I return to you after spending ten days at my favorite campground in Michigan: Aloha State Park. Joining me on this wonderful trip were about sixty other friends and family members, ready and eager for what this vacation would offer. For some: relaxation; for others: tubing and a surplus of volleyball matches; and for those with even more energy to expend: a handy seventeen-mile bike trail leading into Mackinaw City. But no matter what activity the campers chose, they were sure to have a great time.

Whenever I’m  asked about what I do on vacation, I always list the generic things such as biking, swimming and tanning. Yes, I do all of these things, but while doing them, I am constantly learning new things about people who I’ve known as long as I can remember. For example: Nicole is interested in cooking, Carley doesn’t drink pop because it’s bad for your teeth, and Karl listens to German rap. I learned that Ted loves to tell stories that resemble common bedtime fables in all ways except for the ending, Jeff knows a lot about fishing, and Kirk does not know the words to “Pocket Full of Sunshine.” At all.

While these may be random tidbits of information that only increase my sense of admiration for each person, I feel as though there’s something deeper about each discovery that’s monumental. Sometimes I find myself under the impression that because I’ve known someone for a long time, I automatically know everything about them which is drastically incorrect. I’m thankful for the reminder of the fact that there is always something new to learn about those that you know the best. That’s what helps to keep life interesting, I guess.

I hope summer is going well for everyone! I found this video on another blog and I think it’s something that is important to view, especially during this time of year.

I have been described as an observant person once or twice, but after watching this clip, I feel that I no longer deserve to be described in such a fashion. Be safe. Look again.

I fell off my bike the other day. A seemingly meaningless event that, for some reason, I cannot get out of my head.

First of all, it’s kind of funny; the people sitting at the bus stop across the road must have thought I was insane (they saw me hit the road and bust out laughing for about two minutes before getting up). I keep replaying the scene in my mind and each time, I try to find out if I can remember their reactions. So far, I’ve got nothing.

Secondly, it seems that riding a bike is something that a person can learn once and keep the skill forever. It seems strange to me that I should suddenly forget that bike tires don’t travel over steep curbs with ease. In my case, the bicycle did not make it on the road until I fell on the pavement, pulling the bike with me. I guess I’ll take an Edison-like approach and say that I didn’t fail to make it up the curb, I just found one not-so-elegant method of doing it. 
 

Other Memorable Moments of Spring Break
-Eating a Kitchen Sink: a family-size dessert consisting of eight scoops of ice cream, an entire can of whipped cream and every topping that the restaurant has, all served in a sink.
-Listening to and singing along with an entertainer named John on two different nights. I was pleasantly surprised by his knowledge of the song Brandy by Looking Glass.
-Meeting the alter ego of “Belle” at the same restaurant that John was at. Her name was Danielle and she gave us the inside scoop of how they choose the characters for the amusement parks.
-Accidentally becoming a part of a Moroccan drum show.-Making ridiculous poses for the pictures on rides with Alan. We also practiced our imitations of Rod Serling before boarding the Tower of Terror, which were mediocre at best.
-Publix, even though their peanut butter is weird.
-Finding myself singing Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith, along with almost every other person in line for the Rockin’ Rollercoaster.
-Going into the public bathroom at the campground to find my shower open every time. Though I’m not sure if the timing was just perfect or if something was wrong with that shower and no one else wanted it.
-Finding out that there is actually a game you are supposed to play with Dominoes. Go figure.
-Eating Shepherd’s Pie. It’s definitely not pie.

When I first saw a preview for “Horton Hears a Who!,” I immediately wanted to see it. Why? Well, I had three main reasons:
1. Jim Carrey 
2. Steve Carell 
3. ”Whoville’s” rendition of a great REO Speedwagon song.
I had no clue as to what the movie was about, but I was totally psyched to watch it. About 15 minutes before I watched the flim, I learned that it was about an elephant named Horton who hears a noise coming from a speck floating through the air. Anxious to ensure the speck’s safety, Horton carries it around on a flower and the other animals think he is crazy because they cannot hear the Whos with their non-elephantine ears.

When we walked into the theater, I saw what I had expected: a room filled with empty seats. I was absolutely astounded when, after about five minutes, about twenty other people came pouring in. Even more shocking, not one of these newcomers was under the age of fifteen. It was nine o’clock on a Saturday night and a large group of high school and college students were sitting back, ready to watch “Horton Hears a Who!,” a G-rated movie.

Throughout the movie, questions arose in my mind, such as: ‘Is this actually happening?’ ‘Could this movie get any stranger?’ and ‘Where did Horton develop such an extensive vocabulary?’ And as awesome as the movie was when I was watching it, “Horton Hears a Who!” seemed even better after looking at the other teenagers who had seen it as well; everyone looked as though they had enjoyed the movie.

