Amerana

I’m a 26 y/o femme person from Canada. I live with my partner, my two cats, and my dog. I’m also a dedicated Auntie to two nephews and a niece who I love deeply.

I work full time as a manager in harm reduction, and believe that a harm reduction approach is an approach of radical love. I am currently in school part time trying to finish my Bachelor of Social Work and it’s been weird being back in an undergrad program after 5 years away. My work/field of study means a lot to me, so I spend a lot of time engaging in social justice activism. Sometimes I feel like I live and breath my work. I have a storied history with mental health and addiction, and this really drives my passion for the work. I also recently got diagnosed with ADHD, so have started a journey of figuring out what that means.

Outside of this, I listen to a lot of music and podcasts. I’m a huge fan/early subscriber of Dungeons and Daddies, and like Threedom. In terms of music, I’ve been big into Joyce Manor lately, as well as Noah Kahan. I really just listen to music on my phone, but I definitely listen to a lot of it. I have a huge love for reading but have found it hard to read lately. Some of my favourite authors are Billy-Ray Belcourt, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Miriam Toews. I also like non-fiction, and loved reading The Skin We’re In, Hood Feminism, and Light Up the Night.

Right now, I don’t have a lot of a life outside of work and school, and I’m trying to change that. I used to write a lot, when I first went to post secondary school it was for English Lit and took classes in art. Those are both things that I’d love to get back into, and would love to explore more. I recently got an iPad and want to learn how I can use that for my art. One thing I’ve been doing lately in terms of art is wheel pottery, it feels so meditative and it’s cool to learn a new skill.

I also used to love cooking, and learning new techniques. I was vegan for 5 years and had to learn a lot of new things in that time, like how to press tofu and what liquid smoke can add to a recipe (I even learned to make cashew cheese and cashew sour cream!). Now, I’m vegetarian, and feel like I’ve fallen out of cooking, mostly due to lack of time. I’m kind of a grazer these days, most of my food intake is snacks. One thing I still like making is fresh pasta, poke, and home-made ramen.

I’m a big cozy person, and am trying to make my home feel more cozy. I’m trying to add more art, candles, plants, and mood lighting. I’ve realized, with everything going on in my life, it’s important for my apartment to feel like home. Making that happen so far has looked like me adding a lot of blankets, a new couch, and trying to figure out organization. At the end of the day, the biggest thing that makes it feel like home is my animals.

I have two black cats named Finch and Boo. Finch is a Scottish Fold and is 7, has seen me through so much in my life, and brings me a lot of comfort; he’s the love of my life. Boo is 2 and one of the most chaotic cats I’ve ever met; he always has his claws out and runs out of the apartment every time I open the door. My dog is a 2 year old French Bulldog, and the best part of my day is when we go for our walks. In the morning, she often takes me to a nearby burger stand because she thinks I’ll buy breakfast and give her some. In the evening, we have to patrol the neighbourhood and have checkpoint where we’ve seen cats, chickens, and dogs that she hopes to see again.

Other things that I think could be helpful to know: I have recently learned that I feel really good when I'm wearing clothes that I like. I love a good romper, a band tee, or a pair of ripped jeans. I'm trying to diversify my shoe collection because currently it only includes a pair of daily wear shoes, a pair of boots, and some rain boots. I really want to get back into going to the gym, I used to do yoga and functional fitness exercises almost daily. Before I started ADHD meds, I was a big coffee drinker, but now caffeine is a hell of a drug and it gives me heart palpitations.

I hope that this write up is helpful. I know when I’ve given gifts in the past, when reddit Secret Santa was still a thing, my favourite part has been learning about someone and getting them something I think they’ll like. I also want you to do what’s right for you. So if what’s right for you is getting something from a wish list, I’ve added one of those. Honestly, I will love anything you get me.