Dahlia is generally easy-going, adaptable, and adventurous, but she isn’t the strongest at planning ahead or taking the lead. She enjoys being social and has a deep appreciation for connection, though she doesn’t often take the lead in pushing for deeper relationships. She finds small talk tedious and prefers to be direct, but she doesn’t make an effort to make anyone’s business her own unless invited. Likewise, she doesn’t disclose her own personal matters without invitation, and feels let down if she isn’t met with the same candidness. She doesn’t mind just being a listener as long as the other person is being genuine. Dahlia can come off as a little judgmental when it comes to people she cares about, but it is really an expression of her frustration over seeing someone she loves act in ways that damage their well-being. As someone who never stuck around in one place for very long, Dahlia can be impatient with people who take longer to open up; but since staying in Merrock longer than anywhere before, her efforts at improving her patience have been paying off.
Dahlia had never been one to settle, in all senses of the term. Growing up, she never had a place to truly call home, constantly moving between cities, countries, continents, even. Her parents were anthropologists, immersing Dahlia into different cultures as they relocated every few years. She became bitter over time, and as she grew older it became more difficult to integrate herself into her new schools. As a result of constantly trying to figure out how to fit into new environments, Dahlia had a difficult time figuring out what kind of person she was for a while. She spent a lot of energy on being a social chameleon, and deciphering the various sets of social norms and unspoken rules often placed her as an observer. Introversion wasn’t a natural trait for her; she’d had to learn how to suppress the innate outspokenness that had gotten her into trouble early on. Still, it trained her to be a good listener, which was a skill that combined well with her forthrightness that emerged as she grew into adulthood.
As the daughter of anthropologists, she was exposed to an array of history and philosophies that became naturally integrated into the way she viewed the world and others. Yet still, identity was a struggle point for her. She finally moved to Melbourne for the last two years of high school, and although that was technically her “home”, the culture in Australia was just as new to her as any other after spending most of her life elsewhere. Social circles were difficult but this time, Dahlia found new ways to fit in with her peers that didn’t take as much effort as before. She stumbled into the party crowd at her school and discovered that nobody cared about the way she acted or spoke when everyone was high or drunk– including her. It was nice to not have to pay so much attention to the things that always made moving around so hard for once. Objectively speaking, she partied rather excessively, and she carried this “tactic” of social adjustment into university.
Partying and substance abuse took higher priority over her schoolwork, inevitably resulting in failing grades after her first year. So, she returned to her parents and sister, who had moved to Connecticut by that time. There, her parents urged her to enter a substance abuse program. But when Dahlia returned to school the next fall, she fell right back into the same habits and returned to her parents once again. This time, she entered a rehabilitation treatment center. It helped, but she never stayed off drugs and alcohol completely. After rehab, she stayed in Connecticut and transferred schools to finally finish university four years later with degrees in both philosophy and psychology. She had always had trouble applying herself to things she did not care enough about, but the combination of psychology and philosophy piqued her interest enough to actually focus on her studies instead of letting her extracurricular partying take priority. In fact, some of her classes inspired her to assume a new extracurricular– becoming certified as a yoga instructor. It was also during her studies that she started to really figure out how to feel comfortable being herself, coming to realize that she started to actually know who she was apart from social pressures.
By the time Dahlia finished college, her family was getting ready to move from Connecticut to Hong Kong. Her sister was having a difficult time in high school; a high achiever with crippling anxiety who was not in the state of mind to move across the globe. But their well-being had never been enough to keep their parents in one place for very long, so Dahlia took it upon herself to stay in Connecticut with Maya.
Moves had become more difficult with Maya, who did not develop the same adaptability that Dahlia had growing up. While Dahlia finished up school in Amsterdam, the rest of her family was getting ready to move to Hong Kong after four years in Connecticut. While the sisters may have never been close, Dahlia still worried if Maya could take moving across the globe in the middle of high school. With no other post-university plans, Dahlia convinced her parents to let Maya stay in Connecticut under her care.
Despite having a better picture of her self-identity, she had no idea what she wanted to do after finishing school. By then, she was 24 and her sister finished school and was prepared to move to university. Her parents had relocated to India at that point, so she was all alone in her small Connecticut apartment. Connecticut had been the longest she’d stayed anywhere, but she knew it wasn’t where she wanted to be. So she took off. She packed everything into her car and drove. She drove south at first, stopping in Florida for a year, then back on the road to Texas, where she stayed for another year. Working short-terms jobs waiting tables, bartending, and teaching yoga classes fueled her through more moves to California, Oregon, and Colorado, and throughout the years, she wondered if she’d ever live in one place long enough to enter a “real” career.
