"When I was 17" med Sara Canning
Where did you grow up?
I spent my childhood in Newfoundland and then my junior high and high school years in Alberta, Canada.
Were you a good student? Did you like school?
I was a really good student. I was nerdy and ambitious. I was involved with every large theater production at my school.
What was the worst popular trend when you were going to school?
I remember being in 9th grade and people wore pajamas to school. That was really weird.
Did you have a quote in your high school yearbook? If so, what was it?
I did. It’s from a Sam Roberts song. I think it went, “Stay true to your friends ’cause they’ll save you in the end.”
What is the craziest thing you ever did to get a guy to notice you?
I don’t have a lot of those crazy moments, but I kissed my ex first, so that was a big deal because I never make the first move.
What was your after-school job?
My first job ever was working a ski lift when I was 16. I also worked at a garden center, which I loved. I did that for two and a half years.
What was your style when you were 17? Now?
I wore jeans and old classic-rock T-shirts like ACDC, Led Zeppelin. I hung out with guys in bands, and that’s what I loved too. I think I’m much more girly now. I was a big tomboy. I still am a tomboy, but I balance it out now.
What kind of clique were you in back then? Now?
I wasn’t really in one. I mean I had a group of friends I hung out with, but I guess I was part of the musical theater crowd.
What nicknames did you have back then? Now?
Everyone has always called me by my last name. Once people get to know me, they don’t call me Sara anymore.
What were your hobbies back then?
I figure skated until I was 16, but that was my life besides theater. I did theater and skated six days a week.
Who was your best friend? Is she still your best friend now?
I have three best friends. They were my high school best friends and their names are Becky, Jessie, and Melissa, and they remain some of my best friends today. They are really great people.
What did you worry about back then? Now?
I was doing so many things in high school that I didn’t really have time to worry. Now I never do things without thinking them through because the game changes when you’re in the public eye.
What was your high school boyfriend like? What is your boyfriend/guy you’d want to date like now?
He was very sweet and we broke up, and now we talk and hang out whenever I go home. I do have a boyfriend now. He’s great!
What advice did your parents give you when you were 17? Now?
They pushed me in a positive way to be 100 percent in everything that I do. I think that’s why I am where I am right now. Now I think they’re like, “Chill out. Take a break.”
What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?
I didn’t realize when I was 17 that I could really make myself happy, so I would tell her, “You know what’s best for you, and you know what will make you happy.”
