Xandra is not my real name.

Well, it’s part of my real name.

It’s short for Alexandra.

The first time I introduced myself as Xandra was in April 2011.

I am not an Alex, and every time I introduced myself as Alexandra, a little part of me feared being called Alex.

I couldn’t blame them – four syllables is a lot to pronounce in this fast-paced age, especially in athletic or urgent situations. I know that people called me Alex in a chummy sort of way, not in a vindictive HA I know you hate this kind of way.

Why did it bother me so much? I just didn’t feel like an Alex. It’s as simple as that.

I do feel like a Xandra.

I didn’t at first. Xandra felt beyond me, like a cooler version of me. Xandra could be a fantasy literature heroine or the name of a sleek North Face waterproof.

I can be quite a serious person, and Alexandra reflects that, but I can also be whimsical, and Xandra illuminates that side of me. It’s a balance. I’m all about the structured fun. I am serious about fairy lights and ethical fashion in equal measure.

And I like wearing sparkly star hairbands, okay? It’s the kind of thing a Xandra would wear.