The day started off like every other day of our vacation. We woke up at 6 o’clock, ate breakfast, then headed outside to do our daily chores. Me and my friends, Olivia, Michael, and Ryan all decided to take a vacation out to a dude ranch in Wyoming because we all thought it would be a good idea to get away from the stress of college. Little did we know that our vacation was about to take a turn for the worst. We had just finished moving the cows into the field closest to the barn when we heard a bloodcurdling scream come from inside one of the cabins. We quickly dismounted our horses and Ryan and Olivia took the horses back to the barn while me and Michael rushed to where the cabins were located to figure out where the scream had come from.
Throughout the past year I went through a great deal of undertakings that caused me to become more experienced with my skills and how to overcome various challenges. These really built up my character and the way I am today. In all aspects, this past year consisted of going to Killington, Vermont, my brother going into the Air Force, meeting him in Texas for his graduation of basic training, completing a double backflip on a trampoline, landing a front flip on flat ground, accomplishment of a 2 ½ front flip on a diving board, getting 2nd at leagues, and competing in districts. All of these activities have advanced me in a skill or challenged me to an extent.
Jerry wakes up in a dissociative state still hungover from the previous night’s drug binge, nullifying the pain with a fluffy, symmetrical line of Peruvian cocaine and a tightly packed bowl of luminescent green, trichome plastered cannabis nug sourced from California out of his Illadelph bong; naturally, Jerry was quite the aficionado in recreational drug use and progressive dependency. As dopamine floods his prefrontal cortex he’s invigorated with a renewed sense of grandiosity; he looks in the mirror, his eyes are sunken in, the pallor of his complexion is ghostly, an apparition of a once revered public figure. He averts his eyes to his many awards and commendations for a brief moment, before the cannabis takes effect. He brushes
For many, their formative years have a large influence on who they become as adults. This can happen in many different ways including new experiences, discovering a new sport or hobby, and uncovering what they are passionate about. For me, this was falling in love with a new language from a very young age and becoming very interested in the culture that was associated with it.
In 2011, I walked through the big red doors of Metamora Township High School at a whopping 92 pounds. I was five foot as a freshman, causing me to be very nervous for the first day of the next four years of my life. High school had its ups and downs, but overall was a very fun experience. What I remember most from high school is the wrestling season, student sections from different sports, participating in football, and making new friends along the way. High school was a very good experience for me to realize my goals in life and left me with great memories.
From the very beginning of the school year, all the teachers have been acknowledging all the things that will prepare us for high school, and I have been thinking nothing about it. I kept telling myself that high school is still so far away. All of a sudden, it has hit me that i’m graduating and moving on to high school. In my short time in District 57, I have learned a vast amount of things from complex equations in math, to managing homework.
I sat in my room paralyzed with anxiousness. Mr. Chappuis had told us the grades would be in by 5:00 pm, but it was already nearing 6 o'clock. I tapped my fingers on the desk more rapidly as my thoughts began to wander to the fear that was in my mind as the test was placed on my desk. I gripped my chair thinking about all the questions I had answered without a clue of the true response. A shock went down my spine as I began to realize the impact this exam would have on my final french grade. The sun’s final rays danced across the sky as I was still focused on refreshing my computer every several seconds. When I could almost no longer bare it, I saw my grade flash up on the screen in large blue print. I could not conceive of what had happened!
I’ve been called a perfectionist, a procrastinator, a control freak, scatterbrained, a worrywart, and a stress case, not without good reason. I’ve had anxiety issues since I was little, but the growing pressure from middle school to high school really brought out the stress big-time. Throughout elementary school, I received good grades but I acted shy and distracted. I spent lots of time with my nose buried in a book- at home, while shopping, in the car, at other people’s houses, even while crossing the street (which I do not recommend). Fiction, specifically fantasy, was my favorite escape. I’d spend hours attending Hogwarts, discovering Narnia, fighting in the Hunger Games, exploring Fablehaven, and taking on Greek mythological monsters. It was just so much easier and more fun to deal with fictional problems than face reality.
