or something, along with a story to tell. I always wore long skirts and tons of rings, which I had collected in my years of traveling.

I'm 85 now and have just finished writing an autobiography called "Around the World in 80 Years." Cheesy, I know.

Wait... I drifted off to my fantasies again, you should be good until... paragraph 3.