Summer Activites

Having trouble thinking of what to do this summer? Here is a helpful list that should make your summer fun!
Swimming is something you can always do, in my opinion. You can do so much swimming; depending on how big the pool is you could do laps, which is motivation for exercise as well as improving your swimming. Another thing you could do is bring a hoop and play basket ball in the pool. Honestly my friends and I will sometimes do hand stands in the pool or see who can hold their breath underwater longer. Along the lines of doing laps you can do laps with your friends and see who is faster at swimming; another thing I do with my friends. You can close your eyes and play Marco-Polo.
Besides swimming there is a lot of sport activities. For example, Basketball at your local park, or even a school. Soccer is another good one, just grab a ball- a couple of friends- and head to an empty field and start playing soccer. Football is another one it's kind of like Soccer except with hands but still; friends and a ball. Tennis is another fun activity you can play, my school hosted a after-graduation party and it was at the College close to the school. In the College there is a gym type thing with a bunch of activities to do, if where you live has a gym or anything like that I advice investing in a membership there because it is fun! Anyways, (off topic sorry) my friends and I played RacketBall and it was the best thing! We didn't exactly know how to play, but who cares the point is that you are with your friends and even though you may have a couple bruises in the morning by "accidentally" hitting them it's okay because those will be the stories you tell your children! The stories you tell them so that they can have stories to tell their children. Any outdoor sport is fun during the summer, if you are on a low-budget or no budget then just use a ball you have at home and you can always find a park, or school that's close to you, and use that to your benefit.
Another way you can have fun outside is by having a sleepover, one of two ways. You can act like you are in middle school again and give each other make overs and be a kid again. Or someone could bring a tent and camp out in one of you, or your friends, backyard and act like you're camping. You could make s'mores, tell old "ghost" or scary stories, sing campfire songs, or look up and admire the stars.
If you like skating then you could always grab your skates and go skating around a park, your neighborhood, or go to a skating arena.
Also bowling is a good choice, bowling alley's are always fun. You and your friends could all go to the bowling alley and play in teams against each other.
If you're are reading this and thinking "this girl is crazy! I do not do any outdoor activities whats-so-ever then here are some indoor activities you can do that don't even have to be inside. (That's the good thing about Indoor activities; is that it could be hot or cold and it has no effect on you personally because you're indoors, I don't know about you but I think that's kind of AWESOME!)
Indoor activities consist of a lot of things, some things you just have to use your imagination. You can always do DIY projects; there is so many that this post would go on and on and on... but here are a couple that you can always do that are on top of my mind. You can paint mason jars (which a lot of people have started to do), I painted mason jars and bought chalk board tags stickers, if that makes sense? It's little stickers that are chalk board, and you can put "make up", "Savings", "Road Trip money" "Pens and pencils" "make up brushes" and endless more. If you have an abundance of pictures (like me because of English) then you can do a bunch of different shapes on your walls. My walls are kind of "shiny" I guess they are not soft and easy for things to be placed- tape- so Mounting Putting is always a good thing to have if your walls are like mine! You can make a heart out of the pictures, or if you have extra christmas lights or you want to go out and buy christmas lights (even if it's not christmas time they usually sell "garden" lights: it's the exact same thing as christmas lights just not as much so instead of buying one box with 100 or more lights you buy one with about 80 but you still have christmas lights and there are variety of different types.) Then you can use clothes pins and hang pictures up like that. Or if you happen to have a decent size picture frame you can use string, twine, anything really and tape it to each side of the frame in a row going down and hang pictures that way. You can go get letters from any craft store and can paint them any color you would like and hang them on your walls. Another idea along those lines are if you have a bunch of magazines look through them and choose a bunch of pages that you absolutely love the background of, then find a favorite quote, cut the letters out by tracing it on your computer, printing and tracing or free handing it. Then use some mounting putty and your room will be decorated!
Okay enough DIY's lets get into activities. A good way to entertain yourself is by watching your favorite movie if it happens to be a series you can use the whole day by watching ever single movie in that series. You and your friends could also grab a bunch of board games and one person could chose which one to play and the winner can chose the next one. That could go on until you guys get bored and then switch to another cool activity to do.
Also something fun is painting, getting some canvases and painting some pictures. It would be a good keep-sake to remember the fun day you and your friends had.
I hope that this post gave you some fun ideas to do with your friends, and make your summer this year FANTASTIC! You don't really even have to do anything with your friends besides be there with your friends. Take it from me, my friends and I will plan something out and try to do it but once we are all together the plan changes. It's not bad because the whole point is all the memories you will make, and keep to tell others about.
"The tans will fade but the memories will last forever...." -Unknown

