Thing #8

8. What are 5 passions you have?

And I'm totally passionate about Buzzfeed & all the stuff they post.

1. Rowing. Most people do't think I'm sporty at all. But I've actually been playing a variety of sports since I was 3, until the bitchiness of teams comprising of teenage girls got to me. Enter rowing. Every year I curse it, but I couldn't not come back. I'm currently in bed with a burn in a delicate area (problem of the wrong underwear for a 3 hour row) & serious back pains, but I still can't wait for training. I cox, row, am a selector & PRO... I totally have no life.
2. Make-up! This is an obvious one, I obviously have a passion for make up. While I don't have a problem not wearing it, I love how it can transform someone & I get so excited playing with it. I fee more 'me' with my hair down, flicked eyeliner & bright lipstick.
3. I'm not sure what to call this, but I'm passionate about mental health. Two family members have committed suicide & I know several friends who have struggled with their mental health, and so have I. I want everyone to know that it's good to talk, & that your mental health is just as important as physical.
4. Music. I can't say I'm absolutely obsessed with it, but I do play guitar & sing. More than that though, I just love having my iPod with me to listen to on journeys, when I'm walking, in bed. Sometimes it's just easier to identify with song lyrics than with people. I'm not a music snob though, I realised the last time I was on the train that my camera's SD card had cheesy pop on it & quickly inserted my headphones to my phone.
5. Having fun. It may sound weird, but I'd rather look back on my life & appreciate the times I went to the beach instead of the library, or dyed my hair & went out, and played on the trampoline with my sisters, etc. Okay, work & college are important, but so is having free time!

Thing #7

7. What is your dream job, and why?

I'm not lying when I say I've considered ALL of these paths.

Honestly? I couldn't tell you. I used to have an image of me working as an amazing solicitor. Then I started studying law, & my mind couldn't have changed quicker. In the last five years or so, I've considered a ridiculous amount of careers - and when I say considered, I mean researched, inquired into them, checked out suitable education/paths.. I spent a lot of time looking into being a solicitor, working in PR, being a psychologist, a teacher, a beautician.. I even considered leaving college & just working in my current job full-time.

And now? There are two things sticking out in my mind. Number one is... I want to be a Garda. Yep, a job that faces a lot of hassle, is constantly in media for pay-cuts & bad treatment, and something that is very difficult to get into. But while I may never get rich doing it, I think I'd be good at it. I like working with people, and the thought of actually benefitting the public excites me. Specifically, I would like to work with young people/ victims of abuse. The one thing that could stop me is the vetting process - My eyesight is awful, & I've never been able to convert their requirements to my vision specs. Laser surgery might help, but this is a major obstacle.

ANd option number two isn't much different. Just like when I was 16, I still want to be a solicitor. A family solicitor, basically dealing in divorces, custody, etc - While working out what is best for the family or child in the case. So again, child focused. The obstacle to this is basically financial - The cost of becoming a solicitor is high, takes quite a while, and sadly it often relies on connections.

But hey, let's be honest - By fourth year, I might have decided to join the circus. Despite only being able to cartwheel when on a trampoline, I firmly believe that if you want something, you can work hard enough to get it

What's your dream job?/ Did you end up in the career you thought?

Chloe x

Thing #6

6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

I've been dreading this.

I look like a boy. The 'cute baby' phase ended quickly for me.

The hardest thing I have ever faced is my nanny passing away. She is my mum's mum, and I lived with her for a year, then lived behind her house until I was six - When we moved a whole four minutes walk away. My nanny was basically a second mum to me and she is the person I love the most in the entire world. Which is why finding out that she had terminal cancer was so horrible. Seeing someone you love in so much pain is never easy, & I remember everything vividly.

My mum & aunt had stayed the night before, & my mum came home at 7:55 so I could get the bus at 8:05. But at 8:02 her phone rang & she ran out the door. I just knew. When she came home soon after, I locked myself in the bathroom. No-one actually said the words to me, I didn't want to hear. I remember texting my cousins - We all met at the bus stop & walked to school together, & they had already left, so I told them that I'd missed my bus. My mum sent my sisters to school, & I sat at home until I felt ready to go see her.

I hate the thought of that. I sat in my nanny's room, beside her bed, sobbing. And I remember looking at a candle on the bedside table & seeing it flicker vividly. Then I had to hold my mum in my arms when the funeral directors arrived, and again at the wake, and the funeral. I was the oldest, so it was down to me.

There are lots of things that I'd love to say but I don't really want to write any more. I have never spoken about this to any of my friends because it equals instant tears. I just feel incredibly lucky to have been loved by someone so special, and I hope my nanny is safe & happy.

Chloe x