One question I get asked about 500 times a day is, "What do you think about the other contestants?". People are expecting me to dislike them and have really horrible things to say. The truth is, it's the exact opposite. From the day we first met, we instantly connected. We were 5 strangers, picked to live in a house...Wait, that was The Real World. We were 5 strangers, picked to get healthy together and expose our inner most secrets, flaws, and insecurities on National TV. Our first day together we were put in a room for hours with nothing to do but talk to each other. We talked and talked and realized that most of us had quite a bit in common, even though we would probably never have a chance to meet and hang out in "real" life.
Each of the contestants has very special qualities that I love. For instance, Jeff. Jeff is a say it like you mean type of guy. He tells you what he's thinking so you never have to try and guess where you stand with him. He is loyal, passionate, and truthful. Jeff is also hilarious and always keeps me cracking up. He always has my back and truly has taken on the role of my big brother. He also loves Captain Crunch cereal and hot sauce (not combined), which makes me think he is extra awesome.
Latasha is beautiful, both inside and out. The first day I met her I couldn't stop staring. I mean, she is stunning. She is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She carries herself with such grace and class. She is very level-headed and seems to really think about decisions before she makes them. Her eye makeup completely fascinates me because it is perfect. One day I will get her to give me makeup lessons.
Taj is such a wonderful person. She is so incredibly funny and so smart. She is one of the most determined people I have ever met in my life. She is dedicated and sensitive. I really loved getting to know her and spend time with her. Taj is the Queen of Bitmojis and always has the perfect one to send at the perfect time. I know when I get a text from her it is going to make me crack up.
Kurt is a family man. He loves his wife, his kids, and his grand kids. He was good at being the "dad" to everyone. When one of us was cold, he would offer his jacket. Taj was always cold, so Kurt brought her a blanket from his house to have on set so she could cuddle up and be warm. Kurt was always so calm and never really got upset about anything. He is a go with the flow type of guy. Kurt can smoke a mean turkey and he was kind enough to bring some in and share with us. One fun fact about Kurt is that he has an incredible collection of cat shirts!!
These people I spent 14 weeks with are now my family. It is crazy how quickly you bond with people when you are in a unique situation like we were. I will be forever grateful for the relationships I have with them. I am so happy they picked the 5 of us for this journey. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to experience it with anyone else. Below are some pics of us. For some reason, I do not have one of just Latasha and me :(. We will need to fix that soon.
