TM
Peggy noland Sophie Adamson My Body, My Temple: Tattoos & judgment
Annie Segarra Internet role model and activist
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Throughout the past three months, we have been working diligently to improve MissďŹ ts and to reinvent our focus as a publica on. We have begun reevalua ng our values, and we have decided to make our magazine more focused on poli cs in general than feminism in par cular. While we stand strong behind our feminist beliefs, we want to be as inclusive as possible and work for the general achievement of human rights. All while con nuing our focus on the arts, crea ve wri ng, and individual expression. MissďŹ ts is founded upon the belief that our readers are our voice. Much like a true democracy, your voices decide the content of each issue. If you see something that you feel needs to be addressed, it is your responsibility and privilege to share your viewpoint. We are looking forward to many more posi ve changes in the months to come as well as personal growth. We hope you enjoy this issue, as we have been blessed with the opportunity of speaking with several very talented, passionate, and inspiring individuals. We are honored to present Annie Segarra as our cover girl, as she truly encompasses everything our magazine represents. This me last year, we were releasing our ďŹ rst issue. It seems surreal to consider that one year has already own by, and we look forward to many more wonderful memories to come. Happy holidays,
Maddie Maschgeeyr King & Courtn “We are the alterna ve; We are a poli cal fashion magazine that focuses not only on haute couture, but empowerment. We are an open collabora on of crea ve young people from around the world. We are the nonconformists. We are MissďŹ ts.â€?
Table of Contents Ask Rosie Advice Column
First Snow Amanda Jasnowski The Witchfits Lauren Poor
Musings Gemma Correll Featured Artist Peggy Noland Reader Outfits Jonathan Freeman Frozen Dana Alýce Love isn’t... Kelsey Cantwell Cover Girl Annie Segarra The Lonely Gypsy Nikki Froom Devotion Implosion James Hayden Featured Artist Sophie Adamson Reminiscing Emily Greene
My Temple, My Canvas Anonymous
Illustra!on by Sarah McNeil. To ask Rosie a ques!on of your own, email askrosie@missfitsmag.com. All ques!ons are published anonymously.
Dear Rosie, I can't help but feel like I have no idea where my life is heading. College is swi ly approaching and I feel like I'm suffoca!ng in the stress of it all. Most of my friends have already applied and have some idea of where they want to go or what they want to do with their life, and I can't even figure out whether or not I want to a$end a specialty school or a normal college. What is your advice on rediscovering my self-iden!ty? How do I keep from experiencing mul!ple emo!onal breakdowns?! Many thanks, Dazed and Confused
Take it from someone who had mul ple emo onal breakdowns when applying for colleges. I hear ya! However as the me is now approaching and a decision needs to be made - it's not going to be easy. You do really have to go for something that makes you happy though, love! What's your passion? What really gets you going? I know that's a li$le idealis c of me though. You also need to commit to something you can truly shape a career out of otherwise, well, what's the point of even going to college? This is also a decision only you can make. Of course you can have a certain degree of help but in all honesty this rests en rely on your shoulders - no pressure. My advice to you is to really sit and think. Have a good long look at the courses your colleges offer and try and work out which appeal to you the most. (Remember to think prac cally, do they offer you a good future and good prospects?) You can do this with a friend or your parents but also set aside some me for yourself to think about this alone, too. I am confident that through a li$le introspec on, you will be able to make the right choice - stay true to yourself, think prac cally and you can't lose! Good luck my love, Rosie
MUSINGS by Gemma Correll
Reader Outfits
Jonathan freeman
As far as style inspira ons go, they may not have a huge impact on my style itself, but Rei Ka wakubo and Alexander McQueen always get me excited about fashion. They have consistent ly given true pieces of art and clear visions. Their work has a strength in a kind of passion to it.  My personal style is pre#y o the wall. I'll walk out the door in an oversized sweater and boaters or a motorcycle jacket and leather boots. From day to day, though, I usually dress in a kind of Bri sh student are.  Fashion is really interes ng and meaningful because it makes art out of a daily need. Its di mension gives it life: its color, texture, drape, and style. The ability to outwardly show our in ner workings is one of the greatest gi-s the fashion world gives us. Â
I think what we wear is really just an outward expression of who we are. Styling myself eclec cally re ects my personality and spirit. I mean, I have days where I want to be classy and sophis cated, but I like to have fun and look hot, too.  Ge"ng clothes for myself is always an adventure because of my taste, how picky I am, and my size. I get pre$y lucky some mes with Express, H&M, and Urban Ou+i$ers, but the internet is really my best friend.  As far as future plans? I’m currently looking at McGill University in  Montreal or University of Boston to study anthropology with a focus  on world religion.  Â
Interested in being our next featured reader? Email submissions@missďŹ tsmag.com with a sample of your best ou its!
