Here it is. A new post. My first post, in fact. I’ve been sitting here contemplating how best to introduce myself, which of course prompted nothing but silence in my mind. Truthfully, do any of us actually like introductions? For me, the word ‘introduction’ reminds me of those uncomfortable experiences: the first day of class (“Tell us your name and a fun fact about yourself!”) or the awkward beginnings of a Tinder date. Most of us aren’t that comfortable talking freely about ourselves, and there’s a fine line we try to walk between resisting vulnerability and still sharing some part of ourselves with others.

So, in the interests of striking that balance, I’ll start with the basics, the casual things we use to build our personalities and relate to our peers. I’m twenty-two; I’m a student in my final year of a combined Law/Arts degree; I have two happily-married parents, a brother, and a dog (but I prefer cats – sorry).

But what does any of that really tell you? When I read the above description, I partially identify with that person but there’s a lot of gaps to fill. To learn about someone, to really know someone, we need to access those deeper things, the things we find joy in, the things that cause us pain, the things we are passionate about, our hopes and dreams. I can tell you that even though I’m twenty-two, I don’t feel like I have my life together at all. I can tell you that I chose to study law with a very different idea of what it would be (I think I’ve seen A Few Good Men too many times). I can tell you that despite what people say, completing an Arts degree (focused in English and Creative Writing) might just be one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my life. I can tell you that I am passionate about film and television (Stand By Me and Goodfellas are two of my favourites), and actually, my interest in blogging at least partially stemmed from an early obsession with reading reviews of every episode of Mad Men on platforms like The AV Club and Vulture. I also love food, and I’m pretty dedicated to surveying the café and restaurant scene in Adelaide (best local pizza and pasta recommendations to come).

That’s not everything, but it’s a start! I hope to get to know you, our readers, a little better over my time here, and I’d like to hear about what you want to see, what you’re passionate about, and what you love to think, watch, eat, and dream about. Let’s learn to love introductions together.