Family

My family dynamic definitely impacts the way I see the world. I always envied kids who are best friends with their older siblings. I wanted to have those inside jokes and built in best friend that all my other friends have. I am the youngest of three children. My brother and sister are very close in age (22 and 23) so they had a whole six years of bonding before I came along. I always felt out of place with my siblings, but it taught me how to be independent and play by myself from a young age. I spent a lot of time playing dolls with my cat, which is probably why I love animals so much. My dad also spent a lot of time with me growing up so I wouldn’t be lonely. Looking back, the amount of time he played Polly Pocket with me says more than any “I love you” could.
As I got older, I have matured, and so have my siblings. My sister and I can now go for long car rides together, take our dog to the park, and bond over Ben and Jerry’s vegan ice cream without fighting. Despite being older, I still hold onto the part of my younger self that aspires to be just like my big sister. Being the youngest and seeing my older sister thrive in school, friends, and beauty gave me a lot of unrealistic expectations for myself. I always saw myself as less than because I was trying so hard to be just like her.
I never got closer with my brother, my mom says it’s because we are too similar to get along, but I did have a boy cousin who took his place. I spent a lot of time with my first cousins because of how close in age we are and how close we live. My cousin Jenna is a year older than me and my cousin Dylan is a year younger than me. I got the best of both worlds by having my cousins to play with on the weekends, and my siblings to fight with during the week. I would not be the person I am today if I didn’t have my cousins in my life. They are the bridge between me and my siblings during family events. All five of us would isolate ourselves to our own table and make jokes about our crazy family and imitate our grandparents italian accents. 

My family shaped my independence and gave me the ability to overcome any situation that is thrown my way. There is never a dull moment in the Jingozian household and the constant movement in my household has shaped me into the person I am today.