Giovana. Gift from God. Giovana is ocean waves calmly splashing on the beach. A vision of rolling hills in a valley. Grassy hills everywhere. It is a vibrant green. The green you see on a freshly cut lawn. The green of outdoors. The number Seven. A perfect fit. Seven letters in Giovana and my favorite number. Rough, bumpy textures. When you see Giovana, the letters almost look like mountains because of all the letters in it. The ups and downs of mountains. Similar to how my name appears. 

Elegance. Sophistication. A pure Italian name. Italy. A place of beautiful architecture where many tours are held. The cobblestone streets that have been walked on my so many. Numerous historical buildings are spread throughout the country as well. The Colosseum. Leaning Tower of Pisa. St. Peter’s Basilica. All beautiful buildings with great power and importance. Red, green, and white. The colors of the Italian flag waving from the wind. 

When I was born my parents wanted to name me Gina. But, there was something that told them Gina was too normal. They wanted something unique, but similar to Gina. And there it was: Giovana. Most people would spell my name Giovanna with two N’s, but my parents chose to have only one N. 

Although I do like my name, I sometimes wish I had a different name. I have always wanted a name that was shorter and more common, but at the same time I like how different and unusual my name is. Uniqueness. Creativity. When someone says my name you will know it is me and not someone else. 

My name is long and can be hard to say. Therefore, I do have some nicknames. A couple friends from school call me Gio. At dance, everyone calls me G. These names are short and easy to say, but I only let my close friends call me these nicknames. Giovana just fits me so well. I could never change my name because I would not be me without Giovana.