Finally, she returned to Connecticut, but she didn’t stay. She kept going north, traveling along the coast until her car finally gave out on her in Merrock, Maine. Waiting for her car to be repaired became longer than she’d planned, and her stay in Merrock extended even longer when she was told it was most likely beyond repair. But having landed in Merrock with no ultimate destination in mind, she didn’t think too hard about just finding a place and staying a year, picking up a bartending job, then started to teach classes at Breathe In after a few months. Dahlia had spent her years in the United States in bigger cities with lots of people, and Merrock had a certain charm that Dahlia hadn’t really experienced up until then. So, she spent the year, then spent another year, then a third, then found herself renewing her fourth lease with the idea of leaving as no more than a fleeting thought. Halfway through her fifth year in Merrock, it dawned on her that she really had settled down for the first time in her life… And that she was comfortable, not itching to pick up her life and leave. The thought of starting a new career entered her mind again, but she realized that she was happy bartending. She loves to talk to the people who come in, she likes making drinks, she’s used to the hours. Teaching yoga is a good balance as well, and it seems to help her keep her substance overuse in check for the most part, though she still slips out of control from time-to-time.
occupation: bartender at The Mirage + yoga & pilates instructor at Breathe In
family: none
personality: Dahlia is generally easy-going, adaptable, and adventurous, but she isn’t the strongest at planning ahead or taking the lead. She enjoys being social and has a deep appreciation for connection, though she doesn’t often take the lead in pushing for deeper relationships. She finds small talk tedious and prefers to be direct, but she doesn’t make an effort to make anyone’s business her own unless invited. Likewise, she doesn’t disclose her own personal matters without invitation, and feels let down if she isn’t met with the same candidness. She doesn’t mind just being a listener as long as the other person is being genuine. Dahlia can come off as a little judgmental when it comes to people she cares about, but it is really an expression of her frustration over seeing someone she loves act in ways that damage their well-being. As someone who never stuck around in one place for very long, Dahlia can be impatient with people who take longer to open up; but since staying in Merrock longer than anywhere before, her efforts at improving her patience have been paying off.
BACKGROUND / BIO
trigger warnings: drugs
Dahlia had never been one to settle, in all senses of the term. Growing up, she never had a place to truly call home, constantly moving between cities, countries, continents, even. Her parents were anthropologists, immersing Dahlia into different cultures as they relocated every few years. She became bitter over time, and as she grew older it became more difficult to integrate herself into her new schools. As a result of constantly trying to figure out how to fit into new environments, Dahlia had a difficult time figuring out what kind of person she was for a while. She spent a lot of energy on being a social chameleon, and deciphering the various sets of social norms and unspoken rules often placed her as an observer. Introversion wasn’t a natural trait for her; she’d had to learn how to suppress the innate outspokenness that had gotten her into trouble early on. Still, it trained her to be a good listener, which was a skill that combined well with her forthrightness that emerged as she grew into adulthood.
As the daughter of anthropologists, she was exposed to an array of history and philosophies that became naturally integrated into the way she viewed the world and others. Yet still, identity was a struggle point for her. She finally moved to Melbourne for the last two years of high school, and although that was technically her “home”, the culture in Australia was just as new to her as any other after spending most of her life elsewhere. Social circles were difficult but this time, Dahlia found new ways to fit in with her peers that didn’t take as much effort as before. She stumbled into the party crowd at her school and discovered that nobody cared about the way she acted or spoke when everyone was high or drunk– including her. It was nice to not have to pay so much attention to the things that always made moving around so hard for once. Objectively speaking, she partied rather excessively, and she carried this “tactic” of social adjustment into university.
Partying and substance abuse took higher priority over her schoolwork, inevitably resulting in failing grades after her first year. So, she returned to her parents, who had moved to Connecticut by that time. There, her parents urged her to enter a substance abuse program. But when Dahlia returned to school the next fall, she fell right back into the same habits and returned to her parents once again. This time, she entered a rehabilitation treatment center. It helped, but she never stayed off drugs and alcohol completely. After rehab, she stayed in Connecticut and transferred schools to finally finish university four years later with degrees in both philosophy and psychology. She had always had trouble applying herself to things she did not care enough about, but the combination of psychology and philosophy piqued her interest enough to actually focus on her studies instead of letting her extracurricular partying take priority. In fact, some of her classes inspired her to assume a new extracurricular– becoming certified as a yoga instructor. It was also during her studies that she started to really figure out how to feel comfortable being herself, coming to realize that she started to actually know who she was apart from social pressures.