Love isn’t... Kelsey Cantwell
I have no idea what love is. I’ll give it one thing: it’s a word. A four le er word that is a hurricane in my mind to try to make sense of. We are thrown roses in our nose and told it’s love; lips connec ng in the rain and told its love; diamonds around the neck and told it’s love… but what about the true inner feelings? Bu erflies mul plying exponen ally in your stomach in unison with the imaginary doubt in your mind love, oh sweet love. There are weeks of loneliness filled with an cipa on of a single day to be spent with someone else. It’s worth it. You do the daily grind; deal with the typical bullshit just to have one extraordinary day with one extraordinary person. Love is a word. We all define it differently but try to use it similarly. I used to be lieve in one love: one endless twoway street of undeniable, and uncontrollable passion for another. I haven’t lived nearly long enough to confirm this, but I have enough evidence to doubt it. I’ll let my fantasy defini on collect dust while I create new ones as my emo ons change. Love is the strongest a rac on you have with someone up to this point of life and to throw “I love you” around to every new girl (or guy) you are together with would be foolish. Love isn’t randomly sending a roman c text message that reads “I could not chance against the brilliance of Miss Austen, nor the poetry and the playwright of Shakespeare, but I promise that forever, no one shall love you more than me, dear.” That is merely a gramma cally correct sentence filled with an empty prom ise. Love cannot be juxtaposed with emp ness. Those words are about as fla ering as a pair of pajama jeans. Love does not walk away; people do. A man can fight for you for over a year and once he finally has you he can just as easily say, “I don’t love you anymore,” just as he said, “I am so in love with you,” just a week before. However, you don’t have to walk away from the love you feel for yourself. If you love yourself first, a future sig nificant other worthy of you will follow. I may not know what love is, but I sure as hell know that I am worthy of it.
The Lonely Gypsy
Photography: Nikki Froom Model: Brooke Dobson Make-up and Styling: Brooke Dobson and Nikki Froom
Sophie Adamson I am Sophie Adamson Art and Accessories, for weirdly macabre, alterna"ve jewelry and accessories. Crea"ng curios to cater to those of us who like something a bit more unique. All items put together lovingly by hand, specializing in taxidermy hats, art pieces and jewelry. Crea"ng curios to cater to those of us who like something a bit more unique, I mainly concentrate on hats and fascina tors, which are my trademark pieces, but also create jewelry and other forms of art; paintbrushes are my second medium of choice. I’m never happy unless I’m doing something crea"ve. Nothing I buy can be le- untouched; there are always improvements to be made! Without art I'd be lost and my work is my passion. Seeing beauty in the most unusual places is key to my work. Seeing beauty in places you'd never think to look. This is how my taxidermy art came into being. The alterna"ve fashion and music scene has opened my eyes in so many different ways away from the mainstream way of thinking and seeing, and has fueled my passions for something different and unusual. In the past people have mistaken my work for a morbid celebra"on of death, but its precisely the opposite, it’s a celebra "on and preserva"on of the beauty of life! I want to preserve this in the animals I use and share it through the art that I create. There are so many ways in which mainstream culture influences what is and isn’t beau"ful, and I aim to challenge and change this in some small way, by showing that non conformist art can let beauty shine through just as much, if not be4er than typical ideas and values in culture, art and fashion today. My newest collec"on is inspired by Marie Antoine4e, with a very French and feminine feel. Tragedy and beauty, two traits shared by my theme and materials. The main colors of my autumn collec"on are pastel blues and pinks with feathers, flowers and pearls, some of the most feminine and beau"ful materials at my finger"ps, fused with taxidermy pieces to create all kinds of accessories. Two very contras"ng themes coming together to bring out the best in both. Both nature and feminism together create powerful and stunning work. Ge9ng away from a very dark, morbid theme was important to me. It is very easy to take an animal skull and create something dark, but this was never my aim. I've always wanted to make pieces that are upli-ing and pleasant to view and feel with my new work I have achieved this. Even a-er life has passed I want the roe deer whose skulls I have used to live on in some way with their beauty intact. I hope to keep crea"ng my work and opening people’s eyes to beauty in the unexpected and plan to keep working on the ideas that pop into my head to make them all real! There are so many creatures I want to work with and ways I want to preserve them for us all to appreciate. Side Note: All taxidermy items are ethically sourced or vintage, Sophie Adamson does not condone animals being killed and mounted purely for display / cra purposes, all animals used are found items or surplus from farms etc. etc. Photography: Laura Hince; Model: Sarah Johnson. Find Sophie Adamson on Facebook, Etsy, + Folksy.
