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| Full Name |
Amanda Julie Swensen

| Nickname |
Mandie is short for Amanda.

| Age |
21

| Gender |
Female

| Likes |
* Indoors
* Dogs
* Orchestral and film-inspired music
* Interviewing people (she enjoys seeing other perspectives)
* Friendly debates
* Historical films
* Classy men
* Home decorating
* Orange

| Dislikes |
* Her parents
* Anything with more than four legs
* Being bragged on
* Promiscuous people
* Dancing
* Goth people
* Lazy people
* Being photographed
* Alcohol
* Cooking

| Personality |
Mandie is, first and foremost, not an athlete.
She will talk to them because she has to. She was born to two by fate. She will give athletes a chance when talking to them. But Mandie herself is completely and entirely not an athlete.
Instead, Mandie is a journalist for a small-town paper in New Mexico. She’s introverted and modest, finding it challenging to speak to large groups at times, especially during parties. One of her greatest social challenges is a sudden change of plans, even if it’s something small like getting a spoon instead of a fork or going to a different restaurant than planned, because she’s not very adaptable. She doesn’t grow angry often, but when she becomes angry, it takes her a while to return to normal, and she doesn’t hide it well. She tends to hug the walls at large social events, and even at mealtimes, she’ll stay away from the others.
Many people start out distant with others and then open up as time goes on. Mandie goes the other way. She is very friendly and open in the beginning, but as time goes by and her opinions of others evolve, she will cut off ties, suddenly stop talking, or grow very attached to a person. Opening up for her is a way of icebreaking, because it shows the innermost personality of another person, not just the superficial things like ‘favorite color’ or ‘career path.’
She is currently in a very rough long-distance relationship with a 22-year-old European. Although they connect on the superficial level, she feels that he cannot connect with her beyond that, and the distance makes things even tougher. Therefore, although she is in a relationship, she could find herself growing romantically interested in another person.
And I know this is appearance, not personality, but she tends to overdress just slightly. She frequently wears patterned skirts and blouses or sweaters. She can always be found with her journal, either writing or sketching.

| Place Of Origin |
Born in Cleveland, Ohio; now in New Mexico

| History |
Mandie’s childhood, in short, is filled with plenty of disagreements about what she ought to be.
Her fights with her parents began by the age of seven. Her mother had placed her in soccer and basketball teams without her consent, resulting in a bitter, cutthroat argument that lasted an hour and ended in a relationship that remains tainted. Her father, busy with being a successful football coach, was fairly absent, but agreed with Mandie’s mother that she ought to be athletic and continue the family’s traditions. When asked about her parents or compared to them, she tends to become irritable, since she has little respect for them.
On her 18th birthday, her bags were packed and car full of gas. When her parents left the house for work, she made the very long drive to a small town in New Mexico, where she resides today. She went to a community college, and because she was cut off from her parents’ financial support, she is drowning in student loans and living in a small apartment. Still, she has no desire to return to the life she had with her family. Instead, she prefers to carve her own path in life so her achievements are reached independently.
So why the trip? In simple terms, Mandie wants a restart. Since moving to New Mexico, she has yet to truly settle in and become comfortable, make friends, find her true place in the world. She feels in flux. Therefore, her goal on the trip is to meet some people and learn more about herself and the world. Her family probably isn’t okay with her leaving, but that hasn’t stopped her before!

| Extra |
Her favorite food is tomato soup.