TLDR- This will be long, so for listeners who don’t want to read so much, I highly recommend this podcast. It is extremely motivating, validating, and overall a welcome addition to my podcasts. Amberlee is honest and raw about her experiences, and I’m 100% positive that anyone struggling with growing up will benefit from this podcast. This is a welcoming space for those making large transitions, especially as they grow into the school system. Words of a Wallflower is reminiscent of an older sibling providing advice and words of encouragement drawn from their own experiences. Again, I highly recommend, and I hope you enjoy.
Now, onto my even longer review and personal thoughts haha
Hey, Amberlee! It’s Isabella from BMMS band and journalism :)
Wow, wow, wow. This podcast has quickly become a safe space for me. My listening platform is Spotify, but I HAD to come here to give you a review. I would have sent you this on IG, but I currently have it deleted hahah.
Upon first listening to your podcast, I felt that it was very insightful! I never expected someone to have experienced something so similar, yet so different from me. It made me appreciate the ways that we perceive ourselves, and the way we think others perceive us. And, to appreciate all of our very own purple water bottles. :) It was surprising for me to know that your experiences were actually quite similar to mine. I welcomed your honesty, and felt seen.
But, your second episode was something I never would have thought other people struggled with, at least to the extent we have. Lunchtime.
As someone who has also been labeled a “popular loner”, I felt very validated in your statements. I have also been a “bouncer” that you described, and I’ve experienced my fair share of toxicity (and non-eaters) at the lunch tables. Your experiences brought me to tears because even though I have experienced the bouncing around and trying to find a group, I was lucky enough to find at least one person I wanted to surround myself with and we created our own group along the way.
My struggles primarily happened in middle school, so around the end of freshman year, I had already established my new group of people. When you were talking about your struggles, my initial thought was, “Wow, I wish Amberlee had come to CHS instead. I would have welcomed her with open arms”. But, when you started talking about the significance and personal meaning Hamilton has to you, I was sobbing. I realized that even though this experience was painful at the time, this is what makes you, you. Ultimately, you have grown and matured, and I am so proud of you for being able to move forward.
Believe it or not, this review was longer but it got deleted on accident 😭 I just wanted to express how much I appreciate you and love you, and I look forward to not only continuing to listen to Words of a Wallflower, but to seeing you at UNLV! (P.S. I’m sure you know this, but they have a podcast room in the Makerspace!)