The Witchfits Photographs by Lauren Poor
Missfits sits down with Kansas City based ar st & eccentric fashion extraordinaire. Q: At what age did you develop an interest in fashion design? A: I'm sure I was just born with it - I can't remember ever not liking clothes, shopping, or pu ng things together. Q: How does art and fashion collide for you personally? Do you view the two as mutually exclusive, or one in the same? A: They are the same for me. That's totally individual for people, and some mes it changes for me. Q: In the same aspect, did you always want to be a fashion designer and an ar!st? A: I've always made things. My dad is an ar st and I grew up watching him make art on our kitchen table, which doubled as his studio for a while. My grandmothers were quilters and my mother is a wonderful gardener, so there is crea on all around me! I couldn't avoid it even if I tried! Q: How does feminism play a role in your life and in your work? Do you consider yourself a feminist? A: It doesn't really. I have been lucky to not have experienced sexism in my career. Or, maybe I have, but I try to stay focused enough to block out anything that would get in my way, that I didn't no ce it. I have carved my own path, and don't follow anyone's rules, so chances are I wouldn't be in a posi on to be discriminated against. To be very clear, for me, being pro-woman just for the sake of being a woman, isn't any different than being pro-white, just for the sake of being white. Some feminists I encounter can be very exclusive. O(en their inten ons are very posi ve, but their stance can be off-pu ng to me. Please note that this is a big issue, and difficult to be fully understood, on either side of the issue, in a paragraph or two! I am just as 'pro-men' doing amazing things as I am pro-woman! And why not?!
Photo by Jaimie Warren
Peggy Noland
Q: What is your advice to aspiring designers? A: Just do it! Do it a lot and do it o en! Be passionate! Spend every last dime on it and don’t regret it! Be bold, take risks! It’s the only way we can make waves. Don’t be boring! Q: How did you get started in Kansas City, and what do you consider the turning point in your career? A: Having the guts to open my own shop was a turning point for me. It changed everything. Q: Do you think the art and fashion industry are more successful as a community versus dierent individual journeys? A: Not at all. Depending on your inten$on - some$mes it may be important and helpful to call yourself an ar$st, and some$mes it’s more important to just say fashion designer. I don't know if it ma(ers‌ Hopefully you are cruising through life being YOU, no ma(er what you are doing with your day. If I am working with a museum, some$mes I will say I am an Ar$st. If I am working with a clothing shop, I can say I am a Fashion Designer, if I producing a movie, I will say I am a Director. We all wear so many hats, and let's hope they allÂ ďŹ t!  Q: What is next for Peggy Noland? A: Opening a pop-up shop in San Francisco in October and LA in November! Come see me!  Q: What do you consider some of your biggest inspira'ons? A: My mom and dad, deďŹ nitely. They are so encouraging to me, and have been the best examples of [perseverance] and perspec$ve. No ma(er what my medium as an ar$st‌ that is the most valuable thing I could ever ask for.  Q: What was it like working with Tilly and the Wall? A: Amazing! Such wonderful humans! I was lucky to work with them early in my career because they were such posi$ve examples of the type I of people I want to work with for the rest of my life!  Q: What work do you do as a teacher, and why is that important to you? A: Doing for young people what was done for me--giving someone young and excited encouragement and advice. One of the most amazing things that my colleagues on 18th street did for me was giving me permission to say yes to myself and my dreams.   Q: Explain your collabora'on with Keds? A: Keds came to KC and shot two commercials with me. They were great to work for, and it's one of the biggest companies I had collaborated with, so [it was] a learning experience, too. I designed prints for their shoes that you can buy online! Lucky me!  Q: Any ďŹ nal words to our readers? A: In a spiritual sense, you need me and I need you to do what you’re passionate about. Please do it! You will regret for the rest of your life not giving it everything you have. It's what you were put on this earth to do. Don't letÂ ďŹ nancial issues factor into your crea$ve journey. You are not a robot, you were not made solely make money. Money is a tool that makes your job easier - like a hammer. You can build a house without a hammer, it's going to be harder, but you need that house! So use a rock! Â
“Hopefully you are cruising through life being you, no matter what you are doing with your day‌ We all wear so many hats, and let’s hope they all fit!â€?
