I'm still very young and nothing really "life-changing" has happened to me. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.. Perhaps it's a little of both. But there are some things that have helped define who I am.
One thing I could write about is how I came to be so passionate about food, nutrition, and healthy living. It's a big part of who I am now. I'm a vegetarian and I do my best to eat mostly healthy food (moderation, not perfection...plus desserts are pretty much my favorite thing ever). There are so many lies fed from the food industry to the world and I want to help spread the truth. I think nutrition is fascinating and I can't wait to start my path and become a certified health coach.
Another thing I could write about is how my dad moving across the country has impacted my life. When I was only in about second or third grade, my dad transferred from NIU to Penn State to be a grad-student and get some other degree. That's a lot of miles and a whole time zone away from here, which is a lot for a little girl to take in. Ever since, I've only been able to see him during Christmas Break and for a week every summer. I think this situation helped me grow up a lot quicker. It also caused me to have some commitment and trust issues, which I'm just starting to get over. Fortunately my dad and I have always been on good terms and we still talk on a regular basis. But as I get older things get more awkward. Most of our conversations are about school and movies or books. At the end of the day, though, I love my dad and I've never been upset with him for living that far away from me. It's kind of nice not having to live a double life and switch houses every weekend, like a lot of other kids with divorced parents do. And I also have an awesome step-dad, so it's kind of like I get two dads, which is pretty cool.
The problem with both of these ideas is that they aren't really stories. So I'm not sure where I'd begin with either of them. I like them both equally so I'm not sure which to choose. I didn't realize how much I had to say about the second until I started writing. This might be silly, but I'm afraid if I choose the second, my dad will eventually read it and it will make him sad, and I don't want that. I also don't know if either of them would pass the "so what?" test. I'm very indecisive..
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
A Lovely Beach Day..
I am not a very relaxed person. I enjoy relaxing (obviously... who doesn't?), but I'm not very good at it. Especially when I'm out of my element like I was during my trip to Delaware.
Every summer I fly out to Washington D.C. to visit my dad. Usually we tour the city, eat at cool restaurants, and watch movies. But starting last summer we added another person to the week - my new step-mom. Fortunately she and her family were very welcoming of me and they invited me to their beach week at Bethany Beach, Delaware. They've gone the last 32 summers to stay in a beach house at their favorite beach. I accepted the invitation; however, as the vacation date approached, I got more nervous about it. I knew I would be lonely and homesick since I didn't know these people very well. But I boarded the plane anyway.
It was a long day of traveling but I was happy to see the ocean. There was a perfect sunset the first night, full of oranges and pinks and blues. I felt more at ease when I was by the water. When I was with my group, on the other hand, I felt anxious and lonely because they were so different from me. They talked differently, seemed a lot smarter than me, and they didn't quite understand my daily diet. I also missed my family and friends back home. I knew I had a long six days ahead of me.
The first beach day was so uncomfortably hot. It was also crowded because it was the Sunday after the fourth of July. I attempted to lay out on a blanket and get a tan, but the blanket was covered in sand. Since I was sweating so much, the sand stuck to me and made my skin feel gritty and gross. I wasn't exactly sad when we headed back to the house.
A second beach day went by, which was better but still not much fun. My dad, step-mom, and I decided to take a break from the water and go mini golfing. It ended up being a lot of fun, plus we got free ice cream. That night our whole group (twelve of us all together) went out for dinner. It was the first night I actually enjoyed myself. There was good conversation, delicious food, and a fun environment. I finally felt like things were looking up.
The fourth day was another beach day, and it was perfect. It was a sunny day but it wasn't too hot. We set up our umbrellas, chairs, and blankets, ate a picnic lunch, and tried to enjoy the day. I ended up falling asleep on one of the blankets, which was a first for me that week. When I woke up I decided to sit in a chair and just relax. I focused on the waves, the hot air, and the unusually cool breeze coming off the ocean. I tried not to think about anything on the trip that was bothering me or making me feel anxious. I just breathed. An hour later I realized I had fallen asleep again. I was amazed at myself for actually feeling content for once. We packed up and headed home, and got ready for another group dinner.
The rest of the week got better and better. After a day of shopping, a few more great meals, and a rainy day spent inside, I felt so much calmer. I now know that there really was no need to worry. I'm looking forward to joining them for beach week again next year.
