In 2011 or 2012, I came across a YouTube video with the phrase, "Stampy's Lovely World". I sat with my sister and we watched a few more videos before going to our mom and begging to get us Minecraft. Once we got it, my sister and I would play almost every day after school. We'd create, have fun, eat junk food. It was lovely. Then, we got older and we played less until we stopped playing. But once in a blue moon, when we get nostalgic, we return to Minecraft. Now, I'm trying to make time to play Minecraft with my friend - whom I don't get to see. My favorite aspect of Minecraft is the ability to be able to create with others. With people who are special to me, who I love, who are people I can be myself around. Minecraft has a special place in my heart because it's had a continuous impact on my life. I started playing, watching videos, and talking about Minecraft at such a young age and now I'm in my 20s and it still has an impact on me. Whenever I hear "Haggstrom" or "Subwoofer Lullaby" by C418 (an arrangement that is heard in the game) I fondly think back to those early days. I think of only the happiest memories of my childhood. Every moment with my sister - whether that was us screaming at each other, laughing as we were running away from the "googlies" (as Stampy called them), or bickering about whether or not to play in Survival or Creative Mode. Or those times when we would pretend to be filming a Minecraft YouTube video and narrating for each other. Minecraft has allowed me to make friends and create new memories. Even though I have grown as a person, the game itself has evolved and it feels as though it's grown with me. I've played with friends at their houses, on separate consoles or PCs. At one point when I had the mobile game, I got the chance to play with others whom I didn't know. As someone who wasn't social, I found myself creating with others at game stores when they had Minecraft to play for free. It provided me with a safe space where I could get creative and weird without judgment. This is a game that no matter how old I get, it'll always have a special place in my heart.

When I was younger, I was introduced to Zendaya by Disney's "Shake It Up". I grew to adore and admire her throughout the years as I watched other of her content and listened to any music that she released. Growing up, I had very low self-esteem. I had a lot of trouble making friends and feeling like I didn't fit in anywhere. But her character, Rocky Blue, helped me learn that it's better to be myself. I watched countless interviews of Zendaya speaking up for herself, talking about how it's okay not to fit in. She would always talk about self-love and so, I grew up idolizing her ever since I was seven. Because to me, she is the type of person I hope to grow up to be. When I found out she was going to be MJ in "Spider-Man: Homecoming", I was thrilled as a fan of her and MARVEL. I once again found myself relating to another one of her characters as I navigated through my awkward high school era. Zendaya, as a person, and through her characters changed my life. Though I'm still learning to love myself, I've come so far since I was younger and she is partially to thank. Zendaya is someone who is still at the top of my small list of roles because she's had so many accomplishments in her career and I feel like if she can adjust to all these new "hats" then, who's to say I can't do the same in my day-to-day life? That's why I admire not just everything she's done, but her herself. Because I think she can do anything she sets her mind to and whenever I feel like I'm not up to the task, I say to myself, "If she can do it, so can I."

If I was to attend Hogwarts, my house would be Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs are known to be loyal, dedicated, patient, and who value hard work. Hufflepuffs may look cute and cuddly but do not underestimate them, because, like the honey badger on their crest, they are fearless and will turn vicious and aggressive to anyone who threatens them or their friends. Hufflepuffs are some of the most compassionate and though they may be a bit oblivious to some evil acts that doesn't mean that they won't patiently wait to strike back at the person. For the most part, we see Hufflepuffs have a connection with nature as (sometimes) have a caring nature to them. I think I would make a perfect fit as a Hufflepuff. A lot of times, when my friends and I would take quizzes, I'd almost always end up as Hufflepuff. It could be my caring nature or the fact that I truly am loyal and patient (sometimes), and value hard work but I think it's more than that. It's the idea that if my friends or family were truly in harm's way I would probably shock everyone with how passive-aggressive I could get with another human being. It's the amount of love and compassion I have for the people I care about. My people, the type of people who are in this house, are people who would stay quiet for the entire period of a trip, saying very little before suggesting to do something wildly dangerous and adventurous, and shocking everyone around them. As a Hufflepuff, it's normal to be looked down upon. It's not a popular house like Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Ravenclaws fall short under both but still manage to be more popular than Hufflepuffs. When I first was introduced to the Wizarding World, I wasn't too interested in the Hufflepuff house myself. I took a few small quizzes on various sites and ended up with the same result. Cedric Diggory is truly brave and I admire him for that, but it still didn't help me fall in love with the house I'd apparently be assigned to. Then, "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" premiered. I was in awe as I watched Newt Scamander make trouble through New York and I thought, "If I was a Hufflepuff, I would do that." I learned to take pride in my house and once I realized which other characters were sorted in Hufflepuff, it made me fall even more in love with that badger crest. As someone who is an aspiring author, seeing a fictitious character like Newt Scamander travel as he wrote his book gives me hope.