Editorial by Dana Alýce; Model: Sasha Hailey; Make-up: Anna DeMeo; Hair: Holly Burnham
A n n
I e
M
eet Annie Segarra, a true Renaissance woman. She’s currently juggling a career as an aspiring actress and singer, waitressing to pay the bills, and going through life as an internet icon and activist. And yet, somehow, she still found the time to sit down with us!
Annie’s dream has always been to pursue television work, particularly sitcoms or comedy, though her passion for the arts has recently taken a backseat due to her devotion to her online activism. She’s currently working on several side projects by writing for animation and short films to teach herself how to work on her own. She and her friends are also considering starting their own web series of self-written and produced material. Instead of being pessimistic about the future and waiting for a job to land on her lap, Annie and her friends are taking a more proactive approach. “We’re having difficulties finding work, so we’re trying to figure out how to make work for ourselves.” Her internet fame skyrocketed around the time she created her infamous video on body image, where she so bravely faced her webcam in only her underwear. When asked how she developed the courage to create it, she responded with a laugh. “That day, I had just finished doing a photo shoot that never got published, actually, and I was feeling very body -positive, so I turned on my webcam and starting venting about how [I used to see myself]. I used to say things very body-negative, like, “Oh I’m so fat, nobody will ever love me,” which is something I actually used to believe and used to say… Being in my underwear—I wasn’t even thinking about it. I didn’t think I would publish it and saw it more as an outlet in the moment. Then something in me said, you know what, this is something that other people should hear, so I published it.” Unfortunately, her youtube account was hacked and the video was deleted, but she has since replaced it with a similar (and her opinion, less passionate) video. Annie hasn’t always been the self-confident icon that she is today. She says her turning point arrived around her twentieth birthday. She had developed a very skewed body image because of the way others had treated her, and she viewed herself as worthless because of her weight. One of her acting instructors played a pivotal role in her road to self-love. At one point, she pulled Annie aside and kept her in her office until she could honestly say, “I am worth it.” The session ended in tears, but it was truly a breakthrough for Annie. She realized that everyone was beautiful in their own way. “Your body isn’t supposed to be anything. Everybody’s body is very, very different… [In the grand scheme of things], we’re not gonna remember the cellulite on our thighs. We’re going to remember having fun, and the things that we do and the adventures that we have… It’s not that important.” Shortly before creating the body image video, she created the blog Stop Hating Your Body (SHYB), through which thousands of people from across the world share their stories daily. She created the blog after exploring body image in depth on her personal blog. She had been posting self-conducted research and opinions on the issue when it was suggested that
she create a blog entirely devoted to this exploration. “SHYB ultimately became this giant thing where everybody wanted to tell their stories and share how they feel about their bodies mentally, (and not physically!), after changing the way they think. Every day new stories come in, and people read them and it makes them feel inspired and they want to share their stories, too. So it’s never ending.” Annie is also extremely involved in autism awareness. Her sister and best friend, Emily, is autistic, so she has always really connected to the community. Emily is about to turn 20, and as a result, is facing a huge crossroads; is she expected to stay home all day after having graduated high school? She and her mom are hoping to open a day center for autistic teenagers and adults. “They are so young and full of life, and they deserve so much more than staying home.” The center would have an art room as well as a sensory room—autistic people tend to have sensory issues where senses will suddenly exaggerate. Lights can suddenly become too bright, sounds can become too loud, and touch can hurt. The room would cater to each need in a uniquely therapeutic way. Her work with the organization Autism Counts is more volunteer work. She works to raise money and awareness for the cause, which she deems, “Very tedious, yet necessary.”
