Interview project

After reading Neil's blog - I of course felt the need to hop in and be a part of the Great Interview Experiment, I got the chance to read "A Date in the Life" and interview Girl in the Mirror a young woman writing a blog full of dating stories and life lessons.

What is your real first name?
If I told you that, it would blow my secret identity. :)

Pick three words that best describe you.
Feisty, that's for sure.
Compassionate, I may come off as self-serving, but I really spend a lot more energy doing things for other people.
Busy, very very busy!

What's the first site you visit each day?
Lately, OKCupid. I had deleted my account a few months ago during my relationship with a guy I liked a lot, but I've rejoined. This time around it seems like I've been finding a lot more quality applicants, if you want to put it that way. And even the ones that aren't seem to be extra entertaining. There are some interesting people on that thing!

What led you to blogging?
I've always been really passionate about writing, from the time I was small. I've written everything from short stories to free form poetry. The reason for the blog, specifically, was that my dating life in the past few years has been generously supplying my friends with ridiculous stories, and I realized eventually that I should be putting them down in words.... if it's making them laugh, it'd probably make other people laugh too.

You have shared a lot of your dates with your readers. What was your worst dating moment?
Well I've definitely been on a lot of substandard dates, but nothing compares to the night that the guy I was on a date with totally lost it and had me cornered in his apartment and pushed me against the wall. It was terrifying. (Booze Makes Big Fish Out Of Bottomfeeders) It was really hard to write about, because I try to keep my blog more light-hearted and funny, but I wrote it in hopes that it would potentially teach a lesson without other girls having to learn it firsthand.

I see you like PostSecret I'm a fan as well. What about it appeals to you? Have you ever sent anything in?
I love PostSecret! I think the thing I like about it most is that I can relate to so many of the secrets. Its really nice to know that there are other people out there who have the same exact worries and fears and scars that I (and probably many other people) do. It brings me a lot of peace. Plus, lots of them make me laugh. I haven't sent one in yet... not because I'm afraid to share my own secrets (since obviously I do that as it is) but I'd want to spend a lot of time making it and then I'd be bummed if it didn't make it onto the site or into a book! I like to save the images of the secrets that I feel like I could have sent in myself in a special folder hidden deep inside my hard drive. Looking at it reminds me that I'm not alone in those places.

Did you feel strange dating another blogger (who could remark on your dates for all their / your audience to see)?
Honestly, yes. First meeting was awesome, because it was a nice surprise to find out he was actually cute and fun.... I fully expected him to be a total dork for some reason. Second date was cool because I could read his blog and know right off the bat that he liked me, which isn't normally a luxury one has when they start seeing someone. After the initial excitement wore off, it became clear we really weren't a match, and if he hadn't been a reader of my blog I would have described why in more detail. I didn't really feel the freedom to do that like I normally do. Luckily, I think he felt the same way. Match or not, at least he's a good guy.

What's your best piece of advice for other twenty-somethings?
That's tough. There is such a wide range of where you can be while you're in your 20's, maturity wise. But I guess in general, I would just say (and this is MUCH easier said than done) don't get caught up in the whole push of thinking you need to have your life all figured out; if you haven't done this, or achieved that, or met this person or crossed this bridge by such and such age, you're falling behind. It's just not like that. The most important thing is to focus on the things that are the most important to you and work on growing as a person, and everything else will fall into place.

Ok. That's cheesy, I know. But it's so easy (and this comes from personal experience, trust me) to feel like everyone around you is getting great jobs and starting these amazing careers and meeting "the one" and getting married and buying houses and having babies.... ay! Again.... breathe.... focus on building you first! Don't worry. That's all. Enjoy every single moment, these are some of the most important moments of your life! I struggle with this, like I said in my post called Diamonds and Devotion. No doubt about it. Just gotta keep refocusing that energy!

If you could start a catchphrase, what would it be?
That's what she said.
Crap... that's already taken, isn't it? Oh well, that doesn't mean I don't say it all the time.

Would you continue to blog if no one read it? Would you change how you wrote if you suddenly had a huge audience?
I would, because eventually I would hope that someone would. It'll always be in the archives, right? As for changing for a huge audience... that's an interesting thought, but I don't think it would lead me to change how or what I write. I did have an overnight boost in my readers after College Callgirl added me as #1 on her blogroll; I went from about 30-40 hits a day to around 400, sometimes as many as 1,000! The only thing that changed was that I started feeling more guilty if I am not posting regularly. And yes.... I still feel bad. Like I said, I'm super busy! I love my readers though. Don't give up on me. :)