"Were You an Actress?"

It's one of the questions I get surprisingly often.

Usually it comes near the end of an experience.

Someone smiles and asks,

"Okay... I have to know. Were you in theater?"

Or...

"Are you an actress?"

Depending on the group, I sometimes grin and answer,

"No... I just get really excited."

The funny thing is...

That's only half the story.

And it isn't really a joke.

I genuinely do get excited.

History excites me.

People excite me.

Questions excite me.

Research excites me.

Watching a guest connect two seemingly unrelated pieces of Charleston's history absolutely delights me.

Finding a forgotten newspaper article that changes how I understand a story feels like Christmas morning.

When I stumble into a new rabbit hole, I can't wait to share it.

If I seem animated...

It's because I am.

If I seem enthusiastic...

It's because I genuinely am.

None of that is an act.

Well... Maybe a Little Theater

The truthful answer is...

A little.

I was involved in theater for a while in middle school.

It didn't last very long.

Not because I disliked it.

Because I had an unfortunate habit of wandering away from the script.

I'd imagine different ways to approach a scene.

Different jokes.

Different character choices.

Sometimes I'd even convince other students to join my new ideas.

Let's just say...

The director and I didn't always share the same creative vision.

Looking back...

That probably shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me today.

Years later, I also spent a little time as an extra in a couple of small independent art films.

Nothing you'd recognize.

Nothing that ever became anything.

Just enough to peek behind the curtain.

Just enough to realize something.

I never wanted to become someone else.

I've Never Fit Inside Someone Else's Crayon Box

I've never been very good at fitting neatly into someone else's mold.

That's not a complaint.

And it's certainly not a criticism of anyone else.

It's simply how I've always been wired.

I see something and immediately wonder,

• "What if we tried this?"

• "Could this be better?"

• "Is there another perspective?"

• "What happens if we ask one more question?"

That instinct has followed me through nearly every chapter of my life.

Teaching.

Research.

Business.

Storytelling.

Even designing experiences.

I've always been much more interested in building something authentic than perfectly fitting into someone else's expectations.

I Never Wanted to Play the Main Character

People are sometimes surprised when I say this.

I never dreamed of becoming an actress.

I never wanted to spend my life pretending to be someone else.

Honestly...

I think I'd lose a little piece of myself.

I like being me.

Not because I think I've got everything figured out.

Far from it.

I like waking up every day with another question to chase.

Another archive to search.

Another guest to learn from.

Another story to understand a little better.

I don't want to become someone else's character.

I want to keep becoming a better version of myself.

The Person You Meet Is the Person I Am

When you join one of my experiences...

You're not meeting a character.

You're meeting me.

The person who gets a little too excited over an old newspaper clipping.

The person who lights up when someone asks an incredible question.

The person who accidentally disappears down historical rabbit holes because one tiny detail refused to leave me alone.

The person who laughs a little too hard at her own terrible dad jokes.

The person who genuinely delights in watching someone discover Charleston in a way they never expected.

That's never required acting.

It's simply who I am.

My Guests Have Noticed

One of the most humbling parts of this job is seeing guests describe those moments in ways I never would have thought to describe myself.

One guest wrote that I had

"incredible energy."

Another said I shared

"factual stories in the most delightfully funny way."

Another wrote,

"I've never learned so much and laughed so hard during a haunted tour."

Another mentioned how I

"read the room"

and adapted the experience to the group.

Those reviews mean more to me than compliments ever could.

Because they remind me that authenticity is something people can feel.

You can't fake genuine curiosity.

You can't fake delight.

You can't fake loving what you do.

I Get Excited Because I Care

I don't get animated because I'm performing.

I get animated because I care.

I care about getting the history right.

I care about the people behind the stories.

I care about asking better questions.

I care about the guests walking beside me.

I care about creating an experience where someone feels comfortable saying,

"Wait... why?"

Those moments are my favorite.

Because that's where the real adventure begins.

My Favorite Project Is Becoming Better

If there's one thing that's been consistent throughout my life, it's this:

I love watching things improve.

A lesson.

A tour.

A story.

A business.

A research project.

Even myself.

I've never believed perfection was the goal.

Growth is.

Every guest teaches me something.

Every thoughtful question sends me somewhere new.

Every historical correction makes the next experience more accurate.

Every new source opens another rabbit hole.

I don't ever want to reach a point where I think,

"That's good enough."

Charleston deserves better than that.

My guests deserve better than that.

And honestly...

I expect better than that from myself.

So... Was I an Actress?

A little.

Long enough to discover that acting wasn't really my calling.

What I wanted wasn't to become someone else's character.

What I wanted was to become more completely myself.

Today, that's exactly what I get to do.

Whether we're exploring haunted history...

Digging into Charleston's remarkable past...

Investigating reported paranormal experiences...

Sharing a drink in a centuries-old tavern...

Or wandering down one more unexpected rabbit hole...

You're not getting a performance.

You're getting an enthusiastic researcher.

A lifelong learner.

A storyteller.

An educator.

A guide who's probably a little too excited about Charleston.

And honestly...

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Because the greatest compliment I can receive isn't,

"You should have been an actress."

It's hearing a guest say,

"You were exactly yourself."

To me, that's the role worth playing.

Because it isn't a role at all.

It's simply who I am. ❤️

Book me as your guide through all Charleston tour experiences! https://www.historyhauntshaha.com