When I was a naïve little girl in middle school, I always had a problem speaking up for myself whether it was a bully, a teacher, or my friends. I’ve always had a problem with voicing my opinions because I honestly didn’t want to feel judged for saying them or for feeling absolutely useless. I was an awkward, 14 year old girl who had many insecurities and was always shy when it came to just being myself. Being shy and insecure didn’t really help with the fact that I had to do presentations all the time and had to socialize when we were paired up in partners. I was a nervous wreck when it came to do with anything of being myself in front of my peers and teachers.
When I was younger my dad used to be an alcoholic and he also cheated on my mom with so many girls. One day I went to sleep over his house and all these girls showed up every time I went over, he would always send me to his room alone and I would sleep in the dark scared thinking something might happen to me. One day when I went over he was drinking and all I remember is I was sitting on the floor and he just started kicking me, and my little self is thinking what did I do wrong. But I always went back not knowing if it’s going to happen again. My dad lived everywhere because he didn’t have that much money to stay settled in one place so he lived on top of “Tony’s Deli” in Pawling NY and the trailer park by beer and soda in Wingdale NY. When
My grandparents moved to the Big Island from Philly and my grandfather wanted to open a restaurant to introduce his culture to others. In June of 1991, my grandfather took over the Canaan Deli and started to serve cheesesteaks and Philly style pizza. At first everyone was skeptical about this sandwich from a restaurant that just came up out of the blue. My grandfather would tell the new customers that if they didn't like the sandwich, then he would give them their money back. The surprising thing was no one complained about it, and eventually started to ask for a cheesesteak on rice.
Looking back on my younger days, I realized that I'd come a long way from childhood. I've grown from a small child to a mature, smart young lady. There are some things I have changed dramatically, and there are some I've kept because it’s a part of me in a positive way. Back when I was younger, people knew me as the girl that’s very shy and didn’t talk to anyone. Since then my personality is through the roof, people attach themselves to me easily. Now people know me as the girl that smile all the time, very positive, uplifting, active, and likes to have fun. At times it can be a bit much, so I love being home alone in my world relaxing, taking a break from everyone's energy around me, or detoxing myself from people emotions.
I traveled for the next few days alone. It was a struggle to find a source of food everyday. I was running low on energy and feeling dehydrated. It was getting to the point where walking through the sand was a struggle. I have gone without food for the last few days because of exhaustion, but I tried to keep moving. I could feel my body reaching its limits. I had gone too long without food, and the water I had was not quenching my thirst. A short time later, while trudging through the sand, I tripped. I laid there not having the strength to lift my body weight. I could barely fathom how death was so close. I didn’t want to accept it, but I had no fight left in me, no strength. My vision started to go in and out, and I slowly surrendered to
It all started when I hurt my wrist on my brothers little bike going of a homemade bike jump. I went inside to tell my parents that my wrist really hurt. All they said was you probably twisted it. After awhile it started to feel better so I went over to my friends house to have a sleepover. Once I got there we decided to play with the bike pump my friend pulled it under from me and I landed on my wrist once again. I thought it was no big deal and went on with my day. After a little while we decided to ride our little brothers bikes up and down the hill. But that was not the best idea. The bike slipped from under me and I landed on my wrists again. I wa sin so much pain that I had no words and even know it felt like I was going to start balling
Many people ask me if the experience affected me in a negative way, I immediately said yes. Other people asked me if I would change this experience at all, I said no. This made me a stronger, wiser, more hardworking, more motivated, and a more independent person. I learned to never turn my back because people would stab it right away. I learned to keep my head up and strive to be a better person every single day. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you’ll be criticized anyways”. That is exactly what I did.
My heart raced with fear and nervous anticipation as I drove to the top of Thunderbird Mountain in the rear of a random stranger’s pickup truck. My gut told me I should go home before any of this happened, but I was tired of always being stuck in my house when my friends were always going out. My mother had complete trust in me, and I knew I would not have any problems getting permission to hang out with my best friend. To both my mom and I, this would be a normal night; I would sleep over at my best friend’s house, probably watch something on Netflix, and gossip all night. However, my best friend had something else planned for the night that I was not aware of.