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Age: 23
Hometown: Bridgewater, MA
Occupation: Retail Supervisor

Loud and boisterous, she can hang with the guys or gossip with the girls. No matter what, she will make sparks fly, good or bad.

Jessica's afterthoughts July 20th

Who did you feel most connected to during the competition?
I probably felt most connected to Derek during the competition. He was a cool dude; we had a great friendship, and I could definitely kick back with him and some friends outside of the show.

What behavior surprised you the most from the other contestants?
The behavior of the other contestants that surprised me the most was probably the fact that at times some would say that they wished we could do activities with just the girls. Even though I did meet some really great girls, at the end of the day, that's not the point of the show guys! We're not looking for a new group of girl friends.

Any fun anecdotes or run-ins with nature you'd like to share?
You have to watch out for that mud. You can lose your shoes in that stuff. When I have a challenge put in front of me, I kind of block out the dangerous parts and focus on what I'm after. Soooooooooo the mud was the only thing that annoyed me maybe once or twice. No big deal.

What did you learn about yourself through this experience?
Throughout this experience, I've learned that one, I'm not scared of anything. I am definitely a fearless person who knows what she wants out of life. Two, I learned that being "one of the guys" is a benefit because I can get along with guys differently than most girls can due to my sense of humor, but at the end of the day maybeeeeeee I could be a little more sensitive. Three, I've learned that being the kind of person that dives into things like I do is going to take me far in life. Four, I've learned that I definitely need a man in my life who can keep up. Five, I've also learned that giving people chances is a plus, but babying them is the wrong answer. Six, I've learned that not everyone has the same outlook as me in life. Seven, at first, I was curious how it would be being the youngest person on the show, but at the end of the day, I'm glad I was.

I learned I'm a lot more mature than most people my age. Lastly, I learned that I am often underestimated, but I never fail to surprise people and put the pedal to the metal when necessary! Now that I've had this experience in the quest to find love, I'm ready to use that drive in other aspects of my life, first thing being to get my career in fashion going! I've learned that I have a lot of drive, energy and commitment at all times, no matter what the situation... so now I am using all of that to move on to the next phase in life. Watch out, bitches...

Why did you decide to take part in this show?
I decided to take part in the show because I had just graduated from Hofstra University, I had a job, great friends, and a very entertaining life but the only thing that was missing was a boyfriend. I've had many great boyfriends, but I was always too focused on friends, school, and hanging out so it was never the right time for someone in the past. Going on this show was the perfect opportunity to transform from my single life to a life with someone else in it as well.

Would you call yourself an outdoorsy person? Why or why not?
I am definitely an outdoorsy person, but I do not look like one at all. Whenever people look at me right away, they get the impression that I'm a stuck-up high-maintenance person. But once you really get to know me, I am the first person to jump head first into a pile full of mud if the opportunity is there. I'm more of one of the boys than one of the girls. I would rather watch sports, play sports, or run around in circles around absolutely nothing than go get my nails done. Guys are less drama, so I've always fit in with them better. Not to mention, I've always been a girl who has more backbone than most.

What is your biggest fear or phobia?
I'm actually not scared of anything. I mean, I never try to make friends with poisonous animals and surround myself with crazy things on purpose, but there's not much that I won't do. I love a challenge, and I think that fear is a sign of weakness. I was definitely raised in Italian family who made me into the strong individual I am.

What surprised you most about being in the jungle?
The thing that surprised me most about being in the jungle is that I was more aggressive than some of the guys at times. I wasn't scared, nervous, and I always had my helmet strapped on no matter what! I thought that some of the guys were going to be a little more manly haha. But, they were fun nonetheless.

What was the hardest thing for you to live without? What did you miss the most?
I'm a pretty spur-of-the-moment person who enjoys going on unexpected adventures when given the opportunity, so living without the norm for a while honestly did not bother me much. I guess my cell phone would have been a plus, but who doesn't miss their iPhone when they don't have it. I definitely missed my mother the most. She is your typical Italian mother who knows more than she should but at the end of the day, she only looks out for my best interest so I missed her asking me ridiculous questions which she most likely already knew the answers to. Phone and mother, definitely two key things in life.

What would other people say are your best qualities?
People would say my best qualities are my personality for one. I can entertain myself with anyone else in the most ridiculous ways. I could strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone at any given time. I could even have a conversation with a rock if need be....

...Another quality people would probably say is that I am abnormally close with my family, but it has always been amazing growing up in a close-knit Italian family because it makes me the loyal person that I am. Also, people would definitely say I have more backbone than most. I grew up with a single mother who has worked her butt off to give us a phenomenal life and from her I've learned to always stick up for myself, stick up for those that are closest to me, and never rely on others to get you ahead in life. Finally, my other great quality is that I have a great sense of passion so my friends are always excited to see what I come out of the house wearing. So, my confidence, sense of style, loyalty, backbone, drive, sense of humor and MY HAIR, are definitely my best qualities according to other people.

Describe the worst date you've ever been on.
The worst date I have ever been on was probably last year with this guy who I met one time, figured after him asking me to go out with him four annoying times I would just go. Well, he was like talking to a wall. The only things that came out of his mouth over and over was where have you been all my life. And I'm so happy I found my wife. I was basically having a conversation with myself for an hour and a half while having someone be creepy in the midst of it all. Creepiness definitely makes a date super awkward. Never went out with him again.

What qualities do you find to be most important in your partner?
The most important things in a partner are their sense of humor. Sense of humor is important especially with someone like me who needs to be kept on my toes. I throw a lot of sarcasm at people so if they can't dish it back, then we definitely will not get along. Also, loyalty is important. If you're not loyal, then there is no trust... that is a recipe for a debacle of a relationship. Another important quality is drive. I definitely need a man who knows what he wants out of life. If you don't have goals, then you and I are not going to drive down the same roads in life. Values are important, but I do understand that not everyone believes in the same things. So a grounded man who knows what he wants out of life, has a good sense of style, values of some sort, a PHENOMENAL sense of humor, and who doesn't mind taking risks every now and again is my kind of man.

Describe your ideal date.
Honestly, my ideal date is going to a baseball game (preferably the Red Sox... but we can compromise), having some beers, laughing our asses off, and going out for some good food. I'm definitely not your typical go-for-a-walk-on-the-beach kind of girl. Even going F1 racing could be a pretty badass time for a girl like me. I like keeping things interesting that's for sure. Don't get me wrong, the cool calm and collective dates are a nice switch of pace every now and again, but I definitely would rather be watching a sports game or doing some F1 before that.

What was it like sharing a cabin with a total stranger?
It was definitely an interesting situation sharing a cabin with a total stranger, but I didn't make such a big deal out of it like some of the girls did. It's one of those situations where yeah, maybe you didn't know this is exactly what is going to go down, but you did want to find love so if sleeping in a cabin with a stranger is what you have to do in the process, then we're all adults here! Go to sleep. If you like the person, awesome. If not, there's no reason for all the bitching. It's a survivable situation in my book.

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