Despite having a better picture of her self-identity, she had no idea what she wanted to do after finishing school. By then, she was 24 and her parents had relocated to India, so she was all alone in her small Connecticut apartment. Connecticut had been the longest she’d stayed anywhere, but she knew it wasn’t where she wanted to be. So she took off. She packed everything into her car and drove. She drove south at first, stopping in Florida for a year, then back on the road to Texas, where she stayed for another year. Working short-terms jobs waiting tables, bartending, and teaching yoga classes fueled her through more moves to California, Oregon, and Colorado, and throughout the years, she wondered if she’d ever live in one place long enough to enter a “real” career.
Finally, she returned to Connecticut, but she didn’t stay. She kept going north, traveling along the coast until her car finally gave out on her in Merrock, Maine. Waiting for her car to be repaired became longer than she’d planned, and her stay in Merrock extended even longer when she was told it was most likely beyond repair. But having landed in Merrock with no ultimate destination in mind, she didn’t think too hard about just finding a place and staying a year, picking up a bartending job, then started to teach classes at Breathe In after a few months. Dahlia had spent her years in the United States in bigger cities with lots of people, and Merrock had a certain charm that Dahlia hadn’t really experienced up until then. So, she spent the year, then spent another year, then a third, then found herself renewing her fourth lease with the idea of leaving as no more than a fleeting thought. Halfway through her fifth year in Merrock, it dawned on her that she really had settled down for the first time in her life… And that she was comfortable, not itching to pick up her life and leave. The thought of starting a new career entered her mind again, but she realized that she was happy bartending. She loves to talk to the people who come in, she likes making drinks, she’s used to the hours. Teaching yoga is a good balance as well, and it seems to help her keep her substance overuse in check for the most part, though she still slips out of control from time-to-time.
Merrock would like to welcome DAHLIA DUMONT! Dahlia (she/her, cis woman) was born on October 23, 1985 in Canberra, Australia and has been in town for four years. Currently, they live in the Coast and Pier district and are working as a bartender and hostess at The Mirage and as a pilates and yoga instructor at Breathe In by day. They look a little bit like Dichen Lachman, no? – written by: Kat, she/her, PST, 23.
Welcome to Merrock, Kat! We’re so excited to see Dahlia here in town. Have a look at our welcome page, and be sure to send in your account within 48 hours, and your bio form as soon as possible. Thank you! xx
occupation: bartender at The Mirage + yoga & pilates instructor at Breathe In
family: none
personality: Dahlia is generally easy-going, adaptable, and adventurous, but she isn’t the strongest at planning ahead. She enjoys being social and has a deep appreciation for connection, though she doesn’t often take the lead in pushing for deeper relationships. She finds small talk tedious and prefers to be direct, but she doesn’t make an effort to make anyone’s business her own unless invited. Likewise, she doesn’t disclose her own personal matters without invitation, and feels let down if she isn’t met with the same candidness. She doesn’t mind just being a listener as long as the other person is being genuine. Dahlia can come off as a little judgmental when it comes to people she cares about, but it is really an expression of her frustration over seeing someone she loves act in ways that damage their well-being. As someone who never stuck around in one place for very long, Dahlia can be impatient with people who take longer to open up; but since staying in Merrock longer than anywhere before, her efforts at improving her patience have been paying off.
BACKGROUND / BIO
trigger warnings: drugs
Dahlia had never been one to settle, in all senses of the term. Growing up, she never had a place to truly call home, constantly moving between cities, countries, continents, even. Her parents were anthropologists, immersing Dahlia into different cultures as they relocated every few years. She became bitter over time, and as she grew older it became harder to integrate herself into her new schools. As a result of constantly trying to figure out how to fit into new environments, Dahlia had a difficult time figuring out what kind of person she was for a while. She spent a lot of energy on being a social chameleon and deciphering the various sets of social norms and unspoken rules often placed her as an observer. Introversion wasn’t a natural trait for her; she’d had to learn how to suppress the innate outspokenness that had gotten her into trouble early on. Still, it trained her to be a good listener, which was a skill that combined well with her forthrightness that emerged as she grew into adulthood.
