# data[].attributes.body
It’s hard when your teacher asks you to write something about yourself, but there are just so many amazing things about you. Right now, I’m dealing with this dilemma. Fortunately, I think two of my loves and joys of life tell you everything you need to know about me. It may sound weird, and you may get the impression that I’m joking or making fun of this assignment, but I assure you, I am being one hundred percent serious, and this project will prove that to you. My passions are ducks and alpacas. Let’s begin with ducks. I’m obsessed with and love ducks, whether it’s real ducks, rubber ducks, stuffed animal ducks, or really anything duck-related. I even extend my passion to geese due to their close relationship and many similarities with ducks. My love for alpacas, on the other hand, is exclusive. I actually dislike llamas and camels, both of which are often connotated with alpacas. These loves of mine may seem strange or even concerning, but I assure you, you will too fall in love with them while reading this assignment.

# data[].attributes.body
Let’s start with ducks and how they came into my life. About four years ago, a bunch of friends and I went to Six Flags. My mom, knowing how much I love to play the arcade games there, gave me 150 dollars to spend. Little did she know, I would end up spending all 150 dollars on a single game. When I got to the arcade section in Six Flags, the first game that caught my attention was a target game. The game consisted of a water gun and a bullseye target. The winner of the game was the person that most accurately shot the water gun at the target. I saw some children playing and thought it would be easy to win and paid 10 dollars to play. This confidence in my abilities, however, proved to be false. I lost the game badly and was devastated. I then made the impulse decision to refuse to stop playing until I won. Game after game went by, and I just couldn’t figure out how to win. I was soon down to my last 10 dollars. My friends, feeling sorry for me, then decided to do something that will forever change my life. They all paid to play the game and lose on purpose so that I can finally win. I was ecstatic and when I won had a plethora of options for my prize. I chose this cute duck stuffed animal and named her after the game attendant, Nadine. That was the spark that ignited the flame for my love of ducks.

# data[].attributes.body
My passion for ducks has followed me wherever I go. Whenever traveling, I make sure to bring Nadine and am always on the lookout for other ducks. As of now, Nadine has been to countless states and four countries. I have also bought many other forms of ducks throughout my travels. I’ve gotten bath ducks from Brazil, chocolate ducks from Nantucket, decorate ducks from California, and many others. My friends even sometimes surprise me with a toy duck when they spot one. The next step in this chapter of my life is to get a real duck. I’ve tried to convince my parents, but they refuse and won’t budge. In protest, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I saw a video online saying that it’s legal to take a stray duck that you find in New York City home and immediately left for the city with a friend. We spent hours trying to capture a duck, but they are sneakily agile and quick, and the only results we saw were stares and looks from bystanders. Frustrated, I gave up, went home, and accepted defeat. I now realize that I will have to wait until I live on my own to buy a real duck, and I’ve come to accept that. Until then, I will continue to grow my toy duck collection and will patiently wait for the day I can buy a real one.

# data[].attributes.body
I was first introduced to alpacas when I was in eighth grade. I didn’t have school, and a bunch of friends and I were bored and decided to go to an alpaca farm. I had no idea what an alpaca even was but was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. Upon entering the farm, I saw the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen in my life. I instantly knew I loved them. My love for them only heightened when I touched one of them. They had the softest, most beautiful fur known to man. I just wanted to hug them forever and never let go. I was there for several hours, and only after a herculean effort from my friends, I left. While leaving, I saw a gift shop that was selling a stuffed animal that had real alpaca fur on it. I didn’t want it; I needed it. I impulsively bought it and named it after the cashier, Alexandrah. When I got home, my parents were furious regarding the price of Alexandrah, but I didn’t care; you can’t put a price on love. That day was one of the best days of my life, and my love for alpacas began.

# data[].attributes.body
My love for alpacas has also followed me across the globe. You would be surprised at how many stores sell alpaca stuffed animals. I’ve bought countless of them from places you’d never expect, like Canada and even Israel. My love for alpacas, however, does not come without its negative. Along with this passion of mine, a new pet peeve has emerged. People tend to not know the difference between llamas and alpacas. One person once even confused alpacas with camels. This is probably one of my biggest frustrations; I hate it when people do this. The amount of times I’ve had to explain to people the difference between these animals is ridiculous. The worst is when even after my explanation, the person still doesn’t understand the difference. It’s so simple though, alpacas are significantly smaller, have small, blunt faces with short ears and shaggy hair, while llamas are bigger, have elongated faces with long ears and coarser hair. Alpacas are also much cuter than llamas. I will never understand, however, people that mix up alpacas and camels. They look nothing alike and are clearly distinguishable. I’ve been trying to spread awareness and educate people on the cuteness of alpacas and their differences from similar animals and will continue to do so. My love for alpacas will never diminish, and I hope to own my own alpaca farm one day.

# data[].attributes.body
My passion and love for both ducks and alpacas will never go away. I will never stop collecting alpaca and duck items, from duck and alpaca themed clothing to stuffed animals to toys. Many people have asked me why I feel so strongly about them, and every time I answer the same thing; how can you not? You can’t help what or who you love, and I love ducks and alpacas; it’s who I am. So I will continue this love and passion of mine despite the judgments or hate that I receive. When you truly believe in or love something, nothing should get in your way. My friends and family have come to accept that ducks and alpacas are now part of me and stopped trying to change who I am. They may not like it, but they have to deal with it because I have no plans of changing. I hope that this presentation has sparked a newfound love for these animals as well, and if not, I don’t understand. I can’t wait for everyone to see me later in life staying true to my word of owning these elegant, angelic animals, and although my dreams of owning real ducks and alpacas will have to wait, I’m excited to see where my passion and journey takes me next.