Stranger Evaluation (And a comeback)

Saw this prompt: "Describe yourself the way a stranger on a train would describe you, and argue with everything they got wrong" somewhere on TikTok (I'll try to look for the creator to give them credit, but I honestly can't remember them as of now), and thought it would be so interesting (and hard) to write a description of me from an external point of view, especially that of a stranger, on a fleeting, overstimulating moment like a train ride in New York City.

We all know how hard it can be to describe someone, or ourselves, when asked, so why not give it a try with this prompt? Here goes nothing.

(Hopefully Cute) Stranger’s Observation:

"She looks quietly observant, standing in a corner, taking in the busy car and noticing every little detail surrounding her. An intentional, put-together, soft, feminine aesthetic, with a bag that looks like it holds way more than anyone expects. She gives off dreamy student energy, staring blankly at the train map like she’s pondering a future STEM career or a deep piece of writing. Sweet and approachable, but with very specific, precise taste. She seems organized yet a little chaotic, quietly ambitious, and like she has an entire hidden universe in her head."

(Took a LONG time, but I—surprisingly—don't hate this as much as I thought I would) 

My take on this description:

• The "deeply observing the busy car" moment: Not much to observe here, just flickering overhead lights and dark tunnels. I wasn't making profound artistic observations; I was using the dark train window reflection to check if my curls were acting up while actively avoiding eye contact with three different people. You won't EVER catch me making eye contact with people on the train, or anywhere in general.

• The "intentional, put-together" aesthetic: Thank you, but that "intentional" look was 80% luck and 20% panic because I spent twenty minutes trying to find my favorite jeans, and the following seven looking for shoes that matched my outfit before sprinting out.

• The bag containing more than expected: Okay, this one is 100% accurate. It looks small and bulky on the outside, and I'll admit, inside it’s a total black hole of loose lip glosses, three different hair clips, five tiny hair ties that don't fit half of my hair, two tiny notepads (big notepad lover here), and a bunch of random tickets from who knows when.

• The "pondering a future STEM career" gaze: I wasn't reflecting on my life path while staring blankly at the train map (even though I'm a former Architecture major, if you count that as STEM?). I was mentally breaking down over a K-pop group pausing activities for their military service and replaying Number One Girl by Rosé on my earphones for the fifteenth time in a row.

• The "very particular" taste: Accusations! Just because I might say "anything is fine" and then immediately have 14 strong opinions on the precise shade of pink (my best friend has been laughing at me since the past semester because every shade of pink we found wasn't right in my eyes; she says I created a new shade of pink that I can't even identify), font spacing, and visual symmetry of a page does not make me difficult. It just means the aesthetic standard must be upheld. ♡

• The "quietly ambitious & dreamy" verdict: I do have a long mental list of a thousand different versions of my future, and I'm also a Pisces, so definitely dreaming most of the time. But on a crowded train? My main ambition was surviving the ride, getting home, putting on comfortable clothes, and turning on a comfort show while eating something sweet.

Well, that was fun (stressful); I won't attempt to write something like this ever again! But hey, at least I tried, right? Anyway, that's all from me as of now.

Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo, Bluu✨