The grey zone

What exactly is the grey zone? The grey zone is the middle of things. My government teacher always talks about "black and white zones". Sure of course there is right and wrong, but there is always a middle zone in life. Not necessarily for decision making like right and wrong but just life in general. People take the grey zone two different ways.
First people think the grey zone as being something bad. They think of it as a pinch of freedom, I mean you're out of the dark zone and you're heading to the good zone, but you're not there yet. An example of this is; being at a beach but you have the rule of not swimming for thirty minutes after eating so you just step your toes in so you don't get a cramp. You get a taste of the water and you just want to go in more and swim and enjoy yourself in the hot summer. That's the grey zone something you can see and touch but can't have at the moment because you're not done with the dark zone yet. You are almost there you're so close to the finish line but you have to wait. Wait for the better things to come, wait for the thirty minutes before you can go in, wait for the light to come in. Some people see the grey zone as the waiting zone.
Others see it as the accomplished but not yet finished zone. When you are younger you have to take an art class. When you try to paint and you don't want to use red instead you want to use pink but there's not any, what do you do? You have to make it. You use a bunch of white and a drop or two of red. Then you make pink. You have more of the good zone in you than the bad zone. You have accomplished things. You've lived, yes you've made mistakes but you didn't let the darkness consume you. You have more of the brighter light in you. It's not a inch of freedom. Instead it's all freedom and the darkness is still there but it doesn't have to be if you won't let it.
Nobody has a life of all good or all bad. They have "their days". Meaning they have good and bad days. No one is perfect. No one can always be in the white or black zone. They will have their days in both and that is okay. "Everybody wants happiness nobody wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain." In order to have one thing you have to have the other.
There has to be a grey zone because you can't just have a good day and then have a bad day. Or vice versa. If someone is having a bad day and think that life is rough it takes them a couple days to recover and then become happy again. It's a process not something that just happens over an hour.
Grey zones can be seen differently with a negative or positive connotation but there is a grey zone. Either way you look at it, it is success. You have moved on from the black zone and heading to the white zone. You are away from the darkness and going to the light. If you think you are still in darkness you are right. If you think you are consumed by the light you are right. Both are correct and that's why the grey zone is horrid and wonderful all at the same time.

Enough!!

"Am I pretty enough?"
That is the question asked multiple times by multiple girls across the world.
"Am I pretty enough?"
No. You are not enough. You are more than enough. You make not think so but you are. Everyone has their own definition of the word enough. My definition and yours maybe two totally different definitions but the universal definition is adequate want or need. So no you may not be your own enough but you are somebody else's. The question that is always asked between girls is that question or more.
"Am I enough?" "Am I pretty enough?" "Am I skinny enough?"
The question we should ask those people is "enough? Enough of what or for who?" Most people ask that question because they are trying to impress someone. When someone asks you when they are "enough." You should look them dead in the face and say no you are not enough, you are MORE than enough.
Enough is a word that is satisfactory by someones need or want. Those are different levels of need and want. In God's eyes everyone is beautiful. No need to be enough, because everyone is more than enough. No girl should use the term enough because that is a term that is hurtful in ways.
Enough is mediocre nobody should shoo for enough. People should shoot for more than enough. If you think of yourself as the girl who is "enough" change that because you are always ALWAYS more than enough.
Girls are so caught up in societies image and wants of society that they never see the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that they are beautiful. They are alive and breathing and living life that is more than enough. That is what someone should be happy for. That is more than enough and someone should be grateful for. When you ask yourself if you are "enough" look in the mirror. Look don't look at the flaws you have, because everyone can see flaws; especially their own. Look past that. Look at the things that make you, you. Find something, one thing, that makes you you. Look at it and say that one thing is more than enough and everything else that you hate or despise about yourself makes you MORE than enough.
I can look at myself and say "one eye is bigger than the other as well as one ear. One nostril is smaller." And so on and so forth. Put all those flaws and imperfections together and you get me. A girl who is afraid to say she is more than enough but IS. I am more than enough in God's eyes as well as the people who are around me and love me FOR ME.
No you are not enough because you are way WAY more than enough. You are one person in this world that is amazing and is way past being enough. Do not ever forget that the next time you want to ask someone if you are enough.
"I wish we could see ourselves with God's eyes. Flawed, but still worthy of loving." -Anne. N

Pep Rally

Yesterday on February 17, I was in our school pep rally with some other friends of mine. In our class there is two guards; red and gold. Gold is seniors, and red is newbies. I am in Gold, and our "theme" is Feeling Good by Micheal Bubble. 

