One stinking Cage. That’s all that kept Vanessa (Code Name: Vanalam) from reigning supreme. Remember that. I suspect she’s even more motivated now to come back and knock us all out when The Lark returns! In the meantime, she definitely deserves her day in the spotlight…

Vanessa, I blogged a lot about my childhood and moving around, etc. Tell us a little about yours.

I’m the youngest of 3 children, born in a town in Vermont that had a maple sugar factory. We only lived in Vermont until I was 5, so I don’t remember too much, but I do remember that our next-door neighbors tapped the trees and my older brother and sister and I and the neighbor kids used to drink sap straight out of the buckets (maple sap is a lot like sugar water). Next, we moved to Maine. We lived in Saco until I was 11 or 12. I loved growing up there. My best friend lived across the street. We had a large unfinished room above the garage that I used as a playroom. I had a large tree in the woods behind our house that I would climb and sit in when I wanted alone time. My dad built me a tipi in the backyard where I could play; boys were okay, but absolutely no cowboys allowed. On Sundays, I rollerskated in my driveway for hours listening to the Weekly Top 40. Garside’s Ice Cream, the best ice cream shop in the world (in my opinion), was only a short walk or bike ride away, and we could also easily bike to a nearby state park that had a nice beach and great biking/walking trails through the woods that I called “Fairyland.” I lived in Maine until I left to go to college in California, but we moved to a different house or town every few years. Even though we moved, I went to the same very small Christian academy from 6th-12th grade, so I feel like I got a bit of the nomadic lifestyle mixed with the stability of going to school with and having some of the same friends for many years.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you ended up doing? These days… What would you like to be when you grow up?

There were two main things I wanted to be: an actress and a librarian at the Library of Congress. I am currently not doing either (I’m an office assistant). I worked in libraries from before I could be paid until college and decided that, although I love libraries, it wasn’t really for me. I acted in high school and college and have done a few small things since college, but it’s hard to pursue that for a living. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Part of me is still interested in acting, but I’m more interested in writing these days, which was actually my major in college. I participated in and completed NaNoWriMo last November (now I need to edit), and I’ve had a great idea for a children’s book rolling around in my head for years that I need to sit down and write (that’s the hard part for me). I’d really love to be able to do something involving (or that allows me to) travel.

The TV whore in me needs to ask, what are some of your favorite TV shows?

Some of my current favorites are: Lost, Glee, Gossip Girl, The Amazing Race and The Office. In addition to Lost, some of my other all-time favorite TV shows are Battlestar Galactica (the series from the Aughts, not the Eighties), Friends, Sex and the City and Beverly Hills, 90210 (the original, of course), probably my all-time fave.

What’s one thing you resolved to do this year?

I don’t usually write resolutions out, but I actually did this year. As usual, I resolved to get into better shape/exercise more/take better care of myself, etc. I also resolved to have better time management and spend more time on my creative projects, one that I have yet to really work on, but I definitely need to.

What are some websites you really enjoy?

You mean besides www.johncabrera.com? I’m not on there too much (because it’s too easy to waste time there), but I do enjoy Tumblr (here’s mine). For the opportunity to share music I like and check out cool new music that other people are listening to, I like Blip. I love IMDb for all of my numerous TV show/movie/actor/director/screenwriter, etc. questions (e.g. why does that actor look familiar?) and curiosities. I enjoy reading health and fitness articles, so to supplement my Self subscription, I like to check out the different features and blogs on their website. I often end up on Delish because I love cooking/baking and can’t resist links on other pages that say things like “10 Easy Casseroles Using Only 5 Ingredients.” It may be strange, but Netflix is probably one of the sites I use and enjoy most, and not just for watching movies/TV shows. I am constantly rearranging my queue (which is about as long as it can be) and I enjoy seeing what my friends are watching and how their ratings compare to mine.

If you had one day to guest blog on John’s blog, what would you blog about?

I’ve been meaning to get back into it after a break for NaNoWriMo and the holidays, but normally, I blog about food. However, since it’s timely and I have a strong suspicion that John won’t be blogging about this, I’d blog about the Olympics.

Free question! Tell us anything!

I love traveling and exploring new and interesting places. I’ve been extremely lucky to do quite a bit of it. I’ve been to 6 out of the 7 continents, with only Antarctica to go. Here are the international places I’ve been: Canada, Mexico, South Africa (for my brother’s wedding, my sis-in-law is S. African), London (quick layover on way to S.A.), Peru (educational tour in college), Thailand (w/ group from former university), Australia, New Zealand (my favorite country so far) and Switzerland.

If not for a pesky Cage you would have taken The Lark this season, do you have any advice for future Larkers?

The brother of a good friend from college was one of the contestants on the first season. I’ve watched the show every since then, so if there’s any “skill” I have in the Lark, it’s from the benefit of years of watching. Even though every season is different, you notice patterns. It’s important to remember that up until the Top 10, the fate of the dancers is mainly in the judges’ hands (pay attention to who they are pushing you to like), and after that, it’s all up to the audience. And, up until the Top 10, a dancer who may not be a favorite could get to the Top 10 simply by partnering with a favorite. A dancer with some skill and lots of charisma will almost always win out over a very skilled dancer without much personality. A dancer who grows, whether it is in dance skill or personality, will usually win out over someone who is good from the beginning (although those people often end up 2nd or 3rd in the overall competition). Also, keep in mind that a large portion of the voting audience is teenage girls. Other than that, I just hope for the best. There will always be someone or something that will surprise you, and that keeps the show fun and interesting.