Community Service

Dear Society,

Like many, I have been a Girl Scout for a majority of my life. I grew up with community service. It was just a part of life. My troop and I created a community garden behind one of our churches. I adored helping out the town. Now four years later, not only has that community garden expanded, I have dipped my feet in several areas of volunteer work. My high school has encouraged me to do that. Ask any girl in my school, especially a senior, about her volunteer work. I bet you that she has done her volunteer hours in at least four different places. It’s extraordinary to think of how many people my high school community has helped out over the years. And that is the wonderful thing about helping people, they usually “pay it forward” and reach out to others as well. It’s comforting to know the world is a better place because of us. 

It’s human nature to want to help people. But helping strangers? That takes some courage. Not everyone is comfortable hanging out with homeless people in NYC or assisting special needs kids exercise. But why not? Why does that make people uncomfortable? That’s not fair. They are people; they just need some help. It is our job, as fortunate human beings to help the less fortunate. This is what community service has taught me: to step outside of my comfort zone for the good of the people. They are worth it. A phrase I live by “do onto others as you would want done onto you.” If I needed help, I would want someone to help me. Help, even if it is simply an act of kindness, can go a long way.

Do not feel forced into doing your community service hours. That is not what they are meant to do. Feel as though these hours are a part of who you are. Who knows, maybe you will find your passion. Maybe volunteering at a day care will help you realize that you want to teach art to little children. Maybe volunteering at a food kitchen will help you figure out that you want to make a difference in society. In a way, volunteering for others, helps you as well. You can find yourself while helping others. It’s the perfect solution to life. So enter the Service World with open eyes and ears. Take risks. Attend service opportunities you are not sure you will like, ‘cause, hey you never know.


Sincerely, 
An active participant in the community


Read the article on TeenInk: http://www.teenink.com/opinion/discrimination/article/635094/Community-Service/

Books I've Read in 2014

In the order they were read:

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ***' (1/21/14)
2. Antigone by Sophocles ** (2/23/14)
3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery ****(3/22/14)
4. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery ****(3/22/14)
5. Hamlet by William Shakespeare ****'(3/26/14)
6. This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl & her parents****(4/9/14)
7. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller **** (4/13/14)
8. Alex Rider: Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz ***'(6/12/14)
9. Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz ***'(6/29/14)
10. A Zits Treasury: Supersized by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman***(6/29/14)
11. A Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan ****(6/30/14)
12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck *****(7/5/14)
13. Catch Me if You Can by Frank W. Abagnale, jr. w/ Stan Redding *****(7/12/14)
14. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead ***'(7/14/14)
15. The Maze Runner by James Dashner ***(7/20/14)
16. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ***'(7/22/14)
17. Mockingjay  by Suzanne Collins **'(8/18/14)
18. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid ***(8/26/14)
19. Hamlet by William Shakespeare ****(10/8/14)
20. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner ***'(11/17/14)
21. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd****'(11/23/14)

21/25 not bad! I spent the summer catching up on so many books that I wanted to read, very proud of myself. 

Accomplisments of 2013

Wow. I forgot that I had a blog. This used to be my main source of procrastination.

I'm a fan of lists. So today, I will make another one.

Accomplishments of 2013

• attended 3 proms
• got my driver's license
• watched all ten seasons of FRIENDS in consecutive order before the summer, twice
• joined a varsity sport
• Cheerleading, something I thought I would never do
• spent five weeks at Skidmore College taking college art courses
• spent ten days on foreign land without my parents (again)
• Went to Ireland, Wales, and England
• got my heart broken and got over him very quickly
• got stabbed in the back twice by the same person and survived
• applied to seven colleges
• accepted two/two so far!
• completed my first Yearbook
• currently co-editor-in-chief of the next
• achieved honor roll every marking period (overall average above 90)
• made amazing friends
• survived the SATs (3 times), ACT (once), and SAT IIs (once)
• completed my first oil painting
• created art work I was actually proud of
• went out of my comfort zone frequently
• learned to use a potter's wheel
• I went cliff jumping
• even though I'm scared of heights
• created a self-portrait that actually somewhat looks like me
• wrote my first legitimate research paper on Why People Fall in Love
• read over a dozen books
• drove over 2 hours straight
• Inducted into National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society
• went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art twice
• 
  

