I’m one of those people that embarrass themselves a lot. However, when asked to recall one of these moments, I can never remember any. In order to try and choose a personal story to share with you guys, I began thinking about who I am as a person. What epic moment in my life sums up Alesia Hoge?
I remember growing up watching movies and reading books in which the main character had some kind of challenge to overcome. One movie I will never forget is the movie A Cinderella Story. This movie did not stick with me because of Chad Michael Murray’s dashing good looks, or because Hilary Duff takes on the role of Cinderella. It stuck with me because of something the father in the movie taught his daughter from early on, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
I used to be ashamed of my interests. I felt like I had to hide from people how I truly felt about certain things. Growing up, I was always creative and extremely curious. I dreamed of living in a big city where I would never be bored, but constantly taking on the world. The Disney cliché that “dreams come true” is what kept me going each day. For some reason, this is something I kept to myself. I never told anyone I wanted to travel the world with Prince Charming, stopping only to paint or draw, to help those less fortunate, to immerse myself in a foreign culture, or to visit my family. I kept all this to myself hoping that one day it would just magically happen like it did in the movies.
The moment I discovered FIDM, I fell in love. I knew this is where I wanted to go to school without a doubt. My friends and family, however, thought I was nuts. None of them could understand why I wanted to move halfway across the country to “make clothes.” They usually responded with “Oh wow! That’s exciting … but aren’t you going to miss your family?” or “Los Angeles … well be careful out there.” Or my favorite, “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” They acted as if this was a spontaneous decision I was making, and I hadn’t stopped to think about what I was really saying. In fact, it was the complete opposite. I had been waiting for this opportunity my whole life.