Jerry Seinfeld once said, “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” I truly believe that “Horton Hears a Who!” proves this statement to be wrong. Through its crazy characters and random, flat-out ridiculous moments, this movie can make anyone feel like a kid again. To me, that’s an essential part of family fun.

During the month of February, my friend, Bridget, was given the opportunity to put some of her artwork in a gallery called Studio 23. We made a plan with a couple other friends to meet at the studio and see Bridget’s pieces along with many others that were there. Upon our arrival, we found that the gallery was only open until five pm on weekdays. A glace at a clock showed that it was already past five thirty. That’s what I call bad timing.

Luckily, there was a large window located in the front of the building and, through it, we could view Bridget’s work along with a few other pieces. While looking at paintings, sculptures, and some statues made only of tinfoil, I couldn’t help but marvel at not only the time and thought that was put into the construction of each masterpiece, but also the talent that each of these artists must possess in order to communicate so effectively with color and material as their only medium.

As a wave and a “thumbs-up” are the limits of my nonverbal communication skills, I find the ability to convey an emotion without the use of words to be extremely impressive. This post is basically my way of saying “kudos” to all of those people who can speak without words. Whether you’re a painter, ballerina, musician, sculptor or breakdancer, my hat’s off to you.

This weekend a group of twenty-four friends set out for Drummond Island with one thing in mind: miles of fresh powder, ready and waiting for some serious snowmobile interaction. After missing the only ferry that transports people back and forth between the island and the town of Detour twice in ten minutes -an amazing achievement, as it is only supposed to run once every hour- we caught a ferry and found ourselves on one of Michigan’s most beautiful islands.

“Only in Michigan,” is a phrase often heard when, within a two-day span, the weather jumps from twenty nine degrees and snowy to fifty degrees without a trace of a cloud in sight. Usually a statement made in exasperation, this weekend it kept going through my mind as though it were a sudden realization: from its mitten-like shape to its plethora of lakes, our state truly is unique. While the economy might not be in that great of shape, Michigan really has a lot going for it. There is always a great place to swim, camp, fish, eat, ski, horseback ride, run, hike, play sports, tube, water-ski and so much more. People even surf (though I’m not sure how successfully) in the Great Lakes. What an awesome place to live.

As a person who is not especially fond of cold weather, I think it takes a trip like this to really appreciate our state and the beauty of winter. Before the journey to Drummond Island, I was ready for a speedy arrival of spring and the absence of snow for a few months. Now, I am just glad that I am lucky enough to live in a place where I can experience all four seasons. I don’t mind if winter drags on a little longer; I am content.

When I looked out the window today at six pm, I was pleasantly surprised to note that it was still light outside. The days are definitely getting longer and I am most grateful. While I do like snow –sledding is usually ill-fated without it– one of the downfalls of winter is the shortened periods of daylight. As a serious believer in the positive effects of Vitamin D, I must say that when the sun stays longer, everyone is much more cheeerful.

The lengthening of days is a sure sign of the coming of my favorite season. Spring will be upon us before we know it and I am positively ecstatic. It was 40 degrees outside the other day, so, to celebrate the twenty degree increase, I  simply had to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Just thinking about spring makes me feel warmer, so my travels outside were definitely enjoyable (though I won’t deny it, goosebumps were present).

While each season has its perks– summer: no school, camping trips; fall: leaf piles, Thanksgiving; winter: sledding, snowmobiling– spring always seems special; the sun is shining, the snow is thawing, spirits are soaring. Winter is gone and a new beginning is upon us. What a wonderful feeling it is to wake up with the sun shining and birds chirping, celebrating the coming of another beautiful day. Here’s to looking at you, spring.

 Is it unnatural to get spring fever in the middle of February?

“Life’s all what you make of it.”
-Amy Dore aka Mom 

I have decided that I have a nomadic mind. When trying to think of something– how to solve a problem, what that song I heard today was called, what I should blog about– my thoughts always seem to drift around aimlessly, falling upon topics or experiences that seem unimportant at first, but that I can dwell upon for a good ten minutes. Today, I was looking around my room, trying to come up with the name of the artist who sings “The Way I Am” (it’s Ingrid Michaelson, but I had to google it), when my thoughts traveled back to my freshman year.

Due to graduation requirements, my first day at Western High School found me sitting in Drama, where I would be spending 4th block for the rest of the school year. The teacher basically blasted into the room from his office, which was situated in the back of the room.  Energetic, enthusiastic, and loud, Mr. Mindykowski (Mindy) was the kind of person you liked within the first five seconds of meeting him. After the introduction, the rest of the class ran like any other: subjects to be covered, expectations, yadda yadda. It was the end of class that was always memorable to me: after our session with Mindy, the bell rang and he called, “Have a day!” as we walked out the door.

