As my birthday approaches and in celebration of my last week’s being 35 I’ve decided to share 36 things about me you probably don’t know like random facts, what I love and more. FYI, I don’t tend to get personal but I’m going to share a few personal facts that may shock you.
- I don’t have a middle name. I’m just Charlene Gonzalez.
- I really have loved my thirties but am a little anxious about 36.
- Though I may look tall in photos my height is 5’1.
- I love fashion and dressing well but I am not high maintenance! So, don’t be fooled.
- I’m scared of heights though I’ve taken tons of risks even if I may crap in my pants trying to face my fears.
- What do I do? I’m a blogger, content creator, social media manager and digital strategist. I’m an expert in branding and influencer marketing. There’s a lot more that I do. Plus, I model and act sometimes.
- I love all music except hard rock.
- I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my work.
- My celebrity crushes are Jimmy Garoppolo & Mario Casas.
- I love olives and pickles.
- Even though I’m very confident and have overcome my fear of public speaking I’m still very shy.
- Italian food is my ultimate weakness.
- I have this weird way of never making the first move on a guy. I like to be pursued. My friends criticize me for that. Though its 2021 I’m old fashioned and shy.
- You’ll never catch me watching horror movies. Not my thing.
- I have never been married and don’t have kids. Yeah, it surprises many. I recently got asked if I didn’t have kids because of a medical condition which was a bad assumption and it offended me greatly. I hope to be a mom one day, but I’ve been very careful about it.
- Relationships are hard, it takes two committed people to make it work. When in a relationship I’m fully in and I give my all to make things work. But if I’m 100% honest, I’ve been in a few relationships, but I have to admit I’ve never truly been passionately in love. I’m capable of giving so much love, I guess that’s proof they haven’t been “the one”. When loyalty, honesty, respect, communication, connection, and support lack in a relationship it’s hard for love to flourish. Settling is not for me no matter how much you work on a relationship. All I know is that I don’t have time for meaningless relationships that lead nowhere. I believe in love, and I know someday Mr. Right will come along.
- Getting super personal, I’ve been deeply betrayed in two past relationships where the guys unfortunately turned out to be married. You live and you learn. Those experiences made me stronger and taught me to be very careful.
- I use to own more than 200 pairs of shoes…….until hurricane Maria destroyed most of my belongings. Now I own about 60 pairs and I’m desperately trying to minimize. Before y’all freak out about the massive amount of shoes I owned, just want to point out I had a few brand partnerships.
- I’m the ultimate Backstreet Boys fan. I’ve missed seeing them in concert 2 times. It’s my dream to meet them and see them in a concert one day.
- Even if I were a millionaire, I wouldn’t have the heart to buy extremely expensive purses or shoes. I would prefer to use that money to help others in need. So many people are dying of hunger, and I just don’t see myself spending 5k on a purse when I could feed so many with that money. Losing a lot during hurricane maria taught me that material things are worthless. BUT if anyone or a brand would ever gift me an expensive gift, I’d accept it. No disrespect to those who do buy expensive products, it’s just my personal opinion.
- Not a fan of conflict or drama.
- I’ll never settle for less than what I deserve.
- Life is simple I don’t understand why people complicate it.
- I’ve been through plenty in life, but I believe in finding the positive in every situation. Every life lesson has changed me for the better.
- Forgiveness is important. I don’t hold grudges or hate in my heart. That’s poison that makes you miserable and I choose to embrace love, peace and happiness.
- Unfortunately, I’ve had to make my friends circle small. Not everyone is a real friend rooting for you. Jealousy and selfishness exist. It’s important to surround yourself with good-hearted friends who value and support you.
- I’m self-made and have worked my ass off for everything alone.
- My first car ever was a Kia Rio that legit gave me the worst trouble. It almost made me a professional mechanic.
- Knowledge is power. I love to learn new things.
- Anxiety & depression have been part of my life. I’ve been through a lot in my life, and it’s ok to not have life go as you planned. Don’t be hard on yourself and give yourself a break sometimes. Communicate your feelings to family, friends or a professional. If you go through the same just know you are not alone.
- I hate to complain or be negative, there are so many people suffering through so much in the world. I think complaining about ridiculous things is selfish.
- Life is short. I believe in living it to the fullest.
- Comfort zones scare me. You have to take a leap of faith and risks to make your dreams a reality.
- Traveling makes me so happy. Places I’d love to visit are Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Portugal, Brazil, England, Scotland, and Switzerland.
- I’ve thought about joining the peace core. I love helping others in need.
- I want to travel the world speaking to teens about empowerment and self-esteem. It’s the main reason I created a special teen conference.
Photos by Nomar Rodriguez