Growing Up: Childhood

Mount Beauty is a small country town in North East Victoria where I grew up. It’s a beautiful place, and very picturesque. My home overlooked Mt Bogong, and winter was a delight as I opened the curtains each morning to see the snow-capped mountains.

My primary school years flew by, but not without a story or two. Dad worked as an electrical engineer, and Mum was a housewife. I loved that Mum would be home every day when I finished school. She always baked a cake (you could smell it from a mile away), so at 4 p.m. each day, Mum and I would sit down, eat cake, and talk about the school day with my siblings and I.

In Years 5 and 6, skiing was a compulsory weekly activity. Many would consider this an amazing opportunity, but I didn’t share that sentiment. I spent most of the time sliding down the hills on my bottom because I was so clumsy.

My school reports consistently described me as a “pleasant yet very quiet student.” In Year 5, my teacher even put a “Shy Bug” sticker on my desk. It’s hard to believe now, given how confident I am today. I’ll never forget the day my primary teacher asked what the Three Wise Men brought to visit Jesus. I was so nervous and didn’t like being called upon in class that I blurted out, “Gold, Myrrh, and Frankenstein.” My classmates erupted in laughter at my mistake. By the end of primary school, my shyness had faded.

Starting Year 7 was a milestone; it was the first time I wore a bra, as all the girls did on the first day of high school. The boys loved this day because they ran around pulling the back of our straps all day! Cheeky boys.

I quickly adjusted to high school and, like any teenager, had my ups and downs. I worked hard to get involved in activities and soon became a member of the Student Representative Council. I was responsible for getting a soft drink vending machine installed at the school (much to the parents’ dismay, but the teachers were strong supporters and regular users!). This was where my “Diet Coke” addiction began.

In Year 9, I was completely obsessed with Jason Donovan. At the school swimming carnival, I wrote “Jason” in big letters on my leg with zinc cream. Unfortunately, I got sunburnt that day, and “Jason” stayed tattooed on my leg for the rest of the summer.

Each year, the school magazine was produced, and I received the following awards:

· Year 10: Most Popular Student

· Year 11: Loudest and Funniest Student

· Year 12: Kindest Student

During Year 12, my friend and I were given the responsibility of “Sprinkler Monitors.” Everyone wanted this job because it allowed us to skip the first period of school each day to set up and turn on the sprinklers. On hot days, we’d pretend the sprinklers were broken and get ourselves drenched. We loved this job because if we ever wanted to get out of class, we’d just say we needed to check the sprinklers and would be excused.

In Year 11, my teacher said, “You always get your work done, you always help others, you’re funny, but you’re also so LOUD.” I responded, “Well, I come from an Italian background, and if you have a problem with this, it’s best to contact my mother.”

During high school, I had several hearing tests because teachers thought I spoke loudly because I couldn’t hear. But no, that was just who I was. I’ve since learned to accept that if I call a friend, everyone in the house will hear the conversation.

Looking back on my childhood, I have many fond memories. A significant portion of my teenage years was spent dancing. I joined the Alpine Dancearama troupe and the Upper Kiewa Valley Calisthenics group, where I learned jazz, tap, ballroom, and calisthenics. It was a wonderful way to work as a team, and being from a small country town, we achieved a lot of success. I will never forget when the idea of attending the South Pacific Dance Competition in Sydney was pitched to us. We knew it would be a trek and quite expensive, but our troupe was determined to get there. We even participated in a Dance-a-thon, where we had to dance nonstop for several hours. It wasn’t an easy feat, but it allowed us to raise enough money to fund our trip to Sydney, where our troupe ended up winning several prestigious awards, of which we were very proud.

After completing Year 12, I moved to Geelong to start university at 17. These were some of the best years, and I made lasting friendships.

The hardest part of moving away from Mt Beauty was leaving behind my family connection. I missed living at home, but my family has continued to be the supportive, fun-loving unit they were when I was a child.