Growing up, I’ve watched all the Disney Princess movies. I’ve seen all the Hollywood movies. I’ve seen every movie (not really, but just go with it) and found myself wishing I could have a life that had the best friends, the romance, the adventures, and the stories to share. I have to laugh now, because there is no way that I would think of myself as an interesting character…until now. Some people see me as crazy. Some see me as quiet and timid. Let me tell you who the real Lexi is, starting from the beginning.
I was born in El Paso, Texas and spent four years there. I remember my three best friends: Megan, Casey, and Mckelle. I remember going to Joy School with Casey and we spent our school days taunting a girl that had a frog voice (like the kid from Little Rascals). One day she went crying to Casey’s mother saying “Casey and Lexi said they were going to kick my butt.” I guess you could say, we were a little exclusive. Casey and I also locked the mothers’ out of the house and the only way to get to us was having Casey’s mom climb through the doggy door. We started off as trouble makers. My favorite place was Chuck-e-Cheese! I spent my fourth birthday there and I remember getting a ton of barbies. Casey gave me some Disney Princess underwear, and I was never able to put it on right. My first four years were fun and a growing experience from what I can tell.
The move to Canada:
I started taking ballet lessons, but learning to skip was as far as I got before quitting. I guess you could say that’s when my tom boy stage hit. I started taking ice skating lessons and spent my days with my true love Ashton Bachmann. We would go to the park and play. I made new friends every time I took a trip there. I was the outgoing tom boy who was head over heels in love with Ashton…at the crazy age of 5.
The move to Oregon:
I would wake every morning at 6:00 to play with my grandparent’s cats in the laundry room. Even though one cat in particular would attack me whenever I tried to play with him, that didn’t bother me. I met my best friends Hannah and Connor while living in Oregon for six months. Hannah and I always wanted my older sister and her older brother to marry. I became close to the Deans. Marlo, the father, raised chickens so I referred to him as Chickenhead (still do to this day) and he called me his girlfriend (and still tells people I am). Being a helpless romantic Malia and I performed a wedding ceremony for the neighbor’s dogs (even though I’m sure they were both boys). I was always outside. Whether it was running over to flirt with the neighbor boys (who were 10 years older than me) or running up the grassy hillside, I was content with the life and the adventures I was having at age six.
The move to Finland:
The first day we were in our new apartment I made fun of the neighbor boy and made him cry. Mom made me take a sucker over to his house and apologize. I was home schooled because they didn’t have Kindergarten so Annie and I would spend hours in our bedroom playing “characters”, dressing up, or hitting on the missionaries. Annie and I felt left out because we couldn’t speak Finnish and we didn’t understand the sophisticated English that mom, dad, and Karly spoke, so we made up our own language called “Kutsa”. It drove everyone insane, because they had no idea what was being said but Annie and I legitimately understood each other. I would spend hours on the Nintendo 64, preparing myself to play dad and beat him at any game. I had a dear friend named Jouni. Now Jouni didn’t speak a word of English and I didn’t speak Finnish so we would sit in front of the t.v. playing video games without a word being said. I would sleep over at his house ( a loft in the barn ) and wake every morning to milk the goats. One day we decided to take and adventure and we got lost. We didn’t understand each other so we sat in the woods for a long while before his Grandpa found us. When I wasn’t with Jouni, I was at home creating, learning, and having a good time. I would sit and watch out the window that looked out the Harbor while drunk men and women were arrested during the summer nights. I would go to Elvis (Elle-V) house and eat all the chocolate she had to offer because she was allergic. I would spend hours outside in the snow or challenging the climbing bar at “Kissing Park.” I was a fearless 6 year old that could take on the world.
The move to Utah:
I met my best friend…Chelsea. My puppy. We did everything together even though she scared the living crap out of me. She was twice my size at the age of 6 months! I would take her for walks everyday and come back home in tears because she would drag me along the sidewalk for most of the walk. My bloody knees and ripped jeans were proof of this. I was picked on by some boys that were a year younger than me so I would take Chelsea on a leash to the front yard and we would sit there and watch the boys as they walked by. Every time they caught a glimpse of Chels, they would hurry across the street and keep an eye on her at all times ( making sure she wasn’t coming for them ). I learned the piano and ukelele, played soccer, clogged, and played basketball…while keeping straight A’s. I was Lexi…the girl that could accomplish anything without letting people get to her.
Move to Kansas:
I fell in love with my best friend’s older brother. My hair turned insanely curly, yet I didn’t want mom to touch my hair ( so I looked like a boy, no joke ). I played basketball, receiving my first black eye from getting elbowed in the eye and then fouling out for pushing the girl back. Wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t see within 30 seconds of being elbowed. Megan, my best friend, and I went to movies, shopped, played soccer, and splashed in the grossest ponds we could find. Nothing could separate our friendship. These were the years of hope, joy, happiness, and love.
Move to Utah:
I learned a lot about myself during the time spent in Utah during this time. I had a prank war going on with the neighbor boys , as we constantly ambushed each others’ houses and destroyed the yards. They were the guys with capes, and I was the blonde hair, brace face girl across the street. I became close with my dear friend Madi and we shared many laughs, stories, inside jokes, tears, and drama with one another. I made the Jr. High basketball team and those were the best winters of my life. I couldn’t believe that my hard work had payed off. These were the years of finding myself, wallowing, self achievement, and struggles.
Move to Arkansas:
The roughest move I’ve had to experience yet. But I don’t regret a day I spent there. My mom helped start a cross country team so I could compete my sophmore and junior year. Placing in state: 10th place the first year and 3rd place the next, I found myself excelling in something I thoroughly enjoyed. Homecoming court. Prom my sophmore and junior year. Summer boating trips with the family. Experiencing the South with what it had to offer. I didn’t have very many friends my Junior year and I found myself hanging out at Heather’s house with her and her kids. Annie became my best friend. My mom and I became closer. I felt lots of love in my home and enjoyed just being with the family. These were the years of becoming Lexi, close relationships with family, and figuring out what I wanted in life.
Move to Louisiana:
My favorite place by far. I spent my days going to school for half a day and then working the last half. The job at Great Harvest was the best first job. I met so many interesting people and fell in love with the culture. I experience Mardi Gras. I experienced the Cajun lifestyle. I experienced life. I didn’t have any close friends, but I had Annie. And I think that’s how we made it through those 8 months in Louisiana. We would go to Raising Canes every Monday after school. Pedicures and Manicures became a recent activity. Boys became a big part of our lives. (haha). Mom and I became the best of friends. Sushi was our favorite food whether it came from Rouses or a fancy restaurant. She did everything to make sure that our family had a good experience there. We were so happy there. This was the year that I found true happiness, I found my best friends (my family), and figured out who the real Lexi is.
Now I’m in college having a good time. But there are so many sides to me, some people can’t put their finger on it, so let me help you out. The real Lexi isn’t complex. The real Lexi is happy. That’s all you have to know. I try to put others first and I want to help everyone around me so they have a good life and have a great experience. I feel like I cheated life, because I couldn’t think of a better way to live my life. I’ve had so many opportunities and experiences, I want everyone else around me to have that too. If I were to die, I would be satisfied with the life that I have lived. I feel confident to say that I have lived the best life that I could.
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