My dad recently sent me a few emails with old stories and papers I had written, and this one was by far the funniest because I actually remember sitting down that day and writing this.  My parents had just received their US citizenship and I didn’t want to forget anything.  I think everyone should keep a journal, because there’s so much that’s easily forgotten about the day-to-day and it’s fun to look back and see what was going on a month, a year or even several years ago in your life. Anywho, I laughed and even cried a little, mostly at my spelling which hasn’t really gotten much better.

Hello, my name is Olga E. Zakharenko!

I’m wrighting this for sentimental values. 

The date is May 15,1999 and I am 11 years of age and in fifth grade going into sixth.  My birthday is only five months away and I have only 3 weeks of school left.  I’m going to write about my hobbies and some of my favorite things at this moment.  My favorite movie so far is Titanic because of it’s specail affects and wonderful story of an unsinkible ship that did sink.  My hobbies right now are swimming, playing hockey, drawing, desining, and sining.  In fact my best friend, Marin and I are starting our own group called N.L.G. that stands for Naughty Little Girls my friends sister, Dayna thought of it.  Right now the biggest news is the bombing in Kosovo.  Now for more of my favorite things.  My favorite food is pizza and ceaser salad with crutons and garlic dressing.  My favorite T.V. show is Friends because it is so funny!  That’s about it for my favorite things so goodbye!  I hope you had a nice time reading it after so long.   

Olga Eugeneiva Zakharenko  I’m a citizen!

Music is my everything. And coming from someone that can’t carry a tune or play a single note it’s pretty ironic, I know. But I think the fact that I can’t do those things makes me appreciate the sheer talent it takes to create melodies, lyrics, beats and put all of those elements together into one organic piece of work.

I fall in love with songs so passionately sometimes that it almost feels like a first crush.  When new shows are posted I have a desperate need to buy tickets as quickly as possible without even an inkling of a doubt that other plans may come up or that I may not find someone to go with me.

Being in New York surrounded by venues like Webster Hall, Terminal 5, The Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom, The Living Room, Le Poisson Rouge (O.K. you get it, there are a lot of venues) is like being a kid in a candy store.  Not only are there multiple (and AMAZING) shows every night, some bands play up to three shows in a week! Give me a minute, my palms are starting to sweat from all this excitement…

Anyway, what I’m getting at is I do believe I’ve finally discovered my passion.  I think I had a knowledge of it in the back of my mind, but only lately has it started to become a full blown addiction and an overall thing that I NEED to be a part of.  I love to write, I love to listen to music, I love to go to shows so I’m hoping that my recent move to New York, this city with all of this beautiful and fantastic musical talent, will give me an opportunity to be a part of that world.

Ok, enough of this cheesy rant.  I’ll leave you with a song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi4RgOszst0

At the beginning of every year, we all sit down and make promises to ourselves. Lose 100 pounds! Quit smoking! For the most part, we stick to our goals for about a month tops and then quickly slip back to our comfortable routine vowing that next year will be different.  Well guess what? It won’t be.  

I’m not being a jerk just to be a jerk, I just think there’s a better way to stick to your goals.  Wanna know what my resolutions were last year? I envisioned myself backpacking through Europe & Asia, cutting back on eating fatty foods and making myself not take everything so personally. In reality, none of those happened…well not so literally anyway.

The thing about New Years resolutions is they don’t work because they’re forced! Boom, I just solved the mysteries of the world. Thank you, thank you.  

In all seriousness though, I’ve realized the best way to go about it is to trick yourself.  Instead of making huge adjustments I make little tiny changes and work my way up.  So I start by taking a walk in my neighborhood to stretch my legs and in no time I’m back to my goal of benching 250 and shooting up steroids…no joke, that happens.

I think small changes always seem to work out better.  In the end, I didn’t travel through Asia or Europe, but I did move to an amazing city that’s out of my comfort zone.  I get to work from home so I can pick what I eat more consciously than I did working nights at a restaurant, and well… the drinking helps with the not taking things personally part. KIDDING! That last thing I’m still figuring out, but I’ll get there.  We’ll all get there. 

Moral: Start small and stick to what you know you can do, because (trust me) when you’re a wee bit tipsy at 2am and that delicious little Taco Bell chalupa is winking seductively at you, that 100 pounds you promised yourself you’d loose will be the last thing on your mind.