Meet the New Bachelor Girl Intern, Version XX

Hello, lovely world of BachelorGirl.net! I am the beautiful Kelly Phelan’s new intern! My name is Rachel Havird, and though I was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, my family and I moved to Shreveport before I even turned one, so I consider myself a full-bred Louisiana girl. I am an only child, and very much so. I am also the epitome of a Gemini – split right down the middle! I am extremely excited and honored to be a part of this considering I am only 22 years old. Despite my numerical age, I feel I am well beyond that mentally and emotionally.

Growing up as an only child, I was around adults a hell of a lot more than children my own age. My father is an English professor at Centenary College here in Shreveport, so there were numerous parties at my house that included professors as well as students. During these parties, I was known to disappear to my room and come back every twenty minutes or so dressed in different costumes, running around and singing my lungs out. I guess everyone knew right then and there, even at the tender age of two, that I was destined to be on stage. I was extremely imaginative as a child and enjoyed playing with Barbies and playing dress-up, making up elaborate tales to go along with my endeavors. I am very blessed that my parents are both artistic – they opened me up to so many opportunities and new ideas. They put up with my everlasting obsession with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical Evita and The Little Mermaid. It’s pretty insane that while other kids my age were listening to Silly Songs, I was singing along with every line of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

Even though my love and passion for musicals and performing was obvious, I was still quite introverted and not sure of myself enough to actually audition for anything. (There’s that split-side of the Gemini coming out!) It wasn’t until middle school that I really had my first role in anything. As it is for everyone, middle school and high school were a seriously difficult time for me. I was always picked on, made fun of, etc., and I had to enter therapy when I was ten or eleven years old. The only thing that kept me going was the idea of the future, of growing up, and my love for the Spice Girls and Leonardo DiCaprio—but that is neither here nor there. In high school, I devoted all my time to the theatre department, even though I was hated by almost everyone. When I was fifteen, something happened to me that altered my world forever. All the petty concerns of other people my age were no longer relevant, and I couldn’t wait to go away to college to get away for all of it. The last day of high school people were crying and hugging, and I drove out of that parking lot smiling. My close friends were always older than me, so I wasn’t going to miss anyone…my best friend at the time was 26 with two children! I always gravitated toward older people for some reason.

My freshman year, I attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to turn right back around a year later and come home. Though I had many hard times at Millsaps, I really grew into more of who I am. I found true, amazing friends that I will cherish always.

After coming back to Shreveport, I took a year off from school, then became a part-time student at Centenary, then finally entered as a full-time student. I found where I belong right now in my life. I basically live in the theatre, and adore it…for the most part! Though I have a two extremely close friends in the theatre department, my group of friends is outside that realm. It is refreshing, among many other things! Being finally loved and fully accepted by these amazing people has changed my life. They are my family, and I would do anything for them. Men come and go, you fall in and out of love, but true friendship is something that lasts forever (despite how disgustingly cliché it sounds).

Many people have no idea what to think of me. I am a full-on theatre geek, but I love me some FOOTBALL!! I am a hard-core LSU and New Orleans Saints fan (SUPERBOWL WOOOOOOOOO!!). I love to go out and party but enjoy staying in and watching “Grey’s Anatomy” just as much. I have a slightly disturbing love for Britney Spears, yet my favorite band of all time is Tool. I believe I can cuss up a storm and give people the blunt, honest truth, however much it may hurt, and still be in God’s good graces. I believe in being a faithful and loyal friend, no matter what the situation may be. I believe in forgiveness and that not everything is black and white. There is so much gray in my life it might as well be my favorite color! (It’s not, by the way – my favorite colors are purple and gold…GEAUX LSU!!) I believe you can have an insane, dysfunctional relationship with someone and it still be the best thing for you. I believe a woman can date more than one man at a time and not be a whore. I believe you can desperately love someone but not want to be with that person. And though I forget this at times, I believe no man defines who you are. I believe in conundrums and eccentricities, because that is what my life is. I believe that no matter what life throws at you, you are strong enough to make it through any situation with a little help from your friends.

I look forward to delving further into this internship with Bachelor Girl and am so happy to have been given this opportunity.

WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS!!

Your blunt
Rach