When he said this, I was a bit confused. Aren’t you supposed to add an adjective that suggests what type of day you want your receiver to have? After thinking about it, I realized that what Mindy had said made a lot of sense. A person has the ability to choose what kind of day they have. Happy, sad, exciting, boring, it is a person’s attitude toward their experiences that affects their so-called “type” of day. Later on, Mindy taught us the importance of compartmentalization and not basing the outcome of our entire day on one event. I learned some pretty neat lessons in that class and, strangely, I’m actually thankful for some high school graduation requirements.

The things that you can recall if you take the time to think are pretty amazing. I recommend a good session of pondering if you get the chance. Now, go on and have a day.

I’m not a fan of commercials. If I’m watching something on TV and an advertisement comes on, I usually leave the room. Surprisingly, I have discovered a commercial that I find myself wishing would air during every break from a show. While it’s not funny like the cell phone or GEICO ads, I like it because it gives me the chills and leaves me feeling really happy. The song in the background helps, too.I know that, if I were having a bad day, I would be desperately hoping some random person would show up with a blue couch and a box of tissues, ready and willing to listen. Sometimes all a person needs is someone to talk to. So, if you see someone who looks unhappy, let them know that you would be glad to listen if they want to talk about anything. The short amount of time spent doing nothing but lending an ear can be exactly what that person needed.

Some awesome commercial songs:

While watching The Colbert Report, I learned of an airborne stunt activity that looks absolutely awesome! Jeb Corliss, a guest on the show, talked about this “wingsuit” that he wears when he jumps out of a helicopter, off a tall building, or anything else he feels like jumping off/out of. The suit is designed to allow a person to “fly” in the same way that a flying squirrel does. It may not look like it, but a person wearing a wingsuit can travel over 100 miles per hour!

While I do believe the stunt itself to be sweet stuff, I think that Corliss’ reason for participation is just as interesting. Corliss said that, when he was younger, he was told that people could not fly. Since then, he has always wanted to prove that it is possible and this wingsuit is his way of proving that humans can fly (though I think it’s more like “falling with style”). So every time Corliss dons a wingsuit, he is attempting to defy the limits defined by the impossible. That’s totally awesome, right?

“Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed.”
-Michael Pritchard

We have all experienced it before: the worry of taking a chance. The fear of failure or embarrassment can cause us to miss out on opportunities that we would have seized had there been no risk involved. Our fear overpowers our sense of determination and our “moment” can pass us by.

But we cannot succumb; we cannot yield to the sense of futility that fear instills within us. No matter how nervous we feel, we should not let chances slip away because of our worry. To give in to this nervousness only shows that our fear has in fact beaten us. As it is human nature to be competitive, losing does not usually make us happy. Yet if we have given our strongest, most valiant effort, we can feel better knowing that we have taken full advantage of the opportunity that has presented itself.

I say, therefore, that if you have a chance that you would like to take, an opportunity you’d like to snatch (with good intent), go for it. Don’t let your fear blind you from what you really want.

“You will make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.”
-Winston Churchill

A past soccer coach once handed out a paper to each member of our team, saying that she read what was on it before every game she played. When I read these words, I love the newfound confidence that I find within myself. While some parts are related to sports, I believe that most of the words pertain to everyday situations:

“Courage Hustle Ambition Motivation Perseverance
That is what it takes to be a CHAMP
Do you have it in you?
Everyone does, they just don’t know it…
Keep your head up.
Go by what’s in your heart, not your head!
And let what’s in your pounding, strong, confident heart
Guide you to a victory.
Don’t get down; play with the intensity that is inside you.
Stay focused on your goals.
Be so determined that it hurts.
Want it so bad that you can taste it.
Let the adrenaline take over your body; let it be you.
Show them what you’re made of.
Leave everything you have out there.
HAVE NO REGRETS.
Don’t hold back; what are you waiting for?
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
Have so much confidence that it’s contagious.
Be the leader that you are,
But don’t just start things; finish them.
Prove to everyone that you are The Best.”

Works every time. But I love cheesy stuff like that.

In my seventeen years of life, I don’t really think that I have experienced very many things that have been as thought provoking as what I have witnessed today.
Note: if reading something that may be slightly gross/morbid has the effect of nauseating you, I advise you to read no further. Unless I have succeeded in captivating your mind by my vague opening sentence, in which case, reading may be the only thing to rid you of your newly sparked curiosity.

During the past two weeks, I have spent my weekday afternoons at a local veterinary clinic as part of my health careers exploratory class. Today I had the privilege of viewing a procedure that I never really wanted to see, but when the opportunity presented itself, I found that I could not resist. This lack of the ability to say no resulted in the chance to view a necropsy.

