The other day, a friend from the Philippines shared a photo with the caption, “Happy ‘2nd’ life 2nd anniv!” with me and two other friends. It was a photo of two bottles of vodka taken three years ago when the four of us and their significant others went to a club to celebrate my birthday in advance.

I played the role of an exotic dancer back in high school.

We were in our senior year and one of our major requirements for our Music class that year was to do a small musical production. The heads of the class gathered and they turned to me and said, “You’re going to be Mimi from Rent.”