Amy's Turn

Hi everyone! It's me, Amy. I'm the NICE twin...

First, a little background. I'm Amy (only that's not my real name but, instead, a really boring name Ashley gave me. I wanted a name like "Alexandra" or "Amelia", but no... It's Amy) and I'm 27 years old. I am technically in my second year of law school, even though I haven't gone to class all semester except for one day when Ashley was sick, and I had to go to class as well as go fill out the forms for law clinic. I have a beach cabin on the coast where I live by myself and occasionally one of the neighborhood dogs. You all have already met Booger, haven't you? That is his real name, by the way. Anyway, I've wanted to become a lawyer ever since....I realized I hated math and didn't have to do math as an attorney. I would guess probably since college, although our parents have always said I should be a lawyer since I basically will argue with a Stop sign...

Enough of the intro stuff. You probably already know more about me than I want to you know. Let's jump into the questions. Thanks to everyone who sent emails! It's great to hear from you! I'll include your name if you said it was ok. If your questions don't show up here, blame Traci. haha Actually, it is likely due to time and space issues or Ashley won't let me answer it publicy for some reason. These are the most common questions sent, in a shortened form.

Let's begin with our first question... I feel like Casey Kasem or something, "Our Long Distance Dedication comes from..."

1. Carly wants to know: When it comes to Robert, what are you guys going to do? He believes he's seeing Ashley...and I know there are a lot of really nice compassionate guys out there...but compassionate enough to tolerate the fact that he's been duped by a twin switch? How do you think he will react? and are you going to tell him?

Hi Carly, thanks for writing. OMG, just jump right on in and ask the biggie! :) I don't really know what we're going to do. One of the reasons I came home was to talk to my sister about Robert and hopefully get her to help me tell him. Maybe together he would take it better. Ashley said no way in hell does she want to get involved in it. I, personally, think she is already involved since Rob thinks I'm HER. I also was thinking we could prolong the twin switch indefinitely.... Maybe? Just let me be "Ashley" from now on? (I'm kidding, Ashley, quit freaking out.)

If that won't work, then I want to see if we can keep this going until Christmas break. If I tell Rob before then and the switch is over to where I have to come back here, then what if he doesn't take it well? He'll be hundreds of miles away, and I'll be here... So I think I should stay as Ashley until Christmas time when Rob and I will have some time to just work all this out. Rob is a great guy and I think you'd really like him. He's one of those people who seems to really understand relationships and I think he will handle this ok as long as we present it gently. This wasn't supposed to happen and it wasn't planned or anything. Us getting together just happened. Hopefully he'll understand. I hope that answers your question.

2. Carly and a few others also want to know: We got to hear Ashley's day-to-day "struggles" with being you... but what were some of your moments? Was there anything overwhelmingly harder than the rest?

Great questions. Many many struggles. Everything has been a struggle, but in a funny kinda way. Being around Robert the first couple of times, knowing he knew "me" well...That was nerve-racking. OMG, Ashley has some obnoxious friends, who also make life a struggle. I can't seem to "click" with them, no matter how hard I try. It didn't take me long to realize that Psychology people drive me nuts.

Hummm, let's see... overwhelmingly harder... That would probably be when I had to present a chapter to the seminar class. In grad school, unlike law school, the profs will for some unknown reason (laziness?) assign students chapters to teach the class. Dr. Lyle, who is the prof for the class as well as Ashley's advisor who is also in on the twin switch, kind of set me up. She's been doing this ever since I got there, even though Ashley thinks I'm just paranoid. When it was my turn to present a chapter to the class (as Ashley) I found that really hard. In law school, you have to stand up and answer questions or present stuff in a mock-trial situation, but you don't have to stand there and just say stuff in a lecture format for a long period of time. I hate public speaking.

During the question and answer part of my presentation, Dr. Lyle asked me questions she KNEW full-well I couldn't answer. She knows I'm Amy and not really Ashley, and that my psych knowledge is very very limited. I think she puts me in risky situations just to see if I'll get caught. Anyway, I ended up flubbing around and finally saying, "That's complicated...." "I'm going to have to look into that" and "That is beyond the scope of my chapter..." I know I looked like an idiot and I'm surprised no one busted me right there for not really being Ashley. It was hard enough even understanding the chapter in order to present it in the first place. That has been the hardest thing so far (except for the lying thing to Robert, which has been a real struggle).

3. Are you worried about making up a whole semester of law school?

That was one of my biggest concerns when Ashley and I started this whole thing. Though, I was really already thinking about quitting law school, or transferring, or taking a semester off because my first year was total hell. I knew Ashley could handle it, and hopefully, maybe even fix things for me a little so that perhaps they would be better by the time I got back.

Now, here we are about three months into this, and honestly, I don't know if I want to go back to law school at all. Most of it has to do with Robert, and how he is going to react to the twin switch, so I can't really say for sure. I know I'll be screwed (Traci, can I say "screwed" on here?) if I have to go back toward the end of the semester and attempt to take exams. But, Ashley and I knew this going into it. There is also another option, and that is to let ASHLEY take the exams, since she has been there the whole time. She said no "F-ing" way (Ashley said a bad wor-rd, I'm telling Mo-om), but I think that would be fun to see. I think we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out, but to answer your question: yes, I'm concerned.

4. What happened with Rogerson last year? You didn't have "something going on," if you know what I mean?

Pardon me while I throw up... No, nothing "like that" went on last year, even though he pushed it. I'll try to give you the Readers Digest version...

Except Traci just told me I can't because there's a chance Professor Rogerson is reading these blog postings, and he might start legal problems (or try) if he sees it all presented in print. If you are reading this Professor Rogerson, let me just say how much my sister and I have enjoyed playing this trick on you. It doesn't make up for what you have done to me, but it sure makes the whole law school process more amusing! The fun has only just begun, let me tell you!

5. Does Amy have a blog detailing her experiences as Ashley?

I've kept notes for Ashley, and I always intended to do a blog, but I haven't been able to do the blog thing yet. I'm pretty weak when it comes to computer stuff, and Ashley and I both think I'll get myself caught somehow if I do the blog on my own. Unfortunately, I don't have someone like Traci who will take my emails, wave her magic wand, and *poof* create a blog for me. I've tried begging and bribing her, but she says it would be too confusing and she doesn't have enough time. At some point, I want to do the blog (maybe when Ashley is finished and Traci has time?) or maybe try to write it up in a book or something if there are people who would want to read it.

Well, that's about it for now... My neighbor is having a fish-fry so I need to change clothes and head on over there. Thanks for your great questions and all the support! Send more questions if you have them, and I'll try to answer them before I leave.

Nice meeting all of you!

Cheers,
Amy