I’m currently reading “We Are Never Meeting in Real Life” by Samantha Irby, and her application for The Bachelorette reminded me of the MySpace and Facebook surveys that I took a lot throughout high school. I couldn’t get past it without resisting the urge to re-do one of my old ones for fun.
These things are so! freaking! long!
Continue reading “Trisha Retakes Years-Old Surveys (3/6/11), 1/many”
I first signed up for Classpass as a complement to my running. I loved running, and I still do, but training for a marathon all summer had me completely burnt out. I wanted to build my fitness back up but did not want to do it by pounding the pavement, especially as the cold winter months got closer.
The first “class” I actually went to was gym time at a women’s gym near my apartment. At that point, I hadn’t been to the gym in a long time, so I was a little lost about what to do – treadmill? lift weights? – but the biggest takeaway was that I was able to go to the gym and move my body around at all, which made me feel great after a long break from exercise.
After that, I used my generous trial period credit allowance to try all different types of classes to see what would stick. I had loved boxing when I was in college and took full advantage of different classes at several local boxing gyms. I tried out a pilates reformer and aerial yoga, both for the first time, and had never felt so out of my element in my life. I discovered a new love for Barry’s Bootcamp and rowing as well as affirmed my ongoing dislike of cycling classes. I even twirled so many times at a jazz dance class that I got dizzy and wanted to barf!
I’ve contemplated cancelling it in favor of taking up running and other outdoor activities again, especially as the weather gets warmer and warmer, but part of me has gotten used to the variety available on the app. So far, it’s been a great complement to my running, and I’ve noticed the benefits of cross training now more than ever.
All this to say – if anyone wants a free 2-week trial to Classpass, hit me up!
“What do you prefer – Trish or Trisha?”
“I don’t care, as long as you’re consistent!”
I’ve never been picky about my name. Unlike my brother’s name, which was my grandfather’s, my parents have ceded that mine holds no deeper meaning besides “sounding pretty.”
Some people have no problem with my answer and choose one option right away. I like it when this happens because it takes the pressure off me to choose for them. After all, I’m not lying when I say, ‘I don’t care.’
Other times, people hesitate and think for a second, sometimes pressing me by saying, “No, seriously, what do you prefer?” – to which I think, ‘Why would I lie and say I don’t care when I actually do?’ … but then I realize people would actually lie about that, and then I get sad.
“No, I really don’t care, I swear!”
Whenever this happens, I love seeing what people choose.
“Trisha,” as my full name, has an air of formality around it. The vast majority of people call me Trisha and do so because they never thought to ask my preference, which is totally fine! Why change the status quo for no reason? Sometimes, they are acquaintances who ask the question as a way to break the ice but also don’t want to break the ice completely by using a nickname too quickly, so they continue with my full name, which I find mildly amusing.
The other day, the instructor of my improv class asked this question while in the middle of teaching (which may or may not be the impetus for this entire post), and, in the moment, chose my full name, which I completely expected based on the scenario we were in. My response even got a couple of laughs, which is always welcome in an improv situation!
“Trish” has more the air of a nickname, so most people who choose to call me this are more familiar. In the literal sense, this includes most of my family (read: “Ate Trish,” “Tita Trish,” etc.). Among friends, this usually includes those who I’ve known for a while and only thought to ask my preference when they catch themselves calling me “Trish” randomly when they had been calling me “Trisha” for ages, which, again, is totally fine. Unlike the aforementioned acquaintances, they usually know me better and are more comfortable using a nickname.
I’m actually thankful for these moments, as they give me a tiny barometer reading of our friendship, along the lines of, “Aw, they would really call me Trish? We truly are friends!” (Not to say that people who call me “Trisha” aren’t friends – people show affection in different ways, after all.)
The only options that is weird to me is changing between the two. Just like a child thinking that they’re in trouble when their parent uses their full name, a sudden change in what someone calls me is a signal that something is off.
Did that person just call me Trish for the first time without asking? Are they coming on to me? Are we really close like that? Alternatively, does that other person usually call me Trish but just call me Trisha? Like the kid mentioned above, am I in trouble? Are we about to have a serious conversation?
At the end of the day, there is only one answer that is consistently incorrect – Patricia. In the words of the (immortal) Ting Tings, “That’s not my name!”
Trisha Serquina 