Who am I?
I realized I haven’t shared much basic information about myself, so it’s time for a proper introduction.
Hello! You can call me Restless Spirit. I prefer to keep a bit of anonymity online, and while this nickname isn’t something I’m called in real life, it perfectly describes me - I can’t sit still for even a minute. I’m a 27-year-old woman (turning 28 this June). Even though I’m married and own a flat, I still feel strange calling myself a woman (instead of a girl) or an adult.
I attended elementary school for five years, then moved on to an eight-year high school (they accepted me on appeal; I was just below the cutoff). High school was great. I never had to study much (honestly, looking back, I have no idea how I made it through), so I spent most of my time enjoying life with friends. Since we met at age 11 and then spent nearly every day together for eight years, we formed strong bonds - some of which have lasted to this day. I even married my high school sweetheart (though we only started dating while preparing for graduation exams), and several of our classmates did the same. It’s like something out of a teen movie or book.
For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I decided to try IT, so I went to university to study software engineering. It was a tough (but prestigious) program, and for the first time, I really had to study hard. Luckily, I had great classmates, and we supported each other a lot. It probably didn’t hurt that I was one of the few girls in the program - IT is still a male-dominated field, though that’s slowly changing. I completed my bachelor’s degree, but realized I didn’t want to be a developer, tester, or anything quite so technical. I wanted to help people and connect with users, not just with technology. That’s when I first became interested in user experience as a career path.
Since I didn’t want to pursue a higher university degree, I started working pretty young. For a while (about four years), I was the youngest in every office, which actually felt good - I liked feeling special. I learned so much at work (probably more than at school). I’ve shared more about my job and work adventures in other posts, so feel free to check those out if you’re curious:
- The One With the Job Hopping Adventures
- The One Where I Make Sure Everything Goes Smoothly
- The One with the Incredible Work Opportunity
- The One With a Peek Into My Life
Family & Childhood
I grew up in the capital city in an apartment building, so technically I’m a city girl. But we spent many weekends at our cottage in the middle of nowhere (which I loved), so I never felt like a typical city kid who, for example, can’t start a fire.
I have a sister who’s two years younger than me, but she feels much more mature. She’s my biggest role model—independent, hardworking, and accomplished. I’m so proud of her. She’s a kindergarten teacher, which I greatly admire, but can’t imagine doing myself. A big part of our family are teachers; others are doctors or work in healthcare, and the rest are technical people (IT, engineering, nuclear engineering, and so on).
Our mom is a receptionist/office manager at a dental clinic. She loves working with people and managing things (and she’s great at it). It seems like she’s finally found a job with wonderful coworkers and a great boss. Our parents divorced when I was 11, so she had to be an independent single mom—and she did it so well. I’ve always admired how she either handled things herself or had friends who could help. We have a great relationship now. I know that whenever I have a problem or need someone to listen, she’s there for me without judgment, which is amazing. She also found a boyfriend who seems to be the one for her, and I am so happy for her.
My relationship with my dad is a bit more complicated. After the divorce, we visited him often, and things were good. He started dating his now-wife, who had two kids from a previous marriage, so we enjoyed being a group of four kids together. As we got older, though, differences in parenting and lifestyle became apparent, and we didn’t always agree. Maybe I’ll write more about that another time. Long story short, we now see each other once every month or two—mainly due to emotional manipulation, my chronic stress, and my inability to argue. But he’s still my dad, I love him, and I’m trying to maintain an easy, if somewhat superficial, relationship with him for now. He’s what most people would call an “IT guy”—fixing computers, networks, and anything tech-related. He owns a small company doing just that. I think he hoped I’d take over the company one day, and when I told him I wasn’t interested, he was disappointed. But I have to live my own life, and he has to accept that.
As for extended family, my maternal grandparents live across the street from my mom (which was a huge help growing up—they could easily babysit or keep us company). We lost my paternal grandparents years ago. My mom has a sister with a family we’re close to—two cousins (one recently married, the other about to finish her studies to become a primary school teacher). My dad has a half-brother with a family too, but we only see them at big celebrations like Christmas and aren’t very close.
My Favourites
Food - This is tough, as I’ve struggled with eating in recent years (thanks, chronic stress). But I love pancakes, some of our traditional foods, and sushi.
Book - I don’t have a single favorite, but some of my top picks are Ranger’s Apprentice, Harry Potter, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Book Lovers.
Color - Blue. I’m always blue when we play any games.
Season: Spring - everything blooms and is beautiful (despite allergies), and the weather is warm but not hot.
Movie: Iron Man, The Greatest Showman, and animated movies like Kung Fu Panda, Ice Age, Cars, Big Hero 6, Madagascar, and Shrek.
Sitcom: The Big Bang Theory, Friends.
Music: I listen to all kinds of music, from pop to country (except brass band and metal). Some favorites are Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, One Direction, Nickelback, Imagine Dragons, Jennifer Lopez, and Demi Lovato.
Clothing: Comfortable.
Things I Do Differently
My Favourite Inspirational Quotes
I’ll skip today’s educational section and instead share my favorite inspirational quotes about life, motivation, the future, and success. And yes, some are from animated movies—I truly believe they have great value. Plus, I just love a good animated film.
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” - Serena Williams
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - A. A. Milne
“Keep your face towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.” - Walt Whitman
“Failure is a great teacher and, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer.” - Oprah Winfrey
“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." - Master Oogway
"If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be better than what you are.” - Shifu
"It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela
“If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.12 Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.” - James Clear, Atomic Habits
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