My younger sister and I love playing Mario Kart. I remember when I was younger, playing it on the Wii and we had to actually move our hands to drive. She would always get mad that I would win all the time and for a while, it was like that. Then, we (unfortunately) had to get rid of the Wii and for a while, it felt like we were never going to get that back. But then, the Nintendo Switch came out and they were releasing a new Mario Kart game. My younger sister bought it with her allowance and we decided once more to take on the track. She had been playing other games for a while on the Switch but I hadn't had a single clue as to how to operate the system. So, as the countdown started I fumbled because I didn't know how to go. She laughed and decided not to help me because she wanted a chance to win. Eventually, I figured it out and within twenty minutes of the game, I had already caught up to her. It was a bit odd not to move my arms around and I felt nostalgic for the old way of playing. In the last round, I was in the lead. I thought I was going to win but then, I saw Princess Daisy pass right by me and over the finish line. I heard my sister scream, "FINALLY!" before dancing on the couch. I laughed and remembered why I even played this game in the first place. It was our time to bond with each other. This game is one of the reasons why we're close. In my elementary years, we'd always play after school and or when we were done with our chores. So I accepted my defeat and allowed her to bask in the glory before Round 2 started. This is why I love Mario Kart in general. Because you get moments like these when you spend hours in your living room playing with the person you love and care for, and don't even realize that the time is passing. And for me, any time I play Mario Kart with my sister, I make every second count.

Netflix has had a lot of great shows and movies that I've enjoyed. But there's only one in particular that I find myself re-watching countless times. "Heartstopper" is one of the most brilliant shows I've ever seen in such a long time. It's my Number #1 favorite show. It's comedic, heartfelt, and real. I cannot really describe in words how much I love this show but the one thing I say the most is that it makes me feel like I'm wearing a nice warm blanket on a cold winter day. I've rewatched season one at least ten times and season two twice. The show is not just about two boys falling for each other, but it also shows you struggles of teenagers trying to navigate their way through life. Trying to figure out who they are and what kind of person they want to be, in multiple aspects. For example, within the first two seasons, we see that the main character, Charlie, is a person who was bullied for being gay. He struggles with his mental health and develops an eating disorder because of the bullying. But the way it plays out feels realistic and that's what makes this show so great. It doesn't force anything upon the characters, but instead, introduces these aspects in a way that feels natural. "Heartstopper" is a show that even if you casually watch it I guarantee you'll walk away with a new perspective about one thing in life. It's a show that teenagers and adults can enjoy. I think everyone should watch (at least) season one at least once in their life because I feel that it doesn't overdo the dramatics when it comes to the "teenage experience" that we usually see on screen. There's no big party or football game. It's a lot more casual and toned down, and I understand that everyone has different experiences, but I think I can speak for the majority when I say that it's usually like that. This show changed my life for the better. It's actually the reason I discovered that I'm Demisexual. Though not everyone will have a life-changing experience upon watching this show, it truly is an amazing show. You can see just from the sets alone how much effort and love they gave when making this show. From the camera work to the script, the amount of references to the graphic novels, and not to mention the sheer talent you see radiating from the actors I can proudly say that this show is definitely worth your time.

When I was younger, the topic of mental health was never talked about. Now that I'm older, I decided to take a chance and go to therapy. Since then, I've come to many realizations about what exactly I was going through at such a young age and had no idea. My family wasn't big on talking about our feelings. There's a saying that's said around our family and though a few words change sometimes, it's still sending the same message across: Shove it all down and keep going. For nineteen years that's what I did. I shoved it all down. But upon moving out of the house and living by myself I've had a lot of time to reflect. There were a lot of unresolved feelings within me and I felt so conflicted all the time. Since I've been going to therapy, I've been feeling this weight slowly lift off of my shoulders. I was feeling more like myself. I had no idea who I was because for almost my entire life I found that she was lost, hidden in all these other personas I created throughout the years as I was trying to push through the pain. I realized now that there is no such thing. I was just letting it consume me, but now I've accepted it. The journey hasn't been easy, but I know it's only the beginning of healing those wounds that I know will become scars in the future. Before therapy, I wrote short stories. It was therapeutic for me because I could put my character in an exaggerated scenario that I was going through in real life and feel control over what was going to happen next. After a while, it led to me becoming a Creative Writing major. I used to write because it was a coping mechanism for my emotions, but now it means something different to me. It's something I enjoy doing. Nowadays going to therapy once every two weeks helps me out and working on projects that I love also contributes to my mental wellness. The more I take the time to enjoy living, the happier I am. I find little things in my life that I feel grateful for and carry the happiness I felt when I acknowledged them throughout my day. Talking with people who care about me also contributes. In the past, I didn't have the greatest track record of making good friends. But with the group of people, I've surrounded myself with lately I know their feelings toward me are genuine. Upon having these realizations, I've realized how important my mental health is. I know the kind of person I can become when I chose to ignore it. I was in a dark place - a tunnel, if you will - unaware of the opening at the end. Once I finally acknowledged the importance of my mental health, that's when I saw the end of the tunnel. I've come to appreciate myself more and value every second that I'm alive. I'm proud of the person that I've become and I can't wait to see what awaits me as I continue on this path to having better mental wellbeing - whatever that may look like.

My hobby is writing. I love to write short stories and even novel length stories. My favorite genres to write are romance, historical fantasy, and mystery. I started writing when I was in eighth grade. One of my middle school friends was having a bad day. She decided to take a look at my first story, and for the first time in a while, she smiled. Since then, I have decided to continue writing. Eventually, I shared it with all my other friends who enjoyed reading. Then, I decided to take a step further and publish it on a website where I met other writers. It's been a very refreshing and rewarding experience. I've gotten to see how my writing has grown over the past years. Writing has always been my getaway. It's been a vessel that has allowed me to escape reality and release the stress that I have carried throughout my day. And I am proud to say that this hobby of mine will soon be interwined with my future career.