"If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on Public Relations."
~Bill Gates

PR Writing Post 2: About Me
What’s your full name?
Alyssa Ann Westling
Were you named after anyone?
No.
Do you have a nickname? If yes, what is it?
Close friends call me Lyss. Older friends call me Wes.
What’s your astrological sign?
Pisces
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Morning person.
Do you wish on stars?
Not usually.
Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Depends on the shoes...
Do you have tattoos ?
No.
What do you do most often when you are bored?
Knit, read, clean...I can't ever sit still.
Donkey or Elephant or Neither?
Elephant.
What makes you angry?
When people ask questions and then don't listen for the answers.
What did you do last night?
Watched Top Chef.
What frightens you?
Being without close friends and family.
How many keys are on your key ring?
4 or 5.
What do you do to relax?
Stay busy.
Do you believe in superstitions?
No.
Have you attended a church or religious event outside of your own?
Yes. My friend is of the Mormon faith, and I attended a few events with her.
Name a foreign language that you know.
I am learning Spanish.
Name three things most people don’t know about you.
-I don't really like chocolate.
-I'd like to write a novel someday.
-I've been singing and performing since I was 3.
Family, Pets, & Friends
Do you have any siblings?
2 younger, Zach and Lane
Who was your best friend in high school?
Anna. We are still very close today.
Do/did you have any pets?
I had a golden retriever, Abby, until I was about 17.
Cat person or dog person?
Dog...though I prefer neither.
Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
My boyfriend, Trent.
Travel
What states have you been to?
California, Hawaii, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Florida...
What countries have you been to?
Mexico, Canada, Spain, Italy, Ireland, England, Switzerland, France
In how many states have you lived?
2, Minnesota, Wisconsin
When is the last time you took a train?
Fall 2008 in Spain.
Food
What do you like to eat for breakfast?
Waffles, pancakes, cereal, fruit, bagels, english muffins...
What is your favorite food?
Steak.
What foods do you dislike?
Mushrooms, tomatoes.
What ethnic food do you like and dislike?
I haven't tried many ethnic foods.
What is your favorite chip flavor?
Plain.
What is your favorite sandwich?
Sandwiches are my least favorite meal.
What is your favorite drink?
Milk.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate.
What’s your favorite salad dressing?
Ranch.
Plain, buttered or salted popcorn?
Salted.
What’s your favorite pie?
French silk.
What’s your favorite fast food place?
I don't eat fast food.
Media
Which Harry Potter characters are you?
Hermione.
What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
500 days of summer.
What is your favorite TV show?
Top Chef AND The Tudors.
Last book you read.
Queen of this Realm (memoirs of Queen Elizabeth I)
What picture is on your computer wallpaper?
A photo of my boyfriend and me in southern Spain.
What is your ring tone?
Random.
What are three favorite songs on your iPod?
I don't have an iPod.
Do you have a Facebook page?
Yes.
Do you have a Twitter account?
Yes.
Do you have a blog?
Sure do.
Wishes
Where would you retire to?
A home in the woods near an ocean.
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Egypt.
Would you ever bungee jump? Skydive?
No.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Green.

PR Writing Class Post 1:

What does writing mean to me?

Writing has always been an escape for me. It is a way to get everything out of my brain and into another medium. I've been journaling heavily since I was about eleven years old. Keeping a record of my thoughts, motivations, and even agrivations has been very theraputic. I am a very analytical person, and so writing things down and thinking through multiple solutions to problems or ways to explain certain situations has always made making sense of things that much easier.
Because I've been writing for so long, it has become a part of who I am. And, I hope to continue to keep writing as a large part of my life forever. There are so many words out there, and so many ways of using them. I love to just scribble words down to release frustrations, to liberate myself, to just let the words flow.

As Joan Didion once said,
"I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." This fully captures my meaning of writing. It's a tool to express one's thoughts-about anything. It's a way of analyzing one's life. I enjoy overthinking, and I enjoy writing. For me, the two go hand in hand.