WELL... 2020 was a thing that happened, and for me, it didn't include much in the way of American Girl. In fact, by the time I had caught up on everything I'd missed in 2020, it was 2021, and there was a new Girl of the Year -- Kira.
I was really excited when I found out that Kira would have a connection to Australia -- but not because of anything you might expect. My initial thought process went something like this...
"She has family in Australia?! There's a chance she could be part Maltese! Or at the very least, know what Maltese is! I should get her!"
Allow me to explain.
"...Like the Dog?"
I'm half Maltese. My mom and her family are from a small island nation in the Mediterranean Sea called Malta.
When I was growing up, most people around me didn't know you could be Maltese; they thought it was just a breed of dog. It's a common experience for many Maltese-Americans. Sometimes, we're even told we should just pretend we're something more well-known (I think the most common suggestion is Italian) -- to which I say, "Le." (No.)
By contrast, Australia has the second-highest population of Maltese people -- four times the number in the United States -- so they have heard of the people, the island, and the food, not just the dog. And so, as silly as it might sound, at first, Kira seemed like a must-have for me for that reason alone.
There was just one problem... I already have a doll that's very similar to Kira. My Talia is a customized Rebecca with a blonde wig. She'd make a pretty close double for Kira if she wasn't busy having her hair braided to look like Rapunzel.
Something More Truly Me
While I was pondering whether or not Kira was just too similar to add to my collection, I finally saw the Truly Me's I'd missed hearing about in 2020, and I instantly fell in love with Truly Me #86.
Seeing her gave me an idea. I realized her combination of light brown eyes and tan skin reminded me of some of my cousins. I could just get her and make her a Maltese-American girl -- no potential connection by way of Australia needed!
So, Truly Me #86 was ordered, and I began excitedly working on her backstory.
Sophie Micallef
I started with her name. "Sophie" remains one of the most popular names in Malta, and it's one I've always liked the sound of (probably mostly thanks to MyFroggyStuff and Howl's Moving Castle). "Micallef" is also a popular last name and one that runs in my family. Both of Sophie's parents are Maltese, but the majority of her cousins are only half.
I decided that she would have some family in Australia (hence the use of Kira's Casual Outfit as her "meet" outfit), and some family in Malta, but most of her family would be in the United States.
She initially lived near San Francisco -- which is one of the places where you're more likely to find other Maltese-Americans -- and then her family moved down to Southern California to be closer to their extended family, including Sophie's closest cousin, Mia.
Sophie and Mia have many similarities (much like my own closest cousins and me). They both love finding any excuse to meet up, going to nearby theme parks together (especially Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm) or conventions (which is how Sophie's purple hair became a thing), playing video games together, and making websites about their favorite fandoms. They also love spending time in the kitchen with their grandparents, learning how to make Maltese favorites like figolli (sweet Easter pastries), imqarrun il-forn (baked pasta), or pastizzi (savory pastries).
They've both grown up having more "aunts and uncles" than they *technically* do, with many family friends just being referred to as "Auntie" or "Uncle" So-and-So. And like my cousins and me, they've also grown up hearing Maltese and English interchanged so rapidly during normal conversation ("code-switching"), they've spent most of their lives thinking certain words were English, only to find they aren't (usually by the blank stares on their classmates' faces).
(To give you an example, I was like 21 or 22 before I understood that "souf" was not an English word for a tiny bit of fuzz or fluff like you might find on someone's shirt. Oops.)
Memories and Hopes
Having Sophie and Mia on display together -- especially dressed up for the holidays -- has been oddly soothing for me. They remind me of all of the holidays I've spent together with my whole family, and they're a reminder to try not to worry, because eventually this pandemic has to end, and I'll be able to see my extended family again and celebrate like we used to.
And for now, there's always social media, phone calls, and Zoom, right?
Expect to see a lot more Sophie. I really love having her in my collection. ♥