“We’re not gonna remember the cellulite on our thighs. We’re going to remember having fun, and the things that we do and the adventures that we have… It’s not that We asked for her thoughts on the Occupy important.” movement, as she recently attended Occupy Miami. She laughs
and says she is a supporter of the Occupy movement, but often has pessimistic doubts. “It is perceived really negatively by our media, and it makes a lot of people view them in a negative way. They’ve labeled them as hippies without a cause, but I think their existence is very vital and very necessary, considering their cause is our current economy. The 99% issue is an issue that people need to be aware of… Degrees no longer promise you anything--having a degree in your hands means that you are in debt to the American education system.” Before the Occupy movement came about, she thought she was alone in her lack of career and her debt, but she expected it as an actress—she didn’t know that lawyers and doctors were having the same trouble. “I think it’s really unfair that these people are told, ‘If you study hard to get one of these top-notch jobs, then you’re going to make it and make money and everything’s going to be great. And they were completely lied to.” As far as final words of advice, Annie had great wisdom to share. “To your readers, I guess I would say that wherever you are in life, especially if it’s a dark place, know that you won’t always been there. Every moment is fleeting and this very moment will be the past, because things are always changing. So have some hope for change and that things will get better.”
Devotion Implosion
Photography: James Hayden Model: Mandalynn Rea Make-up: Eric Williams Hair: Alan Leonard Clothing Designs: Une Dame / Brocade Jacket by Mikailee Alton
In the beginnings of modern history, women were confined to constraining designs such as corsets and long hem-
“Tie”ing it All
lines on dresses, hoop dresses and also limited to wearing skirts or dresses instead of being able to wear pants. These clothes were restric ve in movement and made women uncomfortable during their day while their male counterparts could wear
Together Ar%cle by Alexandra Carper
pants and suits and were free to perform many tasks easily. Designers in the twen eth century worked to free women of their constraining clothes and began to design clothing that could look nice while also making women comfortable. As women’s clothing began to be less restric ve and more comfortable, women began to take on more roles beyond the tradi onal homemaker and in turn, they became more financially independent and empowered to make their own decisions in life. The evolu on of Feminism is a prominent fueling as well as resultant movement where fashion is concerned; however, there is no certainty of how many people actually realize the expression of the strong ideas of feminism through clothing design. This is where my thesis comes in. I a&end Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, South Carolina where students must complete a senior thesis to obtain our high school’s diploma. When I arrived at my junior year and it came me to pick our topics for our thesis, a year long focus and research process on one sole topic, I decided I would like to focus on fashion, tes ng the waters to see if a-er a year I’d s ll be interested in the industry. But I s ll had to decide what aspect of fashion I wanted to research. A few weeks into the process of claiming a topic, I bought a book from Urban Ou1i&er’s tled 50 Fashion Designers You Should Know. I began reading and immediately recognized a trend with the early designers such as Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, and Coco Chanel. Each of them had somehow broken the boundaries and designed against what was customary for women in society at the me. Poiret designed pants for women, while Vionnet designed clothing uninhibited by corsets and Chanel raised the hemlines with her popular “li&le black dress”. I thought to myself “how empowering” and that is how my topic of “Empowerment of Women through Fashion” originated. My methodology has sought to study today’s feminist beliefs and transform them into my own line of clothing, tes ng to see if my interpreta on is successful by surveying women of age groups 18 through 70 years of age on their opinion of the designs I have created and produced. When researching through modern feminist literature the most prevalent idea I found is one that all of us women are familiar with: the issue of designers featuring models too skinny to be normal everyday women in their adver sing and making their clothes in sizes which accommodate these seemingly alien-like women. To resolve this I decided to fit my designs to myself, an average sized girl who wears a size 6. I also decided to put my own spin on my designs by integra ng my own ideas as a woman into my designs. I asked several people both female and male, “Can you think of an ar cle of clothing that a man wears that a woman does not?”. The result: almost no one could think of a good answer. The answers I did receive combined with what I thought of have become the inspira ons for my designs though. As of now I have completed my first dress, which is inspired by a men’s e. For this I used a silky fabric with stripes, which run diagonally as they almost always do on es. I picked a midnight blue for my theme color because it seemed like a powerful color to me, hopefully empowering the woman who wears the dress. In the next few weeks I will also begin to sew a tuxedo dress and a polo dress, the tuxedo and the polo being some of the most common items a man would wear in which a woman would most likely not. This has been the most enlightening project of my life. I have learned much and will con nue to learn as I progress. Not only do I feel dearer to my ar s c side, but also to my feminist side, my honest belief that women are equal to men (if not be&er). Now when I think back to the women’s rights movements, I add the fashion industry to the many methods we used to get where we are today.
