Here it is, the dreaded tell-us-about-yourself question. We all feel some sort of discomfort at this question because we think: there’s a lot to say about me, I’m very important and complicated. . . be more specific! And since this is a somewhat overwhelming task, I will be introducing myself first and then some of my closest friends will. This way you can get a better understanding of me and what I’m about 🙂
My name is Kim, and I am a junior at George Mason University, earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography. I was born and raised in Leesburg, Virginia, graduated from Loudoun County High School in 2009 and also my vocational school, with a certificate in Graphic Design. Even though graphic design wasn’t a perfect fit for me, it helped me realize that the photography aspects of the program were what truly interested me. In turn, I started pursuing this newfound hobby as a junior in high school. I have always been a very visual person and photography gives me a creative outlet to communicate with others.
So there you have it, my basic building blocks. And now the true and somewhat embarrassing traits as described by some of my closest friends (in no particular order)
Brianna Ah, the oh-so lovely Kim Garrison… (lol)
She’s loving to her friends and family; it doesn’t matter if you haven’t talked to her in days, or weeks, or months, you can always count on her to be there for you
There are times she’ll want to do be lazy, and other times where she just has to get up and do something – and she’s willing to do new things; she’s adventurous
She’s warm and loving and trusts pretty easily
Has a sharp sense of humor (‘sarcastic’ humor may work better)
She’s strong – always gets back on her feet no matter what
Colin She cares about other people sometimes to her own detriment
Unlike drawing, she seems to have a knack for photography
She is passionate about stuff she actually cares about
She is reserved yet interpersonally inviting
She doesn’t procrastinate and has the bed time of an elderly woman
Kathleena Hmmmmm what do I like about Kim…teehee just kidding! She’s one of the most loyal and trustworthy people ever, dedicated in every aspect of life. She is intelligent and super creative and SPUNKY. I envy her super powers of being able to eat massive quantities of junk food and still being healthy. Taco Bell queen maybe? I admire her drive and the confidence that she has in herrself to make herself stand out. HAYYYY
(And now for the grand-daddy of them all, my good friend that I have known since birth, decided to write an acrostic poem for you all because we share countless memories together and is by definition an overachiever) Ashley
Kim’s confident, warm, friendly. I feel like she never puts on a fake face. She’s never afraid to be herself. She’s one of the few people I really, truly feel like I know.
I think it’s strange how she once told me she never has had to pluck her eyebrows. I mean, really? How is that possible? But I think I was just jealous (because you know, the sting of pulling individual hairs one-by-one from your face can make you a little envious of those who literally do not know your pain). But now I just think her perfect eyebrows must just be evidence of her overall near-perfection, which extends to the camera she holds in her hand and the photos she takes as well.
Might be a bona fide photographer now, but she’s still not afraid to stoop down to my amateur level and take silly, ridiculous pictures wearing tons of over-the-top makeup, scarves, hats, and maybe even old dress-up clothes from our childhood while hanging out or watching a movie in my basement.
Basically, deep down, she’s still a kid at heart. For instance, she still decorates cookies alongside me, my sister, and our mothers every Christmas. We may or may not still bury people in the sand and build castles (with moats, of course – those are a must) during our families’ annual beach week. Oh, and she pretty much knows the words to every major Disney song, a skill that gets used at least a couple times every time we’re in the car, particularly when “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan comes up on my iPod (shuffle setting). So, obviously this means she’ll be great at photographing children.
Ever since birth, she’s been one of my best friends. We literally grew up together – lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same preschool, took the same vacations. And nearly 21 years later, we still have a friendship whose strength and length no one else’s can touch.
Ready for any adventure and any experience. And thanks to her readiness for new, different experiences, my life has been enriched as well. If it weren’t for her, I’d have never conquered my fear of riding roller coasters, which is now something I love. Also, I would have never tried the fondue at The Melting Pot without her telling me that going was absolutely necessary – and it’s fabulous by the way (good call, girl).
Loves: making ridiculous glow-in-the-dark T-shirts for the Harry Potter movie premieres; eating an entire bag of Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn in less than two sittings; walking for what seems like endless periods of time along the beach; shopping at the mall; Criminal Minds or 16 & Pregnant marathons; playing volleyball in the pool; Rock Band, Pictionary and Scattergories at the beach; jet-skiing; and coloring pages. But thank God she stopped loving to twirl my hair around her finger while she sucked her thumb. Growing up and out of that one was probably a good idea. Although, I’d still love you if you still did. I think. But I fully expect to be coloring in coloring books with you for a long time.
Yeah, so you definitely want to hire her as your photographer, now, right? After reading all of this? Yes? You do? That’s what I thought.
~ ~ ~ So there you have it, an only somewhat biased opinion of me! Now, you may be wondering why I didn’t ask my family members to describe me… well that’s because they would probably gush way too much and include embarrassing childhood stories that simply do not belong anywhere near the internet.
Nevertheless, my family and friends mean the world to me and I would be lost without their endless support. So thanks again to all my wonderful friends for helping me with this and making realize how lucky I am to have you in my life!
Brianna, Ashley and Me dressed for the midnight showing of HP6 (no, she wasn’t kidding)