Cheerleading

Drawing of a dead flower

A five foot tall drawing I did at Skidmore of nude models

A piece of pottery from my class at Skidmore as well

The self-portrait

A picture with an Irish pup

Stonehenge! 

this is self explanatory 

My junior prom

A picture from a photoshoot with a friend at Skidmore

The London Eye

We went bogging at a farm in Ireland

Books I've Read in 2013

In the order in which they were read:

1. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini ***' (1/7/13)
2. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill ****  (3/6/13)
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain *** (3/19/13)
4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen ***** (3/30/13) [read x2]
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald **** (5/3/13)
6. The Crucible by Arthur Miller *** (5/30/13)
7. When it Happens by Susane Colasanti ***' (6/4/13) [read x3]
8. Maus: The Complete by Art Spiegelman ***** (7/5/13)
9. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult***(8/18/13)
10. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh **'(9/12/13)
11. A Doll's House by Henry Ibsen *** (10/21/13)
12. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Paterson *** (12/1/13)
13. Maus: The Complete by Art Spiegelman ***** (12/19/13)

I only read 13 books this year. As always, my goal is 25. I guess I was having too much fun this year to read! Next year I will try to read more.

I should post more. Here's a Review of TFIOS

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How does one even begin to describe how much this book means to me? I've recommended it to my mother, my best friend, and my boyfriend. All of them loved it. I've read this book twice in the past 6 months and I plan on reading it again very soon.

Clarification: This is NOT a "Cancer Book". This book is not about a child who has cancer and how he or she or the family gets through it. If you want that kind of book. Don't read this one.
Good. Now that we have that out of the way, we can continue.

The Fault in Our Stars (TFiOS for short), is a yet another brilliant novel written by John Green. Personally, I think this is his best one. TFiOS is narrated by 16-yr-old Hazel Grace Lancaster. Unfortunately, Hazel Grace has terminal cancer. This book isn't about how she gets through life with cancer. It's about how she lives despite of it. She's a regular teenager. She laughs. She fangirls. She watches TV. She reads. She falls in love.

This book is the best love story ever written. Better than Romeo & Juliet (they only knew each other for a few days, mind you). Better than any other you could think of. John Green captures the idea of True Love so perfectly. It's the idea that one can completely be himself or herself with the person they are in love with.


It's happy. It's sad. It's funny. It's life.

P.S. Here's a link to a song about the book. Not me. But absolutely brilliant. Amazing song + amazing book = Amazing-ness explosion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaIU0z...

P.P.S. If you're a nerd, like I am, here's a link to a cool Facebook page that posts cool pictures and stuff :) https://www.facebook.com/IfTheDoctorM...

View all my reviews

Prom

I guess I should start in the beginning. In the middle of April I went on a student exchange program to the Netherlands. I went with 3 boys, and 2 other girls and one of the boy's mom.

We spent 10 days there. There were absolutely beautiful and I had the time of my life. I also, sorta, maybe fell for one of the guys I went on the trip with. Anyway, long story short, we hung out all the time after the trip. I am currently very close with all these people I went on the trip with. Even all the friends I made while I was there. 

I am now dating this boy that I fell for on the trip (as of May 20th). At the moment, I think he's pretty perfect. Honestly, life is great right now. It's almost summer. I'm taking my final exams for the year. Two tests left.

On the first of June 2012, I went to his Senior Prom with him. He had asked me May 1st to go with him. He had written me a beautifully dorky poem to ask me. It's adorable. I still have it. Here are some pictures from that.

This is a picture with the other two girls we went to the Netherlands with. We're all such good friends.

We are aware of how adorable we are together. :)

Hi. I'm not dead! I have a lot to talk about but firstly, I am going to show you all my videos that I've made. I have NOT put one up on my main channel first before my trip to the Netherlands, but I have been updating my collab channel weekly.

This one was my friend subbing for me while I was away in Dutchland.

This was a "Thoughts from Places" video on The Netherlands.

This week's topic was Boys and Relationships

My success continues <3

This video was made in one take. The topic is Friends.

The topic: Self Confidence

And the video I made for today!

I had to do a punishment because I missed May 22nd. I actually slept through that entire day. 13 hours straight. it was beautiful!