honey buns

     One time while in Virginia, I was eating with my youth group.  We were in the parking lot of a gas station.  We went inside to use the restrooms, and held the door open for a delivery man. A small act of kindness.
     We went back into our van and continued eating.  A few minutes later, the man came back carrying boxes.  "Dessert!" he said.  He gave us honey buns because we had held the door open for him, and he wanted to return the favor.
     I will never forget that look of joy on his face as he handed them to us.  Not only did his act of kindness make our day better, but it made him happy too.  Which made me even more happier than I already was.  Never underestimate the power of kindness.

iPhone 6s -- better camera!

     The other day I cleaned my room.  I had to take my basket of dirty clothes, two water bottles, and my phone downstairs.  To save some space and energy, I put the bottles and phone in the basket.
     Fast forward to halfway through the laundry cycle: I realized that I never took my phone out of the basket.  I immediately ran to the washing machine and drained it, but it was too late.  I washed my phone.
     I didn't really know what to do, or if there was even anything I could do.  Do I put it through the dryer too? Do I put it in rice? Do I tell my parents?
     I'm just joking about the dryer.  However, I did put the phone in a bag of rice, not that I thought it would help much.  A week later, and it is still in that bag of rice.  And still dead.  And for telling my parents... I didn't.  Not completely, anyway.  Lucky for me, the phone I had before this 5s had quit working due to a manufacturing defect.  Apple had replaced it for me with another 5s.  My parents were pretty much used to the idea of my phone just randomly not working after 6 months.  So I told them my phone stopped working.  Not a lie, just not the whole truth.
     At first I was a little bit sad.  I liked my old 5s; it was very tiny but still had the benefits that come with Apple phones.  There's nothing I could do about it now, though.
     Two days later, I got a new phone.  A one model upgrade to the iPhone 6s.  Now that I have to upgrade, I love it!  The camera is amazing, and there are so many cool new features to support my laziness even more!  Mainly I am excited about the camera, though; it will be my best friend thought all of my summer adventures!

little things big effects

Back when I was about 4 years old, I was SUPER shy. It’s funny because now i’m not shy at all. 

My mom, dad, brother, and I were waiting for our flight at the gate. My dad pointed out a man sitting across from us, “He’s a pilot, go ask him if he’s flying our plane!”

Walking up to a complete stranger and talking to him was something completely wild to me. I don’t know how I did it, but I did it. I asked him if he was our pilot. 

He looked very happy and answered that yes, he was the pilot.  He told me to hold on just a second. As he was rooting through his bag, I remember looking back at my parents. They were smiling at me.The pilot pulled out a few polaroids of planes. He taught me about each one and told me stories. I loved it! He even gave me the photos. 

For years after that day, I wanted to be a pilot. I can’t now for a few reasons, but I’ll never forget how such a little conversation and kindness from a pilot impacted my life. People aren’t as scary as they seem. 

imma celeb

     One exciting thing about Japan is the different forms of transportation. Things I am not used to. The bullet train is somethig Japan is known for, and they’re really neat to ride in. I love reading all of the ads on the walls, seeing so many different people coming and going, and making faces at my brother sitting across from me. Once in awhile I’ll lose my balance as we speed up—oops! I fell against a stranger once because of this. That’s alright though, because I’m American. Which basically means I am a celebrity. I was walking with my brother and cousin to the fireworks show when a group of girls asked for a picture with us. It’s weird to think that if the same thing happened in America, they would be “rude” and “racist”. It was funny. good times.

Belmar again

Jumping off of Belmar is RISKY. There’s only one spot that’s even a little safe to jump into, and it’s tough to aim from so high. My dad’s friend jumped and missed. He was a body builder and super built. He hit the bottom, but brushed it off and went home. Later he went to the doctor to find out that his back was broken! His muscles were so strong that they held his bones in place, or else he would have been paralyzed. Super super lucky to have not died. Moral of the blog: don’t jump off of Belmar!

Hmmmm

There’s a lot of time to sit and think while traveling. Whether you’re driving or waiting for a plane, you’re probably surrounded by people going places too. I like to think about all of these people—each person is going to different destinations for different reasons that make up their lives and experiences... Each person is thinking just like me, each person has good and bad memories just like me, each person has a future ahead of them. Some feel happy, some feel sad... Everybody is out here existing, feeling, being people! I sound like a crazy person but if you catch my drift, it does make sense.  Life is wild.

