Hello, I’m Paula Elfers and I was new to McFarland this last school year of 2010. I used to live in Cameron with my dad and after spending the summer in McFarland, decided that it’d be great to live here. I live here with my mom and it’s awesome. Although I miss my dad as well as my other relatives and all my friends, I think it was a good choice to move here. It’s hard to live four hours away from my dad because I don’t get to see him a lot, and when I don’t, it’s hard not to be frustrated with him. I have a dog at his house and she is a golden lab named Abby. I absolutely love animals and hope I can live on a farm someday. Horseback riding is something that I wish I could do every day, but a person usually needs to own a horse if they want to do that, which I don’t. I don’t have any pets here in McFarland, but when I go to friend’s houses it usually makes up for that. My mom’s friend owns a farm just outside of McFarland, so it’s really fun to go over there and play with their dog and pet their cows, especially the calf. When I was in track I had a lot of fun, and it also gave me motivation to keep running, and I hope I never stop. During my sophomore year in Cameron, I was a cheerleader—which is very different than dance—and had tons of fun doing it. Although it was a lot of work, being at the games and seeing the crowds cheer with us paid off.
My brother is in the Navy and I’m absolutely a proud sister to say that. He’s two years older than I am and although he’s stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois, I don’t get to see him much. When I do, though, I definitely cherish it. It’s hard not to be able to see him, especially when we’ve never been apart for more than a couple months at a time. When he graduated in May of 2010, it was one of the hardest things to think about: him going away, possibly being shipped halfway around the country. Although he’s only in extended training I still worry about him but still try to keep in contact with him as much as I can. I also have a sister who lives in Minneapolis with her husband, who we don’t get to see a lot but whenever I talk to her there’s no gaps of awkwardness or even simple silence. We could talk nonstop and that’s something I love about her. Although we’re ten years apart, we’re so similar. I also have a step-sister and step-brother, but only see them when I go to my dad’s house, which isn’t often and unfortunate.
My comfort is music, and I love to listen to a variety of music. I’ll usually sit down and read a great book while listening to music—whether it’s country or rock. Although I’m not good at art, I also love to sketch pictures. I’ll usually either draw pictures or doodle quotes, which is another thing I like to do—find crazy, or serious, quotes that I’ve never heard before. An example:
“There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva.” –Josh Groban