As the daughter of anthropologists, she was exposed to an array of history and philosophies that became naturally integrated into the way she viewed the world and others. Yet still, identity was a struggle point for her. She finally moved to Melbourne for the last two years of high school, and although that was technically her “home”, the culture in Australia was just as new to her as any other after spending most of her life elsewhere. Social circles were difficult but this time, Dahlia found new ways to fit in with her peers that didn’t take as much effort as before. She stumbled into the party crowd at her school and discovered that nobody cared about the way she acted or spoke when everyone was high or drunk– including her. It was nice to not have to pay so much attention to the things that always made moving around so hard for once. Objectively speaking, she partied rather excessively, and she carried this “tactic” of social adjustment into university.
Partying and substance abuse took higher priority over her schoolwork, inevitably resulting in failing grades after her first year. So, she returned to her parents, who had moved to Connecticut by that time. There, her parents urged her to enter a substance abuse program. But when Dahlia returned to school the next fall, she fell right back into the same habits and returned to her parents once again. This time, she entered a rehabilitation treatment center. It helped, but she never stayed off drugs and alcohol completely. After rehab, she stayed in Connecticut and transferred schools to finally finish university four years later with degrees in both philosophy and psychology. She had always had trouble applying herself to things she did not care enough about, but the combination of psychology and philosophy piqued her interest enough to actually focus on her studies instead of letting her extracurricular partying take priority. In fact, some of her classes inspired her to assume a new extracurricular– becoming certified as a yoga instructor. It was also during her studies that she started to figure out how to feel comfortable being herself, coming to realize that she was getting a better sense of who she was apart from social pressures.
Despite having a better picture of her self-identity, she had no idea what she wanted to do after finishing school. By then, she was 24 and her parents had relocated to India, so she was all alone in her small Connecticut apartment. Connecticut had been the longest she’d stayed anywhere, but she knew it wasn’t where she wanted to be. So she took off. She packed everything into her car and drove. She drove south at first, stopping in Florida for a year, then back on the road to Texas, where she stayed for another year. Working short-term jobs waiting tables, bartending, and teaching yoga classes fueled her through more moves to California, Oregon, and Colorado, and throughout the years, she wondered if she would ever live in one place long enough to enter a “real” career.
Finally, she returned to Connecticut, but she didn’t stay. She kept going north, traveling along the coast until her car finally gave out on her in Merrock, Maine. Waiting for her car to be repaired became longer than she’d planned, and her stay in Merrock extended even longer when she was told it was most likely beyond repair. But having landed in Merrock with no ultimate destination in mind, she didn’t think too hard about just finding a place and staying a year, picking up a bartending job, then started to teach classes at the yoga and pilates studio after a few months. Dahlia had spent her years in the United States in bigger cities with lots of people, and Merrock had a certain charm that Dahlia hadn’t really experienced up until then. So, she spent the year, then spent another year, then a third, then found herself renewing her fourth lease with the idea of leaving as no more than a fleeting thought. Halfway through her fourth year in Merrock, it dawned on her that she really had settled down for the first time in her life… And that she was comfortable, not itching to pick up her life and leave. The thought of starting a new career entered her mind again, but she realized that she was happy bartending. She loves to talk to the people who come in, she likes making drinks, she’s used to the hours. Teaching yoga is a good balance as well, and it seems to help her keep her substance overuse in check for the most part, though she still slips out of control from time to time.
Merrock would like to welcome DAHLIA DUMONT! Dahlia (she/her, cis woman) was born on October 23, 1985 in Canberra, Australia and has been in town for four years. Currently, they live in the Coast and Pier district and are working as the owner of Anchors Away and as a pilates and yoga instructor at Breathe In by day. They look a little bit like Dichen Lachman, no? – written by: Kat, she/her, PST, 23.
Welcome to Merrock, Kat! We’re so excited to see Dahlia here in town. Have a look at our welcome page, and be sure to send in your account within 48 hours, and your bio form as soon as possible. Thank you! xx
French magic of @dahliadumont at our ##DenDinnerSeries captured by @levizolman at @casamezcal. #DenEntertainment #singersongwriter #CasaMezcal #DahliaDumont (at The Gallery at Casa Mezcal)
