Who I Am Matters!

I have lived in Seattle, Washington for at least the past 10 years, so for most of my upbringing. But, my early childhood years were spent traveling with my parents and sisters across Europe for their jobs. My mom’s mother (my grandmother) is Czech, her dad (my grandfather) is of French-creole descent, and my dad’s side is Norwegian. While I didn’t grow up immediately immersed in any of these cultures, I do feel deeply connected to my family history and value having many different influences in my life. I do not attach the concept of my home to specific houses, because we have not lived in the same one for more than 6 years at a time. Rather, I feel bonded to the memories and relationships that my family have formed in each place that we have lived. In a sense, they all represent different snapshots of what my life was like during that time. I feel that the time I have spent traveling and experiencing frequent change, especially in my earlier years, has contributed the most to who I am today. 

I am passionate about so many different things, so I have struggled with identifying paths that allow me to experiment with and combine all my interests. In the future, I imagine myself moving from each passion project to the next and being able to focus wholeheartedly on work that is meaningful to me. My projects might not necessarily all have to do with one another, but they are linked by my personal values, interests, and brand. My aim is to develop (and hopefully master) technical skills and expertise across many different industries, so that I can have unlimited agency over my creative and professional goals.

I am like my parents in that I have a great appreciation for nature, art, travel, adventure and learning. My parents can be quite strict, though, so I feel that I have different values in terms of discipline. I am more free-spirited than both of my parents. I have always been fearful of getting in trouble, though. Even when I was younger, it felt like the worst thing in the world to be in trouble with my parents. I have always felt a bit of a sense of inferiority or needing approval from my parents. I am grateful for their support and the pressure they put on me to reach my full potential, but this has also instilled in me a sense of fear of making mistakes and not being good enough. As a result I have very high expectations of myself to perform well constantly. My grandparents, parents and sisters are great role models to me. I have a tight knit family, so I feel that I have many different people in my life that I look up to.

At the moment, I feel a deep connection to cranes. I am drawn to their beauty, grace, and stillness. They are known for their ability to travel over long distances, demonstrating longevity and persistence. They symbolize youth, happiness, and fortune. As a child, I was almost always surrounded by mountains, trees, and wildlife. One of the most emotional and meaningful memories I have with nature is the smoky vanilla scent of Ponderosa Pine trees in Bend, Oregon. My family would spend summers there when I was really young, and we have been going back almost every winter for weekend ski trips. Each time we finally pull into town after the hours long car ride, I am instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia from the distinct combination of crisp air and the smell of the Ponderosas.