In November a small group of girls tried out to perform in the pep rally to just do a rifle group. There has only been 2 times of being in the pep rally, in November and yesterday.

I was in the pep rally in November as well as yesterday. Yesterday and November were very different. In November it was a small time as well as my first time being in front of my whole school and performing. Yesterday though, when I performed the crowed was quiet and for a moment I absolutely loved to perform. I was okay with being in front of the whole student body, whether I did okay or not. I was okay because I had enough gut to perform at least instead of being the shy girl I usually am.

In a couple weeks, and months I will being going with my friends to competing against other guards. I can honestly say that I will be fine with it. I will face my fears in being in front of a crowd because I could do it in front of the whole school. 

People should feel confident no matter what. Nothing in life is so horrible we should always stress about. This morning I was incredibly stressed because I would perform in front of the whole school. After I was done I realized it wasn't that horrible. After you push through you realize the "horrible" things are infact the greatest memories of all.
I was happy to celebrate my last year, and last pep rally on the gym floor performing in front of people I have gone to school with for so long. These are the greatest gifts of all is to perform with these people I have became friends with over time, because we all love the same thing and strive to better at it.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."-Zig Zager

Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a day that is widely known. Everyone goes crazy to get their special someone something special and let them know they are loved. Lately I have seen some people question this day. The reason is because why do we need to get our loved ones something and spoil them one day out of the year? That's just silly if you love someone show them all the time. 

For the past 18 years of my life I have never had a "valentines". I have never had a boyfriend during Valentine's Day not really ever had a boyfriend because of school. Although I have never had a valentine I have had people that I love. I love my family more than anything as well as my friends. 

Looking back in the past do you honestly want to see pictures with the guy you were with for about a month-a year? I wouldn't. When I commit to a relationship I want to look back at our pictures and show my kids that real love will work out. That being said I don't want to spend a holiday that is considered a "love" holiday with someone I like at the moment. Instead I want to be with people who lift me up all the time and will be with me all the time. 

The point of a relationship is to find someone you are willing to spend the rest of your life with. Find someone who despite al your flaws you see, they see none. Find someone who will spoil you everyday and not just on the special holidays. Find someone who thinks you are their world as well as you think they are yours. A relationship use to not be just for show and that's exactly how it should go back to be. Relationships are to find someone who is willing to be your everything and more. Someone who is willing to be weird and crazy with you. Someone who is proud to be around you all day everyday. Someone who loves you and does everything in their being to prove it to you as well as make you happy. 

Valentine's Day is a holiday that is widely known, yes, but everyday should be a special holiday. You should not just spoil your partner just one day out of the year but everyday. To me Valentine's day is just a day. If you love someone then don't just go all out in one day but through out the year. Now like I said at the top. I have never had a valentine nor do I plan to have a valentine this year either. I really don't mind. Honestly like I said because of school. I am a senior this year and I don't mind not having a specific "Valentine" and I am not hurt by that either. I actually am getting my friends and family some gifts for valentines day as well as getting some things in return. What am I doing on Valentine's day? I am going to spend the afternoon with my best friend watching a sappy romantic movie, or perhaps an awesome action movie, and binge out in front of the TV.
So enough about the talk of Valentines day. Here are a few ideas to give to loved ones; friends, family, spouses, really anyone.
Here are a couple snacks that could be bought or you could make yourself.
The first one is Oreos' covered in white chocolate with some sprinkles on top.
The second is strawberries dipped in chocolate.
The third is strawberry cheese cake. A friend of mine did this last year for a christmas party and it is literally amazing! I believe she just made the cheese cake took out all the strawberry and then put the cheese cake inside the strawberry. It is delicious.
The third idea you could do is buy some candy and put them in a ziploc bag and print out a sheet of paper and staple it to the top with something cute.
The fourth thing you could give them is chocolate from any stores that come in the heart container.
These are some gifts you can give to them. I would personally love something that someone made rather than bought but everyone is different so here is a few ideas.
The first is to buy a bunch, or one big one, of picture frames and put as many pictures of you two together as you can.
The second is you could buy flowers and a card and put something sweet in it.
The third thing is you can buy a mason jar and cut a heart out, tape it to the mason jar and paint around it. Then you can put a fake candle that is battery powered and then you could see it through the heart, after you take it off.
The fourth thing you could do is buy a plain cup and get a sticker, that is big enough depending on the cup, of their name and put dots, in paint, around the letter.
Last but not least you can make them a collage, or a small book you made out of print paper, of the first time you met to the moment you both are at now.
I hoped these ideas helped for getting gifts and I hope that you express your love to the one you love every day and not just on Valentines day. I hope every one has an amazing Valentines day.
"Love is just love. It can never be the same."

