You asked, I answered.

So a couple of weeks (more like months) back I asked you all to ask me questions about myself, this blog or the most random shit in the universe. Here are my answers.

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Lass X asks: Who are you? Who do you think you are?

l am a female, teenager, pessimist, feminist, writer, blogger, poet, creative, tea drinker, cat lover, washi-tape hoarder, introvert, chewing gum addict, pianist, dreamer, procrastinator, mild insomniac and hopeless romantic deep down. I think I am a good person. I would describe myself as passionate, stubborn, private, sometimes a little shy.

magarisa asks: Do you have a best friend? If so, what makes him or her your best friend?

I do have a best friend. Caro (you might know her as “C” from this post) is one of those rare people I’ve met where I just felt an instant connection and familiarity. I can be myself around her. There’s no holding anything back when we’re together which makes for an honest relationship. Most of all I think I feel understood, supported and safe when I’m with her. I think our friendship has gone through a number of tests over the years and the most reassuring thing for me is that we always bounce back. We always find a way to make things work even if we don’t see each other as often as we used to.

hideawaygirl asks: Have you ever watched Shrek and did you like it?

Yes, I have watched Shrek. I was a child when I saw it but I do think I enjoyed it – it was only afterwards where other children would ask me if I was secretly green that I grew to resent it. I’m still not very fond of people always talking about Shrek whenever they hear my name, I guess some kids traumatized me back then lol.

What is one song that describes you?

At the moment, I’d probably say Post-Youth Depression by Joe Russell-Brown. I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic as of late.

And what are your opinions on feminism, do you think yourself as one and what would you like to change?

I do consider myself to be a feminist. But label or not, I think anyone acknowledging gender inequality is helping the cause. For me, being a feminist is about not being a sexist, it’s about changing the way society views women and their place within said society. It’s about granting all women equal rights, not about “man hating” of any kind.

mckenna asks: What are some of your hobbies?

Playing the piano, reading, writing, creating art, photography, making videos, spending time with my friends,…

What’s your passion?

Writing. Creating.

What’s your favorite animal and why?

Cats because my own cat, Nala, is like one of my best friends.

What’s your favorite tv show?

Big Little Lies.

yourfriendlystranger asks: Where are you from?

*OH MY GOD HERE IT IS; THE BIG REVEAL*

This is kind of a tough one to answer. My dad is from Scotland, my mum is from Austria. I was born in England and lived there for the first six years of my life before moving to Austria. So I guess I’m from both, but currently settled in Austria.

As a child I always felt like I didn’t really have that sense of belonging or identity regarding a nationality because there wasn’t a definite answer to the where are you from question. One of my first blog posts ever is actually an essay about growing up bilingual, which sums up all of that childhood confusion of mine pretty well.

Truth talk: I was pretty hesitant to share where I’m from with all of you on this blog because… well, I’m not actually quite sure why. Maybe I was trying to still keep something to myself, maybe I was scared… yeah, not exactly sure. Anyway, now you know in which country I am currently residing in and to be honest, it kind of feels good now that I’ve written it down. Opening up on this blog and sharing experiences from my personal life has been a very hard and long process for me, so I guess I’m finally taking another step in that whole journey by having revealed this to you, my friends of the Internet.

What is the education system like there?

In Austria we follow a pretty basic principle when it comes to education: everyone has the right to it. That is why education is free here. It is mandatory to complete 9 years of education, four of which are spent in Primary school, another four can either be spent in a gymnasium or middle school. After that you have the option to stay in a gymnasium (for another four years) or to visit another school with a focus on business, economics, tourism, fashion, technology, science, art,… there are so many options to choose from. Those schools typically take five years to complete. The equivalent of “finals” / “A-levels” is the “Matura” in Austria. The Matura is composed of written and oral exams. Once you passed those, you are free to step out into the world and pursue further education if you wish. Studying at university is basically free (with a few minor costs, but nothing outrageously expensive).

What is the political structure/system?

I’m quoting wikipedia because I’m a lazy bitch.

“The politics of Austria take place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, with a Federal Chancellor as the head of government, and a Federal President as head of state. Governments, both local and federal, exercise executive power. Federal legislative power is vested both in the government and in the two chambers of parliament, the National Council and the Federal Council. Since 1949 the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the center-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) have largely dominated the party-political landscape of Austria.)”

-wikipedia (the most reliable source out there lol)

What is the poverty/ equality like there?

According to its GPD, Austria is one of the top 14 richest countries in the world and one of the top 5 safest countries to live in. The unemployment rate is pretty low on an international scale. Of course there are still gender pay gaps, which I heard are very high compared to other countries.

“The top 1% owns around 40% of the gross assets in Austria; the poorer half (50%) owns only 2%.” – by a source (duh)

I see you mentioned feminism, is that a big thing in your life?

Of course it is. I experience sexism, even sexual harassment in my everyday life like probably most females do. The wage gap is still very much a problem, as is gender inequality in general. As long as we are not equal it will always be a “big thing” in my life.

I am currently trying to raise some awareness when it comes to this whole topic – the theme of season 2 of my interview series, The Person Behind, is feminism and social media. The first issue of UNTAMED magazine (that I’m currently working on with so many amazing bloggers, photographers and creatives) is also centered around feminism and what it means to be a feminist in this day and age.

crystalsandcurls asks: What have the most pivotal moments of your life been so far?

I think graduating and moving out were probably one of the most significant moments in my life so far, just because they evoked so much change in my life and also in myself. Those two experiences really set a massive learning curve in motion because I am just now figuring out how to be an adult and how to be… myself.

