The moment I entered this world my father did not know he was going to be a single father.
My father has done a tremendous amount of things for me and has spent countless of days and weekends working to support me.
I was raised to be someone with a big heart, a passion for succeeding and the will to want to do better every day. Even though my mother was in the picture, she never really raised me or showed me how to be a real woman.
As I became a teenager, I was curious about how to really ‘be a girl.’ The day I started watching Megan Kroh’s YouTube videos was the day I found my true self.
Why is Megan Kroh such an inspiration to me?
As I said, I am the product of a single-parent father.
I had no idea what makeup, hair products, skin care, Victoria Secret and Bath and Body Works were. I had no idea how much I would love these brands and what I was missing out on.
I would go to school and see all the girls with their hair done perfectly because their mom could straighten or braid it. I would notice them wearing expensive tight dresses at dances.
These girls were everything I wanted so badly to be.
I wanted to be educated in the field of ‘how to be a girl’ and my mom never taught me.
It is really tough growing up in a world that tells you to be perfect and you have no idea how to be.
When I started watching Kroh’s videos, I instantly learned how to be what I always wanted to be. I never wanted to be ‘perfect’ and Ciaoobelllaxo showed me how to be ‘perfect’ in my own way.
It all started with one weekend.
My best friend at the time asked me to go to her swim club and, of course, I said yes. I had never been to a swim club. I went home to search on YouTube a “What is in my beach/pool bag,” video. I went through a few videos and started watching Ciaoobelllaxo’s video, What’s in my beach bag?!. I connected with her because she was from New Jersey. I am from Philadelphia and watching someone that lives so close to me really gave me an unknown connection.
After watching one video, I could not stop watching. I instantly subscribed to her channel and I have watched every single one of her videos since that day.
I still remember every detail of that video.
I remember Kroh trying to balance the color of the video because her bag was so bright she could not get the true color of the bag to appear. I remember the big hair, hoop earrings and her purple and pink room.
I later subscribed to Megan Kroh’s Vlog channel, Lavitadimeg, on YouTube. This is where my favorite videos are. To see the life of someone who has been such an inspiration to me is quite pleasing.
My thank-you letter
Megan,
I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am that God placed you in my life.
After watching one of your videos I am hooked. The content you create is amazing and you really do hook your viewers in.
You give me a place to travel to when I am feeling dull.
Megan, you gave me a path to choose.
Before watching your videos I was not sure where I wanted to go in life. I wanted to be a lawyer, a writer, an artist and I am sure much more. You showed me that it does not matter what I choose to do but to just be me.
After seeing your passion for makeup, there was a reason why I found you on YouTube. I saved up my money, the first year I started watching you and I started my own makeup collection.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore my brushes and makeup.
You are humble and a hard worker, someone who believes in God and someone who loves your family and friends.
My passion for makeup is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. It is a time for me to go into my zone and think about something else for a little while. If I am ever feeling down, discouraged or in a lull, I start doing my makeup.
Through out the years, I have become very educated in all things makeup. I can name every brush, what each brush is used for, every makeup product and what each of those products are used for.
Megan, you showed me what to carry in my purse, how to smoke out a smoky eye, how to tease my hair, what the best products to use, also what to buy at Lush and Bath and Body Works.
You have simply done so many things for me I could go on for days.
Some days my stress and anxiety get the best of me and I start to go into a state of depression. I cannot explain why it happens and it is something I deal with.
When watching your videos, I feel a sense of comfort and it brings light to my darkened day.
My decision to go to college and get a degree was based solely on my passion for writing. I have always dreamed about writing for Cosmopolitan or Seventeen magazine.
I still plan on getting my degree in makeup (not cosmetology) because it is a huge passion of mine.
Right now, my plan is to market products on social media for the cosmetology industry. I want to change the way people view beauty and that is why I am minoring in gender and body studies.
I hope to meet you one day. You truly are my inspiration and when someone asks me who is my role model, second to my father it is you!
Megan Kroh, Ciaoobelllaxo, you are one of my role models and I cannot thank you enough.
Sincerely,
Ashley Lodise