A necropsy is an autopsy of an animal and this may sound strange, but I must say that it was a very interesting process to watch. From my experience of watching a dog get cut open, I was able to realize a couple things: first off, that my ”selective-smelling” nose is really a blessing in these kinds of situations (I could see the expressions of disgust as different odors crept into the technicians’ nostrils, but I couldn’t smell a thing) and also that I have the ability to “stomach” the process of opening of a dog and the shifting of its innards.

I have always wondered if I would be able to stay conscious if I ever had the chance to see any type of surgery and (as I am still searching for my calling in life) this experience definitely helped to open a few more doors. Maybe I’ll look more seriously into surgery, though I’m sure performing the operation is a lot different than viewing it. If you are looking into a career in the surgical area, I would highly advise you to watch an operation being performed. It’s an eye-opener, if nothing else.

In most chemistry classes, a section is covered on the different types of bonds formed by atoms. The two types that I always remember– in those moments when I randomly try to recall what I’ve learned in past science classes– are ionic and covalent bonds. Ionic bonds occur when an atom either gives electrons to another atom or takes electrons away from another atom, while covalent bonds form between atoms that share electrons. Though these bonds are different in how they are formed, they share a common goal: becoming stable and therefore less reactive compounds.

While I do not usually bring up the subject of science in most conversations that I hold,  I find it interesting that these seemingly invisible atoms connect with each other and form bonds in that same way that people do. Like a chemical bond, a relationship involves giving, receiving and sharing; all sides contribute.

This weekend a certain state officer team and a few excellent friends were fortunate enough to see and experience a few methods that work extremely well with bonding:

Working toward a common goal
Teaching and learning new dance moves
Listening in on (and singing along to) an excellent piano performance
Expressing yourself via Play-Doh
Teaching and learning (at least attempting to learn) the art of juggling
Filming a rules video
Eating fabulous food/shakes at a certain “Don’s Diner”
Having an absolutely amazing breakfast with an absolutely amazing HOSA advisor and her absolutely amazing husband 

Today I walked in to the Bangor Veterinary Clinic, where my three-week mentorship (which started today) is located. The first thing I noticed upon entering was a stuffed cat laying on top of the computer that the receptionist was using. ‘Kudos to that taxidermist,’ I thought as I walked by. It was so life-like that I felt as though its eyes were following me. Probably because they were; the cat was definitely real, which I found out about an hour later when it suddenly turned its head to look at me. I think I concealed my shock well, as no one seemed to notice.

Thinking about it now, the situation seemed like something that you would see in a comedy skit. I felt like Mugatu in the movie “Zoolander;” just as he was the only one who noticed that Derrick’s poses “La Tigre,” “Blue Steel,” and “Ferrari” were exactly the same, I was the only one to seem to think it strange that this cat was sprawled out on top of the monitor. I mean, the cat’s tail and hind leg were hanging in front of the screen; it must have been blocking some necessary icons/programs. Yet, no one moved it, and during the whole two and a half hours I was there, the cat stayed fixed upon the monitor. I love that people possess the ability to adapt.  It’s possible to get used to almost anything.

I am now laughing to myself, as I just pictured what would happen if they decided to install a flat-screen monitor. I wonder if the cat would look before it jumped.

I think I have writer’s block. I’m sure my minimal knowledge of the english language and my feeble attempts at proper use of diction hardly qualify me as a writer, but if I were a “writer” and was therefore susceptible to writer’s block, I imagine I would feel the same way that I feel now. With this lack of ideas on what to write about, I’m going to work with today’s date: 31 December 2007.

Was 2007 a good year? Did you finish every project that you wanted done during the past twelve months? I think I would be surprised if someone told me that they stuck with every one of their “resolutions.” Most people are strong for three or four months, but it’s all downhill from there. An example of this would be the weight-loss resolution. My sister, Sara, is a firm believer in the gym. During the first couple months of the year, however, she avoids it. Why? Because there are so many people who come in, hoping to work off some extra pounds in order to reach their goal of becoming a “fitter” person. By March, most of the crowd clears out, vacating the treadmills and stairmasters, and Sara is allowed to return to the gym. 

Maybe twelve months is too long of a time span to be given to achieve a goal. If I have 365 days to finish one task, I’m probably not going to start working on it until the 364th day. It might be more effective to set monthly goals instead of yearly ones.  Every month could have its own goal, acting as benchmarks for the main goal that you would have set for the end of the year. That’s so crazy, it just might work!

Note: Since 2008 is a leap year, I think it would be great to celebrate February 29th. Like the World Cup, it only comes once every four years. I’d like to see as many people with painted faces and banners on Leap Day as there were when Italy played France for the cup.