On a hike with my boyfriend and little sister. He took so many pictures of me that I ran out of faces so I stuck my tongue out!

1. How old are you?

I am 20 years old.

2. CB born and raised? Or recent transplant? (Plus whatever biographical details you feel like giving – age, education background, employment background, hobbies, family, etc).

I am born and raised in Cape Breton! My old high school was so close that I could get up at 8 and be there for 8:30. It was about a bus length away. I grew up in a family that really appreciates music so I have inherited that as well. I enjoy listening to music along with everything I am doing, although I haven’t yet mastered listening to music and reading. Another great interest of mine is movies… I’m just a movie junkie.

3. “What are you up to these days?” I.e. what do you do for a living, what are you working on, are you a student, in the workforce, etc?

These days I am on summer break from Cape Breton University where I am taking a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies. I am planning to become a social worker. In the off seasons I work and work so I can concentrate on my studies later in the year.

4. What are your favourite CB eateries?

This is a hard one, I love to eat out! The Cedar House is a great place. You sometimes need to wait a while for a seat but the wait is always worth it because you are never let down. I also have a soft spot for the fish and chips from the McCurdy’s Dining Room at the Silver Dart Lodge, where I will actually be picking up some waitressing shifts this summer.

5. What are your favourite things to do outside?

Naturally, being from Cape Breton my favourite thing to do outside is swim.

Reading and boating with my boyfriend, last summer.

6. This summer, what is a typical “day in the life” like for you?

Well I haven’t started work yet and I haven’t been there before so I can’t say much about that yet so let’s just look at a regular day.

I usually eat as soon as I get up because I always wake up hungry. When I eat my breakfast I love to read whatever novel has caught my attention, or the month’s issue of Vanity Fair. Then I usually go for a walk or swim – not necessarily in the same order, but almost always part of my daily routine. Sometimes I do it with friends, other times I do it by myself or with family. When everyone gets home from work we’re most likely to have supper on the back patio – corn on the cob, salad, and burgers come to mind. The best end to the day is going for a swim to freshen up in a river, maybe watch a movie with my brother or boyfriend…or the whole family if we all can agree on one. My favourite part of the summer is going to bed and feeling my cold cotton sheets against my sunburn.

Playing with my water proof camera at the pool last summer.

7. Are you planning on sticking around in CB? Why, or why not?

I haven’t yet decided if I will for school and work – universities in other provinces are calling my name! I’ve always liked the idea of ending back in Cape Breton, maybe when I retire or something.

8. What do you need more of, to truly live your dream here in Cape Breton? (this could be money, support, opportunities, whatever)

In Cape Breton, Baddeck specifically, there needs to be more to do – more bowling alleys and theaters or something. Maybe, to put it more simply, Cape Breton needs more accessible public transit so people living in more rural areas can get out more.

9. What is your favorite memory from childhood?

Waking up and walking up the stairs in my childhood home: I would walk up the stairs looking at the HUGE poster of Albert Einstein you Mum and Dad had pinned super high up on the wall. I remember asking Dad about it one day recently and apparently the poster was just normal sized, but back then I guess I was the size of a poster so you can understand why I thought it was so big. The sun would be shining in the windows and I would hear and smell coffee being made, as well as hear Neutral Milk Hotel being played on the stereo. Because of this memory, to this day I love the smell of coffee and the sound of it percolating; but, I still do not like the taste of coffee or know how to make it. Also, whenever I listen to Neutral Milk Hotel my heart still skips a beat and I feel so happy. I guess you could consider this memory as my happy place.

Playing dress up, about 12 years ago.

10. Finish this sentence: Being from Cape Breton, to me, means…

Being from Cape Breton, to me, means living in the middle of such amazing scenery that sometimes I don’t even realize it; but, when I do my breath is taken away every time without fail.

This Q+A with Bailey is part of an ongoing series of interviews with people associated with Cape Breton in some way – mostly young people, but not necessarily. The complete list of interviews is here.