Hello - what is this?

I never thought I would be here writing a blog, but here I am trying this thing out.

I’ll start by introducing myself and tell you a little bit more about who I am. My name is Lena Johnson and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

You may be reading my name as lee-na, but I bet that I have fooled you. Try again, but now read it as lay-nuh. That’s it, that’s how you pronounce my name.

Now that you know my name, I can tell you a little more about me and what this blog is all about.

I have been challenged to blog twice a week by one of my professors, Gary Kayye, who is pushing each one of us to find our voice and personal brand. While this is a semester-long project, I hope to take this further and have fun with it as I want this blog to resonate with you all, yet represent who I am.

It’s like the first day of class when your professor goes around asking you to introduce yourself with your name, major, hometown and a fun fact.

I figured before I start writing down my thoughts and dive deeper into topics that interest me, I should give you some facts that may surprise you and give you more of an insight as to who I am.

1. I was born in Brussels, Belgium and have dual citizenship—in my next blog you’ll be reading more about this and how that’s shaped me.

2. I’ve never broken a bone nor have ever had a nosebleed—and trust me I’ve gotten a volleyball spiked directly in my face.

3. One of my biggest fears is flying over the ocean on a plane. There’s something about being up over the ocean that gets my stomach tied up in knots.

4. I hate being late and set my alarms at the : 05-minute marks.

5. I tend to turn bright red—whether that be because I’m embarrassed, feeling awkward, or something is just really funny.

6. I love emptying the dishwasher, but hate loading it—don't ask me to vacuum.

7. I can’t function without my cup of joe in the morning—you’ll be reading more about coffee later and how addicting it is.

8. One of my favorite words to use is ‘dinky’.

9. I can’t live without my planner.

10. One of my favorite meals is breakfast which I will gladly eat at any time of the day—Elmo's all the way.

You now know a lot more about me than you probably wanted.

In my next few posts, I will go more in-depth on some of my fun facts and take you on an in-depth journey of my thoughts. My posts will feature a variety of themes, ranging from lifestyle to sports to travel.

I have to be honest, I am nervous yet excited about this blog and finding my own brand. As a senior, there’s so many “lasts” yet so many “firsts” that here’s a chance to write down my thoughts and learn to appreciate my time here at Carolina.

Let’s take this one post at a time, as I learn to compile my thoughts concisely.