I was so afraid of animals when I was younger – all kinds of animals – cats, horses, you name it. I didn't like the way they felt when I touched them, and I was sure they were going to bite me. I even hated going to the zoo. That all changed when I turned 13, and my mom gave me a kitten for my birthday. He was so cute and friendly that I realized an animal can really be your best friend.

Eu tinha tanto medo de animais quando era mais jovem – todos os tipos de animais – gatos, cavalos, etc. Eu não gostava da sensação de quando eu os tocava, e eu tinha certeza que eles iriam me morder. Eu até odiava ir ao zoológico. Isso tudo mudou quando fiz 13 anos, e minha mãe me deu um gatinho de aniversário. Ele era tão fofo e amigável que percebi que um animal pode realmente ser seu melhor amigo.

I was afraid of snakes when I was a kid. I remember going to the zoo and seeing them there and I thought they were kind of cute. But once, when I was out hiking, I nearly stepped on one, and it tried to bite me. It was really ugly and I'm sure it was poisonous. Since then, I've been pretty terrified of them. I could never touch one now!

Eu tinha medo de cobras quando era criança. Lembro-me de ir ao zoológico e vê-las lá e achava que eram meio fofas. Mas uma vez, quando eu estava caminhando, quase pisei em uma, e ela tentou me morder. Era muito feio e tenho certeza de que era venenosa. Desde então, tenho muito medo delas. Eu nunca poderia tocar em um agora!