Talk to Me // An Interview with Janelle

^ I love friends who are willing to get in front of the camera for me. Also. This face. D'aww. ^

On my 23 List last August, I mentioned wanting to start up an interview series on the bloglet and it's taken me... ten months to fulfill that item.

From the start, I knew exactly who I wanted to be the inaugural person for this interview/guest thing--the one and only Janelly! She's been mentioned on the bloglet quite a few times, usually as my co-conspirator and fellow adventurer, but did you know she's an awesome writer as well? After reading her answers to my questions and fangirling like mad {I told you she was AWESOME}, I now think she should just sit down and write a book already. Fiction or nonfiction, I'd read it.

Things you may not know about this girl: she has one of the best collections of nerdy/adorable shirts I've ever seen {if you need tips on where to find them, ask her in the comments!}, she will almost always go for the green tea item on the dessert menu {or the mango if there's no green tea}, her fat cat Leo is my favorite {even if I'm not his}, and she has the best facial expressions. And she puts up with my nonstop chattering anytime we're together, which I am so thankful for... heh.

If you'd like more Janelly {because who wouldn't? I mean}, you can find her on Instagram. Thanks so much, dear, for being the brave first soul to try this out! <3

^ If looks could kill, Janelle and I might BOTH be dead. Leo is not amused. O.o ^

What did you want to be when you grew up and what do you do now?

- Unless you’re giving me choices like those Buzzfeed quizzes, you’re starting me off with a difficult question! *laughs* I wanted to be so many different things when I grew up; it always seemed to be changing. For the longest time though, I remember wanting to be a writer. My elementary teachers complained that I daydreamed too much, so I think my parents decided to do something with that imagination of mine and forced me to take a creative writing class one summer. I’ve been having a love affair with writing ever since. Back to the present however, I am currently in between jobs, and am thinking about going back to school to try to get a Masters in child education.

Do you have any tips for people who might want to go into your field?

- First off, for your readers, I graduated with a bachelors in Speech Pathology. This does not mean you are certified to be a speech pathologist assistant however. So for those interested, I recommend going to a junior college and attaining an AA degree first and getting certified as an assistant because you’re going to have difficulty finding a job other than as a behavior interventionist or instructional aide. It’ll serve as an alternative if you’re not able to get into a graduate program on your first try.

- Some other tips for undergraduates: Get to know your professors on a more personal level and ask if there are research opportunities you can assist with. And do as much volunteer works if possible; aside from seeing how high your GPA is, they look at how much experience you have working with people. For those unsure about which population they want to work with, contact speech pathologists and ask if it’s possible to shadow them.

What was the best decision you made during college?

- *chuckles* I must be “the glass is half empty” kind of person because I’m thinking of all the bad decisions I've made during college. I think my best decision was signing up to work at the supply room in the Speech Clinic on campus. I was paired up with a girl who turned out to be in almost all my speech related classes except one in our first semester as juniors. We became close friends and study buddies up until our graduation! If it weren’t for her, I think I’d have dropped out of Speech or had many more mental breakdowns than I actually did.

If you could give your collegiate self some advice based on things you know now, what would you tell yourself?

- I would tell my collegiate self that you have to force yourself to be sociable and more talkative, especially in the mornings when you rather be sleeping. Volunteer as much as you can, go find a part-time job on campus, and REMEMBER while getting good grades is important, it’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know!

^ via Janelle's Instagram ^

What's one place you'd like to travel to someday?

- Japan. I’ll be broke before I’m even halfway through my trip, but I won’t regret it! I’ve always admired Japan’s respect for harmony with nature and the architecture of their temples and gardens. You don’t get that in America. And while most people are interested in visiting Tokyo or Osaka, I’m more interested in visiting locations such as Kyoto or Sapporo. Not to say I wouldn’t want to go to Tokyo or Osaka, I’d really like to go visit Disney Sea, which is Japan’s version of California Adventure, but looks much more amazing.  

What's one place/event you'd recommend others check out?

- Are we talking local or like a vacation out of state? I’m not really big on festivals and events if I have to pay for them, so I guess location wise I’d have to pick Half Moon Bay. I recently discovered I have a fondness for Nor Cal beaches. The cold briny sea air, the morning fog that may never go away for the day…there’s so much I enjoy about the beaches and landmarks in Half Moon Bay area. A couple months ago, I took a day trip with a friend’s sister to scout out a location for the bridal party and WOW. It was beautiful. The sun was out, it was a nice 70 degrees for once and the ocean was this deep dark sapphire blue. We visited Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel, which is hidden along the main road, but has a gorgeous view and beach that can only be accessed from a path near the hostel. Afterwards we checked out the tide pools at Moss Beach since it was low tide. We got excited over all the little creatures inhabiting the tide pools like hermit crabs and tiny fishes!  I may have left my heart in Half Moon Bay. *laughs* There’s so much of Half Moon Bay I have yet to see, but yes! Do check out the area and for people looking to go on a nice day, I recommend the summer. Also always bring a jacket, it tends to be colder than San Francisco!

How has an unexpected failure turned out to be a good thing?

- After I was accepted to Sacramento State, I forgot to apply for housing and by the time I realized it the dorms were already full and I was placed on the waiting list. I called the housing and they recommended checking their off campus housing which was a couple of blocks away. The off campus housing were loft apartments complete with a private kitchen, bathroom, and individual washer and dryers; and at the time they were surprisingly much cheaper than the dorms. My parents and I signed the lease once we finished the tour. (:

What's one thing you wish you knew how to do OR want to learn?

- I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone, but I’d like to learn ballroom dancing. Simple right? Wrong! I don’t have feet coordination and I can’t keep a beat! I was the worst at DDR as a kid when I played with my cousins and when one of our friends decided to teach me the waltz, I’m pretty sure she was ready to scream her head off because I couldn’t get the basic steps down. She was nice enough to laugh exasperatedly instead. So learning ballroom dancing would be a challenge for me (and a great way to get some exercise), but I really would like to have feet coordination for once!

What's the latest thing you geeked out about?

- Oh…*mulls over it for awhile* I think it’s Beauty and the Beast. I read a retelling of the story titled Beauty by Robin McKinley recently, then went on to watch La Belle et La Bete. I wasn’t aware there were two versions of the movie, a 1946 and a 2014 version. Both versions are amazing in their own rights though. The 1946 version is quite like watching the original fairy tale unfold before your eyes and isn’t romanticized like modern retellings have been. I personally enjoyed the 2014 version more because there was a backstory explaining how the Beast was transformed and the graphics were stunning. I have to be honest though, my favorite remains Disney’s animated version.

^ BABEH JANELLEH. :D ^

Lightning Round:

Favorite book right now?

- I read this trilogy recently by A.G Howard titled the Splintered Trilogy. It’s a dark twist on Alice in Wonderland. I was surprised how ensnared I became with the world she created. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read.

Favorite thing to make in the kitchen?

- Recently it’s baked parmesan zucchini. Healthy and tasty!

Favorite foodie spot?

- Café Rumi’s and Tofu House

Where do you want to live in five years?

- I’d like to live in Washington.

What's your spirit animal and why?

- I’d have to say a fox. In folklore they’re labeled as being sly and mischievous beings, which friends occasionally say I can be. Plus I like foxes. (: