I talk to snakes too.

So far I've spent my Friday looking stupid on the bus, eating granola bars, watching Friends and attempting to make toothbrush bracelets. My first one didn't go brilliantly; I think I need to heat them for longer or something, because these ones are quite thick around the middle which makes them difficult to bend. Ugh, technicalities. I'll keep you posted on my toothbrush bracelet-making progress - I can feel your excitement from here.

A week from today, I'm going home for the weekend, and I couldn't be more excited. I've never felt less like myself or further away from my normal life as I do here, and it'll be nice to have a couple of days of reassurance that it's all still there, waiting for me.

I was going to talk today about a variety of things I turn to when I get homesick/bored/etc., but then I started writing the paragraphs below about YouTube, and couldn't seem to condense my video-love into being just one part of a list, so today I'm just going to go on and on and on about YouTube and how it has inspired me so massively. Deep breath, go.

I started off just watching random videos, generally Wizard Rock songs and the odd comedy vlog channel like Jenna Marbles. Through Wrock I found the Parselmouths, and through their band channel I found Kristina Horner (italktosnakes), lead singer of the Parselmouths and my biggest inspiration to date. I'm in complete admiration of how Kristina has created a career doing what she loves: writing songs and making videos. I then found fiveawesomegirls, Kristina's collaborative channel, and through them I found the Vlogbrothers and effectively discovered that this was me, this was what I wanted to do as well. I've changed so much as a person since these little YouTube discoveries; I have more focus in my life and I work every day to improve my creative skills - editing videos, planning out novels and songwriting. Kristina has given me goals of my own: to eventually start my own Wrock band, to travel, to attend LeakyCon and VidCon and to hopefully write a really good novel. But most of all, and just by doing what she does best, Kristina has convinced me that I can do what I want to do, and stay true to myself along the way.

I've started forging my own little YouTube career; on my personal channel KAPOWWkate, and also on my collaborative channel, The FOUReignDames, where I, like Kristina did for 5AG, post a video every Monday. It's so much fun, and I feel like this is something incredibly important. The fact that I am building connections with three girls I've never met from all over the world is something I am very proud of, and so excited about.

If it weren't for finding 5AG on YouTube, I would never have found Nerdfighteria, and all the amazingness that comes with it - in effect, I wouldn't be the person I am today. In her blog, Kristina once said that it isn't possible to 'find' yourself; that you have to make yourself. And the YouTube community is providing me with the tools to do that.

Thank you, Kristina Horner, for everything.

Lessthanthree.