It’s that age-old question everyone dreads when meeting new people – whether it’s introducing yourself to a room of strangers at a new workplace or a class of fresh students, we all hate it: "Tell us more about yourself." If you were an animal, what would you be and why? What colour represents you best? Yes, I hate this too. On my first day at university, I was in a lecture surrounded by nervous teenagers, and my answer was the worst. “Hi, my name is Cat (my first time trying out my new nickname), and I would be a cat because I like to nap in the sun…” Oh, the silence that followed. Thankfully, I had the nicest lecturer who broke the awkward moment. Not that I remembered what she said, but I do remember the conversation quickly moving on. Could I be any more predictable? A girl named Cat who relates to a cat… wow, original.
Though, I did live up to my name’s sake. I found any opportunity to take a quick snooze. It didn’t really surprise my friends when they walked into my room and found me fast asleep. Morning wake-up calls from one of my friends became the norm. She wouldn’t let me sleep in at all – off to breakfast and then lectures. Thank God for her. That was the only problem with living on campus during my first year. I could always sneak in a nap between seminars and lectures – it was great. Honestly, I don’t know how I perfected the power nap, but if I tried it now, there’s absolutely no way I’d wake up looking fresh-faced and perky. More like a monster you’d pull out of a bush.
Anyway, here’s a little more about me. My name is Catherine, or Cat (not Cathy or Cath – I’m not old, nor do I hold up queues by chatting). I’m an Aries, if you believe in that kind of thing. I’m [blank] years old (let’s leave that one for now). I’m a huge F1 fan, McLaren to be more precise. I like racing in general and love attending races, including the British Touring Cars, even in the pouring rain (although, not always by choice). I’m a guinea pig mom to three adorable piggies. They’re my world, and as a single millennial with no partner, they pretty much are my children. I had to sign adoption papers from the rescue centre I got them from, so it counts. If Stuart Little can be adopted by humans and considered family, so can my little ones.
I’m a creative with a slight (well, maybe more than a slight) hint of sarcasm. I love writing and tend to be a little unconventional – or “out there,” if you ask my brother. I’m not known for normal, conventional thoughts. Quite often, the easiest way to describe me is just to say, “That’s just Catherine.” At least, that’s what my family says. They’ve gotten used to my bizarre and out-there ideas. I’m a huge crafter. I love knitting, cross-stitching, and creating. If you give me a box of wool and some knitting needles, I’ll be happy for days. Watch out, granny, nothing will stop me from knitting. No grannies have been harmed in the making of my knitted bags.
I also enjoy exercise… well, I’m hoping to soon. As a kid, I was very sporty and enjoyed dancing, gymnastics, football, badminton, netball, and trampolining. As I’ve gotten older and stiffer, the motivation has decreased. I’ve recently gotten back into weight training, something I loved over COVID. I’m just waiting for the moment when I enjoy it again. No pain, no gain – and I’m sure, as the weather gets better and I get more opportunities to work out outside, I’ll really get into it again.
The evening is my favourite time of the day. I’ve always been a night owl. Unlike a lot of my friends, I actually worked better in the evening. You know, when I wasn’t out drinking copious amounts of alcohol (how we did that as uni students, I’ll never understand). It wasn’t unusual to find me overnight in the library working on an essay. I actually found it quite soothing. It was relaxing to see other students just like me walking around in a zombie-like daze, shuffling from their seats to the printer. Empty coffee cups and knock-off Redbulls on the table. Let’s be real – we were students, and no one could afford Redbull. Kick all the way! It tasted just as nasty and somehow kept your eyes open, so that was good.
Wow, I’ve spoken a lot. Congrats if you’ve managed to make it this far to the end. I know I talk a lot… wait, maybe I am a chatty Cathy? Nah. If you want to take on the challenge of introducing yourself, leave a comment. Or if you have an awkward introduction to share, let us know! We can bond over our shared awkwardness.
Sincerely,
Catherine
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