sarahhulst creativestylebook - Flipbook - Page 6
MY LIFE
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I was born in Scottsdale, Arizona April 2001 to
my parents, Isabel Haller and Irving Donald
Hulst. My parents moved to Arizona in 1998 after finishing their college careers in their home
state New York. Both sides of my family are
from New York. My maternal grandmother Michele Taggart grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn,
and met her husband, Charlie Haller, at a bank
she worked at, and he was renovating. My paternal grandmother
was born in Austria and traveled to New York when she was six
years old. She was married before and had my aunt Karllina and
my uncle Mickey. She later divorced her husband and met my
paternal grandfather Donald Hulst on a blind date; they had my
father after getting married. My parents met each other in high
school. Once they were both eighteen, they eloped and started
their lives as young adults and newlyweds. I don’t remember
much of my first three years being an only child, but before I knew
it, I became an older sister to
Katie, born in January
2004. That
same year our family
of six, including our cat Darby, and
dog Murphy,
moved to the Pacific
Northwest
in Moscow, Idaho due
to my father
getting a job at WSU.
Then in 2005,
my youngest sister Abbie was born in Pullman, Washington. This
part of my life was very short; I can remember moments here and
there, like playing soccer or having sleepovers at my paternal
grandparent’s house. I remember swinging on the swing set in
our yard, going to church on Sundays, and coming home seeing
my father doing yard work. These years feel like a dream because
of how quick it went. A few days before my six birthday in 2007
my mother filed for a divorce. I was young enough that I was able
to be molded for this new chapter in my life, yet still old enough to
remember what I had lost. The first couple of months were hard.
Seeing the empty house, my father would continue to live in and
then the apartment in Pullman where my mother lived. I changed
schools after first grade and found friends at Franklin Elementary. Eventually my life began to settle down. I had a routine with
school and visiting both my parents. As a child from divorce, the
culture of living in two different houses with two rooms, constantly bringing a bag from one home to the other, occasionally forgetting an important assignment at one home, which led
to frantic problem solving, became my sister’s and I’s reality. In
2010 My mother met my soon-to-be stepfather, Terrence Gryc.
Terry has been a big part of my life; he has helped me with math
homework, created Halloween costumes,
gave me advice on my art projects and so
much more. Although he is my stepfather,
he has been a part of my life for over ten
years. When he and my mom were married in 2012, I became part of his family
and acquired two step-siblings, Kenny
and Tessa, new grandparents; Joanie and
Willie, and my new Aunt Karen and Uncle
Andy. My family also grew in size with pets;
in 2007, my father adopted two brother cats, Shadow and Ghost. At
my mother’s, we had our cats, Boomer, and Jake., and dog Penny.
At the beginning of high school, my life began to change. Classes were more challenging, I gained more of my lifelong friends
and started working part-time jobs, and due to my sister’s and
I’s experiences, the custody arrangements with my parents had
changed. Halfway through my junior year, Katie, Abbie and I were
able to spend more time at our moms. Life felt rocky at this time,
and I was turning 18, an adult,
very soon. Part of me feared
this step in my life, but the other
half was so confident. I attend
my first two quarters at Spokane Falls Community College
before the COVID-19 pandemic
hit. Classes went online, which
my introverted self loved, but the year was harsh on my family;
in October of 2020, my aunt Karllina had passed away. My paternal
grandfather passed away the following March, and I reconnected
with my father. In September of 2021 my maternal grandfather
passed away.
At this point, I had graduated with an
AA and started my last
two years of
college at WSU, to focus
on my major of
Fine Arts. I’ve been fortunate to continue carrying my friends
Hannah, Jen,
and Jess by my side
throughout these years, as well as many of my family members.
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