New York Times?

I’m interested in travel journalism as a career. A little over a year ago, I joined the teen advisory board for Scholastic News. This has given me the opportunity to write for Scholastic three times now.       I find the things I write are embarrassing...  Lucky me, every student at Franklin and Rocky Grove and the entire country knows!!! I was REALLY embarrassed at frst, but it turns out people think it is cool? I get money and a spot filled on my resume either way so... good times.

VA DAY 4

Day four was a half work day. My stomach hurt all morning so I didn't even do anything. After we left the site we went to Walmart and bought some flowers for Ann. Then we went to Hardee's for lunch.  

I got way too much food and ended up throwing most of it away, which was DEPRESSING.  After Hardee's we went to the beach until 3:30... it was so much fun even though all we did was jump with the waves. Then we left and went back to the dorm to get ready for dinner. We all got dressed up and my hair was SO nice and curly from the salt water. We went to Mission Barbecue--it was so good, but I only ate the mac and cheese & gave most of the ribs to Miles. After we left, we headed to chapel. We were there like half an hour early so we hung out. Hailie and I ran around the church which was hilarious and stupid because it was so hot out. I called Ben on the phone; he was confused as to why I was calling him, but we had a nice conversation. Then I called Bella, who was also confused (isn't it sad that people get confused when you call them?). Bella and I talked about PFEW. Then I went to chapel and that was the end of my day!

VA DAY 3

Day three was again the usual. We pulled out a bunch of huge roots and I was so proud of us. When we got back, we went to the park and talked with our Wisconsin friends. Then a group of kids wanted to play football and kickball so we did but we were separated and that got boring so we went and hung out at the snack shack. We showed each other pictures. I had to take a shower; when I got back I was wearing my hamburger shirt and everybody loved it. We had so much fun with all of our friends. We were playing volleyball together, eating hamburgers, and after we ate, we went off to play football. Afterwards we had to go to chapel, which was fun too-we learned about how God knows what’s up and that you may have to wait a long time but eventually God will give you an answer. That was the end of day three!

VA DAY 2

On day 2 we had the same morning routine. Work was fun, we pulled out so many big stumps and roots... (I'm rooting you on ayyy). For lunch we went to a gas station and while some people were using the restroom, Angie held the door open for a delivery man. Then a little while later while we were eating lunch in the van, that same guy came up to our window and handed us four boxes of honey buns and said, "Dessert!". He was so happy, it made me so happy I could cry. Southern hospitality is real! I don't even like honey buns! Anyway, we got back and I had to take a shower and when I got out I went to the snack shack, where everybody hung out. After that we left for devotions! It was all as usual there, but we played this game where selected people had to find people in the crowd and bring them forward. The sermon thing was really nice too. Main story: you never know when everything could change. Also, God is with you and doesn’t do anything to hurt you, there is always a bigger picture!!! Then we went back “home” and after more devotions, we hung out at snack shack. Then it was curfew and another day passed and it was a blast!

VA DAY 1

Today was the first day we actually worked. I started the day with a shower and used this nice new hair gel I got to keep my hair wavy. Later, we went to the church to eat. Kelsey Alcorn had this yellow drink that tasted like water and so when I asked the lady why it was yellow, she said, "It's... juice?".  What I hadn't realized was that there was also yellow water for some reason, so I had completely embarrassed myself. After we got to our work site, we met Ann(e?) and she told us what she needed done. She left for a doctor's appointment and then later we found out she has to stay there for awhile because she neglected taking her meds... I'm glad we were there to help her though, in at least one aspect of her life. We thought of getting her a flower pot. Basically what we did there was replacing her roof; it was so soft and we could have easily fall en through... Oh well ha ha ha good times. Since the entire youth couldn't go up there for that reason, we took turns. While we were on the ground, where I was most of the time, we folded some tarps and uncovered their cement padding. The cement was under about twenty bags of dirt and they apparently hadn't seen that cement pad in 4 years. While working, we listened to Disney music; I didn't really know the songs but it was still fun! We also had to dig up big bushes & their roots--Hailie Fitzgerald was hammering a pole under the stump with a brick as I was holding the pole, but the brick shattered on my leg. It was all good until a few seconds later when Emily Matthews pointed out that my leg was covered in blood. Good times. Also, a SUPER CUTE icecream truck came!!! It played music and drove really slow, and we all got to get something! I got an icecream sandwich. After all that, we went to Walmart because I forgot to bring underwear and a toothbrush, OOPS! That’s everything that happened on day one!

