19 Facts About Me!

Helloooo everyone! I’m 19 today! In honor of my birthday, I’ve decided to delve a little deeper into who I am and what my life is really like. I feel like sometimes people will read a blog or see someone’s Instagram and not realize there’s an actual human being behind all of it- so, I wanted to share more about me, in an effort to stay authentic, honest, and ~me~.

1. I was born in Mexico City- and I’m a dual citizen!

That’s right, I was born in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. My mom is Mexican, and my father was a Mexican-American working as a diplomat for the U.S. government. They got married, and I was born there.

2. I used to live in Texas (~yeehaw~)

When I was 1 year old, we relocated to Texas. I lived there for 4 years! My life was equally split into both Spanish and English. I spoke in Spanish to my mom and a few of my friends, and I spoke in English to my father and some of my other preschool friends.

3. I went to a French Immersion school for 6 years.

After moving to Virginia when I was 5, my family put me into a French Immersion School. Basically, half of my day would be spent with a French teacher and we would learn math, science, and health completely in French. At first, it was scary. I mean, we were kids. But eventually, I started connecting the similarities between my native language of Spanish and my new language of French.

[Side story: Once we got to middle school, all our classes (except for our French language elective) were in English. I remember my first day of class in an English-speaking math class- we were all SO confused about the decimal point not being a comma. Here’s what I mean: In English, we say 3.14. In France, it’s 3,14. So yeah. My first year of American-taught math was confusing- which led me to hate math with a burning passion. ]

4. When I was little, I read encyclopedias for fun.

Yeah, you read that right. When I was 5, my mom gave me two children’s Usborne encyclopedias just for fun- little did she know the impact they would have in my life. I literally took those books everywhere.

I kind of became a walking encyclopedia of my own, spilling facts about everything to everyone I met. I was, and still am, a bookworm… and nerd.

5. I’ve always LOVED musicals.

Growing up, my mom played lots of different musicals for me. I was actually singing Lady Marmalade at age 3 and my mom basically had an aneurysm when I first said “Voulez vous coucher avec moi”.

She first played Phantom of the Opera when I was 7, and I fell in love with the music, lyrics, and the script. I would wake up super early on weekends to read the script and lyrics that came inside the deluxe movie soundtrack. Then, I would practice by myself in my room, and perform the songs for my family.

To this day, I do the same thing. Some things never change!!

6. I can’t watch TV or movies without subtitles.

This is a serious thing!! Unless I’m in a movie theatre, I’ll insist on having subtitles on. Growing up, my mom wanted to learn the English language as best she could, so she would turn on subtitles. Honestly, I think having subtitles on really helps me learn new words, spelling, and names, which I find super helpful. This year in college, I made not one, but TWO best friends who happen to watch tv and movies with subtitles on- #goals.

7. Name a form of art. I’ve probably tried it.

Crochet? Yep. I’ve made a baby blanket, scarf, and even attempted Amigurumi figures from Star Wars.

Jewelry making? Also yes. From the ages of 8-11, I was super invested in beading and making jewelry pieces for everyone I knew.

Nail art? Heck yeah! I have over 50 different nail polishes and dozens of specialized nail tools… It was honestly so much fun.

From photography to embroidery and painting to scrapbooking, I’ve always felt passionate about the arts. And Michael’s is basically heaven to me.

8. I played 3 different instruments (and hated them all).

Picture this: it’s fourth grade. I was way too excited to play the violin, be in the orchestra, and finally be a performer. Flash forward LITERALLY one month, and I was tired of it.

Fifth grade: I was like, “Okay, let’s pick another one. Maybe I’ll like another instrument.” The band teacher suggested I play the French horn, and I accepted. It couldn’t be too bad, right? Wrong. This “vested interest” lasted for two weeks, and I had to stick it out for the whole year. 

Sixth grade: I felt mature. I could do this. I could be in the band and love it. I chose the clarinet that year, straying away from the horns and the strings. I actually liked this instrument the most, but still didn’t feel passionate enough to keep going after our end of year concert.

9. I’m a total geek.

Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Flash, Batman, LOTR- I’ll pretty much be content with whichever movie/tv series I watch. Oh, and I’m a Ravenclaw 🙂

10. I’ve eaten weird things.

In my home country of Mexico, the strangest things I’ve eaten include shark, pork brains, tripe, squid, crickets, beef tongue, huitlacoche (basically corn fungus… it’s a ~delicacy~), and Maguey worm salt.

Overseas, I’ve eaten sea anemone, anglerfish (+ liver), sea snail, blood sausage, and eel.

I’m hoping to travel more and add to this list!

11. I figure skated competitively for 6 years.

And I loved it! Everything except the massive bruises on both of my thighs…

12. My guilty pleasure? Throwback songs.

Anything from 1990-2010 is my JAM. I have a ton of Spotify playlists that sum up my love for the 2000’s especially! If you want to see more of my music, follow me here.

13. I have a literal caffeine addiction.

If I don’t get caffeine in my body by 10 am, I’ll have a headache.

[Side story: Back when I worked at Starbucks, I actually drank so much caffeine once that I had an ‘overdose’. My heart was racing, I was dizzy, and I felt nauseous. Good times. Not really.]

14. I really love spy thriller TV shows.

Two of my favorite shows of all time are 24 and Homeland (but don’t even get me STARTED on the Season 5 finale…) I’ve watched Sleeper Cell, I’m in the process of watching The Americans, and I might start Blacklist.

15. I don’t have a middle name.

My mom insisted when I was born that having a middle name would only contribute to the whole soap opera, “Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez”, extra-ness that is being Mexican. So, I don’t have a middle name. *cries in Spanish*

16. I cried when I first went to London.

It sounds crazy, but it’s true. My mom and I arrived at King’s Cross Station on the train, but it wasn’t until we got out of the train that I burst into tears. I think the brick walls, architecture, and accents combined hit me. She even took a picture of me crying!

England is still a dream to me- it was the first place I traveled ~solo~; it’s the setting of the books and plays I love; and it’s the place I hope to live in one day. A girl can dream, right?

17. I’m a night owl… to the max.

Most of my jobs are deadline based, and I’ve learned that I LOVE working at night. Sure, there’s no natural light (which kind of sucks), but I love the quiet. I love feeling like I’m the only one awake within a few miles. I’ll turn on my alternative rock, Broadway jams, or indie folk, and just get working. It’s the best!

18. I had a weird crush on Lincoln when I was little.

Remember when I said I was kind of a nerd? Well, little Alexa had a crush on a guy when she was 5 years old. And that guy was Abraham Lincoln. I’m not joking.

[Side story: When we first moved to Virginia, my family visited the White House. I walked around, chattering about Lincoln to everyone I saw, and eventually, a Secret Service agent called me over. He asked me to elaborate on some random Lincoln fact I recited, and I excitedly told him Lincoln’s birthday and birthplace. After he asked how old I was (5), he laughed, smiled, and said: “Smart kid.” That remains one of my favorite stories to tell.]

19. My name was almost Samantha.

I actually would have loved that name, mostly because I loved the American Girl Samantha- anyone else with me on loving American Girl when we were little?

But, I guess I get to stick with aaaaaallll of the Amazon Alexa jokes. WHY, Amazon, WHY?

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Well, that’s 19 facts about me! I hope that you enjoyed getting to know me a little better.

Tell me a fun fact about you in the comments below- I’d love to hear them!

If you enjoyed this post, or if you have any questions about anything, let me know!

You can ask me questions here. Or here, on Instagram.

Thanks for reading ♡