Every summer I fly out to Washington D.C. to visit my dad. Usually we tour the city, eat at cool restaurants, and watch movies. But starting last summer we added another person to the week - my new step-mom. Fortunately she and her family were very welcoming of me and they invited me to their beach week at Bethany Beach, Delaware. They've gone the last 32 summers to stay in a beach house at their favorite beach. I accepted the invitation; however, as the vacation date approached, I got more nervous about it. I knew I would be lonely and homesick since I didn't know these people very well. But I boarded the plane anyway.
It was a long day of traveling but I was happy to see the ocean. There was a perfect sunset the first night, full of oranges and pinks and blues. I felt more at ease when I was by the water. When I was with my group, on the other hand, I felt anxious and lonely because they were so different from me. They talked differently, seemed a lot smarter than me, and they didn't quite understand my daily diet. I also missed my family and friends back home. I knew I had a long six days ahead of me.
The first beach day was so uncomfortably hot. It was also crowded because it was the Sunday after the fourth of July. I attempted to lay out on a blanket and get a tan, but the blanket was covered in sand. Since I was sweating so much, the sand stuck to me and made my skin feel gritty and gross. I wasn't exactly sad when we headed back to the house.
A second beach day went by, which was better but still not much fun. My dad, step-mom, and I decided to take a break from the water and go mini golfing. It ended up being a lot of fun, plus we got free ice cream. That night our whole group (twelve of us all together) went out for dinner. It was the first night I actually enjoyed myself. There was good conversation, delicious food, and a fun environment. I finally felt like things were looking up.
The fourth day was another beach day, and it was perfect. It was a sunny day but it wasn't too hot. We set up our umbrellas, chairs, and blankets, ate a picnic lunch, and tried to enjoy the day. I ended up falling asleep on one of the blankets, which was a first for me that week. When I woke up I decided to sit in a chair and just relax. I focused on the waves, the hot air, and the unusually cool breeze coming off the ocean. I tried not to think about anything on the trip that was bothering me or making me feel anxious. I just breathed. An hour later I realized I had fallen asleep again. I was amazed at myself for actually feeling content for once. We packed up and headed home, and got ready for another group dinner.
The rest of the week got better and better. After a day of shopping, a few more great meals, and a rainy day spent inside, I felt so much calmer. I now know that there really was no need to worry. I'm looking forward to joining them for beach week again next year.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Blog #1: Your Abilities as a Writer
Because we've been on summer break for the last two and a half months, I feel that I am a little rusty when it comes to writing. Hopefully it won't take long to get back on track. Besides that, when comparing my current writing abilities to those of a year ago, I feel confident that I've improved; however, there are many things I'd like to improve upon further. Firstly, I need to get a handle on my procrastination problems (yes, I've still got those...*sigh*). Getting on top of assignments right away is my biggest goal for this year. I'd also like to continue learning about the use of correct grammar, and I want to expand my vocabulary as well. For example, I need to discover some new substitues for the word "however." Another thing I have trouble with is knowing where to separate my ideas into paragraphs. I have a tendency to just write one huge paragraph that jumps all over the place, and that's an issue. One thing I feel better about, though, is the process of writing. Taking Honors III last year helped me out a lot in that. I learned that I need to start with a general idea of what I'm going to write about, form more ideas with a graphic organizer of some kind, and also revise, revise, and revise some more. And not just in English classes - all of my classes! That's something I've never quite grasped until now.
I'm really excited that I have the opportunity to take this class, as well as psych and speech. It makes me feel like I'm a step ahead for once. I think this is going to prepare me for college much better than regular English 4. I am still a bit sad that I didn't get to take AP...I had been looking forward to that since freshman year. But honestly I think this class will be great. It will definitely be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. I'm looking forward to learning about different types of essays, and also expanding my knowlege and writing skills.
I'm really excited that I have the opportunity to take this class, as well as psych and speech. It makes me feel like I'm a step ahead for once. I think this is going to prepare me for college much better than regular English 4. I am still a bit sad that I didn't get to take AP...I had been looking forward to that since freshman year. But honestly I think this class will be great. It will definitely be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. I'm looking forward to learning about different types of essays, and also expanding my knowlege and writing skills.
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