Who Am I?

Who Am I?

In order for you to understand my journey, you will need to understand me, and what makes me tick and what makes me, well me. Hello, I am Justine Alison Deslauriers and let me start from the beginning.

It all started when my mom and dad got together. They fell in love, (well I am pretty sure it's love) and are still together today coming up on their 29th anniversary in April. My birthday is coming in September and I will be 29...yup, do the math. Anyways, I don’t think I need to tell you how I was born, I really don’t want to get into that, I don’t think you would want to read it either, so I will spare you the details.

I was born at an Air Force Base Hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, so yeah I am a military brat. I have been all over and as much as I hated it when I was younger I have come to value different aspects that I fully believe came from my upbringing.

Anyways, I have lived all over from New Hampshire, Idaho, Maine (no not on the coast), California (no not on the beach), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and finally Vermont where I live with my husband and three children, along with my immediate family.

I didn’t care really at this age, I was just being a kid.

If you asked me where I am from I would say I am from all over. Where is my favorite place? All of it, everywhere I lived had pros and cons. I don’t remember my early childhood much. I remember California, this is where I learned so much. Lets just put it this way my brother (born when we lived in Idaho) and I were the only two white kids in a tiny town called Calipatria which only had like 300 or was it 360 people, mostly of Hispanic descent. Okay, I can’t say we were the only white family, there was one other family as well. Why did I learn so much from living in Calipatria, a tiny little town? It was in this tiny little town I learned about sports, art, hurt, pain, love, grief, tragedy. This is where I became me. I learned that everyone is different, I grew up with other kids with a different race than mine, at this point I was the minority. I didn’t care really at this age, I was just being a kid. We lived in a little 3 bedroom house, my brother and I walked, rode our bikes, scootered—a mile to school and back every day. I learned what love was here, well you know that kid love you get where you like a boy but get the butterflies, without actually knowing what all of it means. (My first childhood crush is still on my Facebook to this day, Shh).

Sports. Oh my goodness. I played everything: soccer (I think this was in Maine though), basketball, Girl Scouts (I know not a sport, just adding it in), and my all-time favorite—volleyball. I left volleyball my freshman year since the coach would not play me. As soon as I left the team he played everyone. I was so mad, however, Karma played its part and he sadly ended up with a broken leg shortly after.

I got my first taste of music and at this point

Art, where do I start? I love art and found my first art class here. I learned how to draw, I have even drawn a few of my own tattoos. What else did I learn in Calipatria? Oh I learned what instruments were. This is where I got my first taste of music and at this point I played the recorder and the clarinet in middle school and high school. I played that clarinet for 7 years!!!. I had one given to me to borrow while I used it. Well I killed it, I played it for I believe 5 years, and one day it said “I have had enough, don’t blow me anymore!” This is where I later found myself playing the violin, baritone saxophone, piano, and guitar.

I found what hate was here, I was bullied and made fun of a lot here. I have really dry skin so much so, that people made fun of me because of it. Grief, yes I learned about grief here, I lost 2 cats—one to cancer and the other to a dog attack. I watched my cat die in my arms. I also raised a pig for Future Farmers of America (FFA), but unfortunately Crispy past from intestinal issues, and no I did not name her Crispy after bacon, which ironically I am allergic to.

I have also had seen my friends lose others. I lost a great uncle. Tragedy, I learned so young, with 9/11 and the loss of so many people, I was in shock and had no idea what to think or do or even say. So my life in California really shaped me as a child, and who I am today. I was a quiet, shy little reserved girl, (well I have no idea what happened to her because I am not longer shy or quiet anymore).