User blog:Rachel McCarthy/Nostalgia

Hi everyone. Some of you may not remember me, but on this site I was known as WinxMagiaDiWordGirl/IsabellaWinxSirenix (cringe-worthy names in retrospect), and up until late 2012, I was an avid fan of WordGirl.

And wow, it's been a long time. (So long, in fact, that I've forgotten my password to my account and have to sign in with Facebook.  If that doesn't show how much time has passed, then I don't know what will.)

In all honesty, I thought I would never return here after finishing my last WG fanfic. At least, I certainly never intended to. But a few days ago, I stumbled upon this picture and thought, "Hey, the girl on the right kind of looks like Becky!  Huh, wonder how that show is doing..." So I went on the website, watched the new episode Kid Math, and sure enough, I liked it. And it was more of a relief than I realized. In a world where my childhood favorites like Winx Club and Magical Do Re Mi were becoming poorly-written excuses to sell toys, it was great to know that at least one show still had integrity. The voice work is dynamic, the humor is charming, the narrative is engaging, and is - dare I say - an improvement on the show I remember. It's a fun, light-hearted, simple show, and at times in my life that's all I need.

This is not to say I regret leaving the fandom. I think it was both inevitable and neccessary for me to. But there are times when I miss the good old days. When I didn't have to worry about my fanfiction not getting enough views to get featured and instead had a small but close circle of internet friends to rely on. When conversations with my friends didn't revolve around the stress of homework, the superficialness of mainstream culture, or the bigotry of religion, and instead I could ask, "Hey, did you see that new WordGirl episode?  It was awesome!"

So if that's what I've missed, what have I loved since leaving? Well, I've become a part of the otaku culture, and I vastly enjoy watching anime and listening to Japanese vocaloid songs. It's even gotten to the point where I attend anime conventions and cosplay with my friend. I'm still writing fanfiction, mainly MLP, although recently I've been trying my hand at voiceover work and traditional art (both of which are currently... lacking, to put it nicely). All of these will most likely be hobbies though, as I am setting my sights on attending the University of Chicago, and then medical school to become a psychiatrist. My dream is simple: to take the heartache I have weathered and use it to help people, while also having time to pursue what I love.

To be honest, I don't quite know why I'm writing this. Most likely, anyone I knew on this site is long gone. After all, it's just a TV show. But it's a good one. To me, it represents some of the best years I'll likely have in my life. So I suppose, to anyone reading this, I'll say to enjoy your childhood, and look back upon it fondly even when you're grown up. I know I do.

Love to all,

Bella