Tattoos, What?

So as I have mentioned before that I am in color guard. Well we have certain rules for color guard and one big rule is to not get piercings' before the competition, any competition, because you can't take it out and you'll get in trouble. Another one is no tattoos we have to be a uniformed team and one girl sticking oddly out with a tattoo is not okay.
Can I be the guilty party and say that I do have a tattoo and I did get a piercing two years ago before competition. Now I am not the rebel person nor am I saying "do what the teacher says not to." Because that is not what I am saying, but I am saying if you want a tattoo or a piercing and legally by yourself you can then go for it!
Sunday, the day after my birthday, I was in Dallas. I told my aunt how I wanted a tattoo and my mom told her that she was going to take me so my aunt went with us. My aunt has a tattoo and got it last year, she said it hurt really bad and if that is what I want then I can have it but that it will hurt a lot. Well like the sucker I am not I decided "Okay." So we went to the parlor and I knew exactly what I wanted when I walked in. I had asked my grandmother to write I love you in korean, since she is korean, and she did. So I went to the artist and he did everything I asked and he was really nice about it. I have been scared to get a tattoo not just because there is a needle going into your skin and leaving a mark on your body forever, but because of color guard. But since my tattoo is the size of a band aid I decided to just get it anyways.
I got my cartilage pierced sophomore year, two years ago, and it did not hurt at all. A friend of mine I asked before I got mine said hers did not hurt so I thought okay not bad. When I went to get my cartilage done a girl before was crying and her ear was bleeding. "Was I really going to go through with that?" I asked. DUH! So I went up there and it was super fast and did not hurt at all. SO thinking that that didn't hurt, and hearing a cartilage was the worst pain for most people, I decided a tattoo wasn't going to be that bad. Well my pain tolerance I feel like is pretty high, but that's just me, so I did my research about tattoos to find that the pain is worse than what you think. Okay well I think it's like a needle going in me no big deal, when I was sewing I got a needle stuck in my finger, didn't hurt. I got this. Well the artist starts the machine and I freaked out! The first line he did actually didn't hurt but because it was in the inside of my arm by my armpit the nerves were hurting so bad.
When my aunt asked me the rate I thought of it as a 6, as her's was a 10!!, but after it was done it wasn't that bad that I think now I could rate it probably a 4-5. After getting use to the idea of something being on your skin forever and going through pain, like a needle, it isn't that bad.
I love hearing people have to go through surgery because of some bad incident in their lives and them thinking they probably were not going to make it and they did make it and have an amazing scar for it. Not like scars that when you were younger and you got ant or mosquito bites so you picked them. No I want actual life scars because it means you lived, and being the chicken I am, I am not going to jump off a high building or tree and cut myself to get one so I used a needle and ink to get me my "scar". A lot of people that over come depression have tattoos that tell their story. Some people don't like tattoos but like people that over came rough obstacles in their life the tattoo will tell my story just like the one I will be getting in may, hopefully. My scar is that I lived and that I was brave enough to get a tattoo and it is a part of me whether people like it or not I love it.
Yes tattoos hurt but they are so worth it. If you are thinking of getting a tattoo then don't hold back. GO FOR IT! Yes it hurts but it is worse in your head unless you read this and a million different other sites because then you think "Oh it won't hurt" like me. Other than that go get yourself a tattoo that has some significant meaning to you and show that bad boy off!
"My body is my journal and my tattoos are my story." -Johnny Depp

Guide To Packing!

