I Just Came to Say Hello!

I am a firm believer that introducing yourself is one of the most painful and awkward experiences on this planet. Especially when it follows the statement, as it so often does here at university, “tell us your name, your program, and something that you like!” I usually fall back on my go-to answer;

“Hi. My name is Rachael, and I’m studying Political Science. I like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.” 

It usually entices a laugh from the group and allows the introductions to move along without me having to choose an aspect of my life that I believe the people around me will genuinely find interesting.

But why is that? Why is it easier for me to brush off the question with a joking answer than to actually divulge something I like, something that may potentially even make me a friend or two? Maybe it’s because I feel like joking and laughing is something I like, as well as something I value as an important characteristic. Maybe it’s because with 10 sets of eyes staring at you saying something along the lines of “I like movies”, albeit true, just seems too generic and uninteresting. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I’m still at a point in my life where I don’t feel like I can define myself in just one sentence. Instead, I’m at a point in my life where I can’t define myself at all.

Hi. My name is Rachael, and I’m going to be one of the Life @ U of T bloggers for this year. While I do actually like Pina Coladas, I have to question what sane person (or at least sane female who knows the struggles of straightening her hair on a daily basis) actually likes getting caught in the rain. I’m studying Political Science here at U of T, as well as History and Philosophy.

I’m going to be writing on this blog over the next year as I try to figure out my introduction. Figure out what I like, what I don’t like, and maybe even find a couple things that I love along the way. So come along on this journey with me, and maybe we’ll find ourselves together.

But first off, we’re going to need to get acquainted. So tell me, “What’s your name, what are you studying, and what’s one interesting thing about yourself?”…