I'm Anjeli. My name, the beginning by which you know me, is a hybrid of the names Ann, Jessica, and Elizabeth (thank you, Mom.) I repeat it a lot, and often go by Anjie. Either works; call me what you will.....within reason.
Regarding me. I cannot be alone in finding it extraordinarily difficult to condense the experiences, relationships, circumstances, lessons, challenges, passions, losses and gains which have shaped me, into a blog post. I'll take my best shot at abbreviation, but if you ever want to know more, chase me down and I'll buy you coffee. I love coffee. And conversations. (But especially together.)
Okay, in we go.
I am second, out of six children. This is my family:
We're all mostly the same height, save that little dude in the middle. He's eight years old, almost died as a toddler, and one of my favourite friends.
I was raised on a small family farm, in the Flathead Valley of Montana. My father was an arborist, my mother a teacher, and together they home-schooled us crazy bunch.
I had a black Labrador ages two through fourteen, when she died while I was away volunteering at a summer camp. Three years later, I got this ecstatic spaz-attack of a pup:
Her name is Charlotte, but she goes by Charlie. She thinks she's a backseat driver. I'm kinda in love with her.
I'm an English-Writing major, I work for the University Newspaper, and I think I'll add a Sociology or Physiology minor. People, society, trends, emotions, behaviour, it all fascinates me. I've been writing since I was a young child. It's a way to counteract and release the swirl of chaotic thoughts, ideas, and tangents which continually occupy my mind. Writing consoles me through trauma, strengthens me through depression, sparks me through mind-blanks, and allows me to express and organize myself like none other. Writing turns my ADHD into short stories, poems, and essays with purpose and meaning. Here's the link to my personal blog, if you ever want a peek into this spastic mind: <www.acaseforcourage.blogspot.com>
Also, I space at 1.5 when I write. It's the perfect amount of distance between lines to think, without deceiving myself that I've written more than I actually have. That's not actually important, but you get to know anyway. Also, I own more shoes than I should.
I'm a musician. I've played the piano since a child, the guitar through my teens, sing incessantly, and just picked up the cello. It takes courage to learn a new instrument, even as a musician. But it's so, so good.
Oh hey! There's me again.
Lastly, I need to mention my friend Aaron. He and I were students in Professor Down's WRIT 205 class last year. Aaron was an incredibly talented, deep, cut-to-the-core, eloquent, fantastic writer. I have emulated his style ever since I had the privilege to read and respond to it. Then one day, during spring break, I received this email that said he had been in an accident during a senior trip in London. The world was touched for a very brief time by a very bright light, and is dimmer because of his absence.
We all miss you, Aaron. You wrote with guts, and always encouraged me to do the same. This one's for you.