Looking at the question in a more sentimental manner, the birth of my brother also had a massive impact on my life. I got to grow up with someone and make a friend for life. Having a sibling also taught me a lot about compromise and working together. It’s great to have someone who you can count on no matter what and the bond I have with my brother is inexplicably beautiful.

What are your goals for the next year?

• hopefully do a lot of collaborations with different bloggers and creatives
• branch out by working on an array of creative projects
• start writing my own book
• travel (more spontaneous trips & concerts!)
• work hard on everything I do
• get my driver’s licence

And how would you describe yourself?

I think I am an expressive individual who will always have the need to create something.

Kaitlyn asks: What do you want your life to look like in a few years time?

Well hopefully I will have completed my Bachelor studies in the next 2 ½ years! I’m not exactly sure if I want to continue studying after that (and get a master’s degree) or start working straight away. We’ll see I guess 🙂

What moments have brought you the most joy in the past year?

I got my Matura which was a pretty rewarding experience because I worked really hard to get the grades I did. I travelled a lot last summer and was finally able to spend plenty of time with my friends again. And lastly, all of this, blogging. I feel like my journey really took off last year and I think 2017 was the year where I truly found and acknowledged my (writing) voice.

Srijan asks: What’s a lie, which is true?

The truth is supported by facts, lies aren’t.

If you were my girlfriend, what’d be one of your reasons to break up with me?

Haha, what kind of question is this?! lol. From your poems it’s pretty clear that you are still trying to move on from your ex girlfriend. I think that would be a pretty big reason 😂

Why are you so sweet?

My sugar intake is pretty high.

hell0chloe asks: If you could do anything in the world without being judged for it, what would it be?

Probably play on playgrounds. Seriously, playgrounds are SO MUCH FUN. Sometimes the giddy child in me just has to come out.

When do you feel the most beautiful?

When I am myself. I know that sounds strange but a lot of the time I hold back out of fear of judgement. When I am by myself or around people who accept me for who I am, that is when I feel the most beautiful.

What is one song that always heals you, no matter how many times you listen to it?

Between The Bars by Elliott Smith.

The Style Of Laura Jane asks: Do you believe in karma and if so, do you believe it affects you in the after life (if you believe in that)?

I’m pretty unsure about this one. I’m not a very religious person (out of several reasons) and I think that us humans are very egocentric when it comes to our existence. Like there has to be an afterlife or something after death because we can’t just simply cease to exist. That being said, I would never judge someone based on their beliefs, so if you believe in something like the afterlife, good for you!

How many soul mates do you think one can find in life?

I think that every person has more than one soul mate out there. The term soul mate to me isn’t necessarily only limited to relationships of a romantic nature. I believe my best friend to be my soul mate too.

Do you believe in instincts and if so, are they always right?

Apart from the typical survival instincts that everyone is born with, I think there really isn’t a way to judge what is right and wrong when it comes to personal instincts. For me, it’s if and how you act on them that is more interesting.

Have you ever had a dream that you thought gave you closure or taught you something in real life?

No, not really. I mostly only remember horrifying dreams, so who knows, maybe I have had a dream like that but just can’t remember it!

adarianqueen asks: If, after death, we relive our best, and most-loved memory, what would you be reliving?

This is honestly such a difficult question because I’m sure that there will be moments throughout my life that will overshadow the memories I currently love and cherish. My most-loved memory that I currently have is probably one with my family from my childhood. I have this distinct memory of my brother’s birth and seeing him for the first time, a memory of my mum teaching me how to do handstands and cartwheels in our garden and my dad taking the time to play barbie and polly pocket with me.

If you decided on a sudden road trip, what would most likely be the cause of the decision, and what song (or songs) would suit the mood of the journey?

The cause of the decision would be a friend or me being like “yo you wanna go on a road trip?” lol. If we were travelling at night, I’d turn on my Nocturnal Drive playlist, otherwise probably my Dearest playlist.

What are your views on Donald Trump, and if you could ask him one question, what would it be?

Why? *followed by a whole bunch of vulgar words*

If you had a planet/kingdom/empire, what would your motto be, and what would be the key characteristics in the people you appointed as members of your court?

I think the motto would be to just express yourself and create. I imagine the people to be very creative, imaginative and open-minded, maybe we could even push the boundaries of our own imagination.

emotionsoflife2016 asks: What is life to you?

Life to me is all about learning and growing.

Describe true love with just one word.

(a) dream.

Do you like introspection?

Of course!

Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing?

Reading, going for walks, listening to music,…

Classical music or metal?

Classical.

Do you believe in yourself?

Sure I do.

Do you think there is power in darkness?

There’s power in everything, I think the crucial difference is the power source and the intentions behind it.

Alys asks via Twitter: Do you think art/creativity can positively impact lives? If so, how?

Of course it does! Art is a form of expression that can not only help the creator but also the spectator. I often feel understood by many artists and their creations. I also feel that artists like Van Gogh have changed my perspective when it comes to life and made me understand the different facets of being. With art forms like writing, I think it is clear that it can impact lives every day. The written word in particular has an undescribable way of touching people.

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To all of the wonderful people who asked questions: Thank you for taking the time to write some questions for me to answer, I definitely had a lot of fun answering them!

This was such a different post to me because it’s probably the most interactive one I’ve ever written. I enjoyed reading what you were interested in and I sort of feel like I got to know a few of you better through the questions you posed.

My question for you: Should I do a little Q&A every once in a while? Is that something you would be interested in? I don’t see much point in doing them if you guys don’t like them so I’d definitely appreciate your feedback on this.

Until the next post,

Fiona x