So talking about Road Trips we might as well talk about what to pack right? When I went on the Ireland trip I packed horribly! It was my first time leaving the country and I didn't have a clue on what to bring or how to pack so I am going to try to help you. Everyone is different when it comes to packing but here is just a broad way of packing because everyone can put their own individual spin on it. So first of all you're going to need a bag depending on how long you stay the bag will vary. Some times you will just need a duffel bag because it's only two days or so. Sometimes just a small suit case or other times a big suit case. The next thing you are going to want to do is check the weather where you are going because you may think "oh it's summer it should be hot" down in Texas where I live the weather changes within seconds and laughs in your face. I would check the weather, and then check it again.
Once you check the weather then you can decide on what to wear! YAY! A girls' favorite and worst thing all at the same time. So I don't know about you but I don't dress up everyday, I try to but sadly I don't, and especially not on road trips or vacations. Keeping that in mind I would put anything fancy or cute at the bottom because that would not be something you want to grab in the morning after a long road trip. After you put some clothes in then you can put the normal clothes you would wear day-to-day on top of them; shirts, tanks, pants, shorts. Once you have your outfits picked out then you can go on to night meaning pajamas. Those are probably the most fun because pajamas are so much fun and cute with all the different designs. After doing the clothes its time for undies. Now I am not one to show my underwear off in front of people, unless you're my close friend but probably then I don't go flashing my undies to everyone, so if you have a small laundry bag or a small bag then you can put your undies in there and then use it for dirty clothes.
Next you can put your shoes in the open zip thing in your suit case so that it does not get your clothes dirty and you can see all your shoes in one spot so that you can pick them easier. After that if you did not pack to much you should have some more room, hopefully, which is where bathroom things will go. Not everything bathroom because I like to keep another bag for easy, simple, fast things. I have my roll up bag and within it is some more make up that did not quiet fit in my make up bag, some lotion, body wash and perfume, moisturizer, and shampoo and conditioner. I would just throw my roll up bag on top of everything as well as some hair products I would need like a curler, straightener, or anything else. I have a small red bag that I just put all my hair accessories in like; pony tails, bobby pins, hair bands, rubber bands. I just put that beside my roll up bag to make it all together for hair and make up.
Next I would get the duffel bag I mentioned earlier. This bag should consist of things easy to grab, especially if you are flying because this is all you get. For Ireland I packed a suit case, a ruffle bag, and a big purse. I regretted that decision so much! So for the duffel bag pack things like your clothes for the night and next day, some magazines or things you would want to look at on the trip. You could even bring a card game that you and whoever is beside you can play. Next you can put everything that is essential to you; toothbrush, a brush, gum for the trip, phone charger, any other electronic charger, books, some things you may need that you don't want to get out of from the suit case.
Lastly you should bring a backpack if your trip is a long one. The backpack is for your benefit in the day of the trip. In Ireland we hiked around and walked EVERYWHERE. Remember how I sad I packed poorly and mentioned a giant purse? I was not joking that thing hung down me so much I was so frustrated with it. So I am telling you I suggest getting a backpack. Even if it is just a small one, get a backpack! You can put anything that is helpful for the day in there. If you are going to be on a bus to go place-to-place then you can bring your tablet, and headphones so you don't waste your phone battery. Then you can bring a charger and a great thing to have during trips is a portable phone charger. They are the best things in the world, literally. Then you can pack the chargers you need for every electronic you have. Then you can pack batteries for your camera or a charger for your camera. Also you can pack some snacks for the trip and LOTS of water. Another thing is that in the airport you are limited to only three bags so I personally would put my purse in my backpack so that it is so much easier to hold because its not on your side becoming annoying it's in your backpack and when you need it to shop you can just pull it out. Also you can put a journal or something small in there to just sketch or write what you see because when you forget the moment you felt the ocean breeze in another country and you forget the tiny moments you can pull out the journal and remember. Mostly the back pack is for every essential you would need for the trip instead of what you will need to wear or anything that you want for the trip. If that even makes sense?
Packing is fun though because you can always decided on what to wear and get excited for the days coming for the special events!
"Better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times."