Reminiscing
Photography: Emily Greene Make-up: Ciara K Gallager Model: Ciara K Gallager
TORCHING YOUR BANNERS: BREAKING THE RULES Ar cle by Jonathan Freeman
In society and sub-society alike, we look upon ourselves as our frames of reference for everything. So you’re vegan or gay or conserva ve, and you’re as labeled or “un-labelable” as you think you are. Unfortunately for you, there’s a big ol’ shocking secret you don’t want to hear: you’re not special. Wait-what? Yeah. Go ahead and read that again. Make sure your vision’s okay. You’re not special. Whoops! Cat’s out of the bag, and there’s no turning back once you say something like that, huh? Oh well-carpe diem and all that. However much we all want to live in our own worlds, our pride and values as individuals are the single greatest obstacles between us and achievement. Take a second and reflect on that. Strip away everything that makes you different: unbu/on your talents, unzip your fears, take off your agendas, and throw it all in a 40 minute wash cycle. Pop in some bleach and let it spin. So what’s le4? Humanity: your heart, your hope, your very soul. Here’s the kicker, though-these same things are le4 for everyone. It’s an idea constantly spoken of and rarely considered. You may not be special, but that’s not to say that we aren’t special. At the end of the drying cycle, our core sameness is the greatest strength in recognizing our differences. You can pull out your flags and banners now. Fresh out of the dryer, they’re so4 and warm. Best of all, they’ve been bleached clean-your team colors are gone, and they took your equality cliques with them. The preaching of our individual gospels only drags us down. We can no longer afford to squabble over whose issue is most pressing and which minority is most oppressed. Feminism is not the radical belief that women are be/er than men. Animal rights are not the denial of human rights. Class balancing is not the use of the4 to help ourselves. Don’t fight for your rights as a woman, a transgendered person, or any other minority. Recognize that gay rights and women's rights are, at heart, human rights. Get over your selfish special interests and work together for the equality of those around you. Smash your TV.
First Snow
Photographer:Â Amanda Jasnowski Model:Â Mandalynn Rea
My Temple, My Canvas Anonymous
In all my years, I have been con nuously baffled by others who feel it is their duty to state whatever opinions they may have on the choices I make, especially when those decisions are in direct regard to my own body. The most recent a ack on my ‘lifestyle choices’ occurred when I men oned to some of my more conserva ve family members that I wanted to get a ta oo when I was eighteen. “Don’t be that stereotypical girl who goes out and gets a ta oo as soon as she’s able to, be cause trust me, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,” and “You want it on your lower back? What’s it going to be, some kind of tramp stamp,” were some of the most immediate and con descending responses I received during the par cularly adamant discussion. And thus began nearly an hourlong cri que on everything I ‘didn’t understand’ about ta oos and how ge*ng one would, no doubt, dras cally affect my future, my career, my rela onships, and so on. But you know, last me I checked, what I decide to do with and to my body is nobody’s busi ness but my own. Who knew the slight men on of a desire to get inked could lead to such a silly argument? Look, I get it; there is always the possibility that someone I surround myself with isn’t going to like or agree the fact that I have ‘modified’ my body, whether that some body is a boss or a poten al love interest. But, in all honesty, the only person who needs to
accept me is me. I am the only one who will be affected by a ta oo, and if I do end up regre*ng it later in life, it will be a demon I will have to face on my own, a very real prospect that I have already come to terms with. And let’s face it; do I really think I’m going to regret something I had done to my body? The sim ple answer is no, I don’t. I’ve spent years contempla ng and revising what I want to have done, and I feel as though when the me comes, I’m going to be happy with my decision. I shouldn’t have to “wait un l I’m thirty to see how I feel then,” as I’ve been advised to do, because, while I’m not elimina ng the possibility, I honestly can’t see how I could possibly regret something I’d once felt so passionately about at any given point in my life. I do not wish to sound like a preten ous young adult who thinks she knows all there is to know about life and the real world, rather, I merely wish to make it clear that I have indeed thought about and understand the consequenc es that my ac ons and decisions could have, as well as discussed them with my father, my best friend, and a variety of other people whose respec0ul opinions have been sought a er by me. I’m not always going to make the right decisions. I’m going to mess up more mes than I care to think about during my life me. And really, who knows? Ge*ng a ta oo could very well become a regret of mine, just as I was told it would be during that fateful lecture. I guess this is going to be a journey I must take on my own without regard to those who cloud my personal beliefs, be cause ul mately my thoughts and happiness are the only factors that need to be considered in this decision.