VA BLOGS

The following blogs are about what I did each day I was on a mission trip in Virginia. I kept a diary, so I referenced it in writing these blogs. We were there for 6 days, but only 4 will be written about. I met many friends, made so many memories, all while helping a kind lady and her family! Enjoy the VA thread, hope it can capture the experience at least a little. 

Yellowstone

As I have mentioned before, my family is going to Yellowstone this summer. Me, my brother, two chihuahuas, and at least two labs will be in the back of a truck for a lot of hours. Good times...

I’m meeting up with my Wisconsin friends in Minnesota that I met in Virginia. I am also going on some kind of photography tour, which seems interesting!! Good times to come. 

Anne from the Netherlands

I have a friend named Anne from the Netherlands. I had to say hello when I found out she had the same name as me, and now I have a friend who inspires me in so many ways. 

Anne is basically an adrenaline junkie; she’s constantly hiking mountains or jumping off of 80+ feet bridges. She goes against people’s expectations and does things that few others would. This has gotten her several job offers allowing her to get paid to do what she loves: hiking up mountains!

Her life inspires me to do what I love and not to worry about what others think. 

Belmar!

Awhile back, I mentioned that Belmar Bridge was on my bucket list. I have gone twice now in the past week, and it’s been so much fun. Even though it’s FREEZING out, it’s fun enough there to forget about the cold for a bit. 

There are so many trails surrounding the bridge, a beautiful view, and a sketchy, dangerous jungle gym (if you’re brave enough. and willing to break what’s probably a law). I can’t WAIT until summer; that’s when the real adventuring is. Good times. 

Shoes

What do we use the most to travel with? Our feet! Unless one is in a wheelchair, feet are very important for getting around, and so is protecting them. 

I’ve always been really picky about my shoes. Not only do they have to feel right, but they have to be cute too! Why is it that such popular brands such as Nike are unable to make at least two designs I actually like? I have spent HOURS searching for shoes that offer enough support but also look decent at the same... but to no avail. 

When I do find some decent shoes, though, they are Nike. Good times. 

First Class pt. 2:

Another great thing about my previous first class experience was the people. They were all very kind and business-like. I felt like I was intruding because I didn’t have a briefcase with me. They all complimented my new Amazon Firephone though, which made me feel cool. 

There’s a huge contrast between first class and the usual. I figure that people who have more money also take more showers and respect their surroundings. Most of the time, that is. 

First Class!

I fly to Japan once a year. It takes 6-7 flights round trip. Every once in a while, I get lucky and am offered first class. 

Last time I got first class was from Minneapolis to Seattle. This was probably one of my favorite flights ever; not only was it super comfy, but the VIEW!  We flew over the Cascade Range and saw the snow peaked mountains surrounding Mount Rainier, all during a bright orange sunset!

Gary!

I recently got a new friend. His name is Gary. He’s red. And tiny. I like him. 

My dad went to pick him up in Tampa, Florida. He’s been with us ever since. 

He’s gotten sick a couple times already which is upsetting because I can’t take him anywhere. Gary is seeming better now though, he just needs to get checked out again before going anywhere. 

When the weather is nicer, it’ll be safer for him to go out. Can’t wait! vroom vroom good times

Plane Polaroids

Back when I was about 4 years old, I was SUPER shy. It’s funny because now i’m not shy at all. 

My mom, dad, brother, and I were waiting for our flight at the gate. My dad pointed out a man sitting across from us, “He’s a pilot, go ask him if he’s flying our plane!”

Walking up to a complete stranger and talking to him was something completely wild to me. I don’t know how I did it, but I did it. I asked him if he was our pilot. 

He looked very happy and answered that yes, he was the pilot.  He told me to hold on just a second. As he was rooting through his bag, I remember looking back at my parents. They were smiling at me.

The pilot pulled out a few polaroids of planes. He taught me about each one and told me stories. I loved it! He even gave me the photos. 

For years after that day, I wanted to be a pilot. I can’t now for a few reasons, but I’ll never forget how such a little conversation and kindness from a pilot impacted my life. People aren’t as scary as they seem.