ME.

I figured I might as well tell you a little bit about myself/my whole life story as its not that long and I wont really go into that much detail cause then it would take a lifetime.

My parents met at the snow and soon fell in love, both Australian born with heritage from predominantly the UK. After dating for a few years they decided to get married and have me. My name is Erin Elizabeth Hardman, born on October the 18th 1988 to Diane and Alan Hardman.

I grew up and still live in Strathfield Sydney, which is about 30minutes away from the city and 10minutes from the Homebush Olympic site. My younger brother Sam was born on March the 11th 1990. Sam and I attended primary school at Strathfield North Public School a year apart and left at the beginning of years four and six to move to England for two years as my father obtained a job working for the programming of the cows for the mad cow disease. We were all excited to go as they gave us little clues that we were leaving ‘to shop with the queen and to see big Ben.’ So in January of 1999 we trekked it over to England, my grandmother Janice also came with us to help us get set up. We moved around a bit but found our soon to be home for the next 24 months in Cranighly, Surrey, a nice country town where the people were friendly and welcoming. After six months of living in Surry I learnt that my dad was extremely sick and was visiting the hospital every day without letting my brother or I know. Turns out that everyone knew except for Sam and I that dad had Leukaemia even before we left Sydney.

Things turned for the worse over the next few weeks, my parents decided to move back home so dad could get treatment and be with family and friends. January 24th 2000 my father passed away from an aggressive case of Leukaemia. I personally did not deal with it that great and who would at the age?? I was angry all the time, I only cried once at the funeral and as my brother puts it I was just a mean bitch. In 2001 I started high school at MLC School Burwood, Mum couldn’t get me to talk so she made me go see the school counsellor and I really did not want to but the school was like if you don’t we will give you a detention and at that stage of my high school career I was freaked out about getting a detention. So I went and it was a complete waste of time, if I don’t want to talk to my family about it why would I want to speak to a stranger about it.

I eventually let the anger pass by year nine and I was back to being relatively normal for a 15 year old. At MLC they offer this camp for three weeks to Broken Hill which I have spoken a little bit about before, it was the best experience I have ever had in my life or rather one of the top few. I made great friends and I lost good friends. I found it as a curving point in my recovery with losing my dad. Year 10 I went on the American Sports Tour and that’s where I became really good friends with Steph. There were dramas on the trip but there always are on tours like that but I had a really good time meeting people and seeing the sites. Year 11 was an insane year as every one was cracking down on their schoolwork and going out heaps more. MLC offered the Debutante Ball and i really wanted to do it as my grandmother and my mum both did it but there was one thing that I wasn’t prepared to do which was the father daughter dance. I had no idea who I was going to ask to do it with me cause I wasn’t sure if it would be awkward or not so I ended up asking my grandfather as he has been part of the backbone in keeping my family together and I love him to bits for it. It turned out to be a great night as everyone got dressed up took heaps of photos and danced the night away.

2006 was a serious year as everyone was focusing on work and obtaining their best mark for the HSC so they could do what they wanted this year. I had no idea what I wanted to do and I personally still not sure if animation is the best thing for me, I love doing it and learning how to but I just have no idea. My birthday was a day before the HSC started which sucked as I had to study but it was also good as I looked at it as a reward after the HSC to go out with everyone. year 12 formal was such a hassel but it turned out to be a fantastic night. i took brett which was probs one of the worst decisions of my life but he was nice enough. My group could not decided on one specific spot to go to for schoolies so Steph and I decided to go on a cruise and I have to say it was most probs the best holiday ever as the nothing bad happened as there was heaps of security, all our meals were cooked for us, we could party till dawn and watch the sunrise, sleep all day and we met heaps and heaps of people from all over Sydney, Melbourne and a few from Newcastle. I do recommend it to anyway but unfortunately they have stoped doing all cruises due to the bad media PnO have been getting regarding the death of the lady.


2007 break was the best ever I worked three days a week at a newsagency at Cremorne, North Sydney and the weekends I went out with friends doing random stuff either at houses or parties or out on the town. Very quickly did I run out of money so I had to save and prepare to move to Wagga Wagga to do Animation and Visual Effects.

now im at uni im having a really good time. its hard to explain to people what its like living on campus you basically have to experience it to understand what its really like. i have made some really good friends that will be with me for life which will be amazing. the social scene in Wagga is very much so different to Sydney but i like it just the same.

As I reflect on the last 18 years of my life I feel I have grown emotionally and physically as I’m a much more out-going person that I was but cautious when I meet new people as for some strange reason I think that they will just leave me so I don’t want to have the emotional attachment if it does happen thus I see it as saving myself from myself in some ways but I am getting over it slowing as everyone keeps telling me it takes time.

So that is me and my story.