Today was a thinking day for me. One of those days where you take everything currently going on in your life right now, lay it out on your minds imaginary table and analize every friggen detail of each thing. It's exausting. Somethings you are satisfied with so you leave them be, there are some you will spend very little time looking and at some that you will spend more time looking then the others. One thing that I spent a lot of time thinking about today was my friends. I realize that I haven't been a very good friend to any of my friends lately and for that I am truely sorry. This year has been a struggle for me. So much is on the line this year, basically this year will decide the difference between me living out my lifes dreams, or staying in Victoria and doing the same as everyone else. I want to make a difference, I want to change the world! I know it may feel that I am ditching you guys, but I just need to focus. All of my being is going into my goal for UWC and im making a lot of sacrifices to make it happen. Just remember that I love you all very much and if you can understand and wait until my application is in, then you are THE BEST FRIENDS EVER.
Today I had a thought.. What happens if I don't get into UWC's? What will I do then? I refuse to go back to my local highschool... I could never face the people I would have let down if I didn't get in. I'd find it hard to be at home... For my family always believed in me with all their being.. I could never cope with it.... So im going to give it my all.
Quote of the day:
I will always be envious of the birds that fly high in the sky.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
The reason for the season baby.
Happy Christmas everyone. I hope the true reason for this season is still in your heart. Not the presents and the baubles, but the togetherness, the laughter and the love. For me, it wasn't the opening of the presents or the enthusiam towards the gifts that made me smile, but those lingering moments, the laughter and smiles when remembering those fond past christmas memories and the love that floated over everyone like a cloud of smoke. Sadly, no matter what... I always get down around the holidays. Christmas gets more commercialized each year and there is nothing I can do about it but sit there and watch as it consumes the people around me. Not with the fact that this season is supposed to bring us together, to make us thankful with what we have and who we have in our lives... . But rather the people are consumed in last minute shopping, what they will recieve and who can purchase the greatest gift. For all you out there that still remember the true meaning of christmas in your heart, then I give you my congratulations. Cherish those smiles... Those moments of laughter and those moments that make your heart swell with joy as you realize how lucky you truely are and never let the true meaning of christmas fade.
Birthday in 2 days. My current feeling about this include: anxiousness, nerviousness and "blindness". So many things will take place in my 16th year of life including either acceptance or rejection to UWC, Service project to Kenya, whether or not i'll be able to raise $12,000 for Kenya and so much more. I think my biggest fear about turning 16 is that I know as soon as I do, there is no hiding from what lies ahead. No backing out, or running away. I will have to face my future with an open mind, a understanding heart and a couragious soul. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out!
Quote of the day:
"The smoothest way is full of stones" - Yiddish proverb
Birthday in 2 days. My current feeling about this include: anxiousness, nerviousness and "blindness". So many things will take place in my 16th year of life including either acceptance or rejection to UWC, Service project to Kenya, whether or not i'll be able to raise $12,000 for Kenya and so much more. I think my biggest fear about turning 16 is that I know as soon as I do, there is no hiding from what lies ahead. No backing out, or running away. I will have to face my future with an open mind, a understanding heart and a couragious soul. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out!
Quote of the day:
"The smoothest way is full of stones" - Yiddish proverb
Monday, December 21, 2009
If it's going to be, it's up to me!
Today= Beyond damn words. So many amazing things happened. I realized how much I am in love, I realized how amazing my family is and I realized that the reality of UWC is NOW within arms reach.
WHERE TO START?! Well, Bradley since I know you are probs gunna be the first person to read this, im going to write about us first. Today was literly beyond words. I love how something I find like a second nature to do, you see as one of the most amazing acts of kindness ever. My goal in life is to help the less fortunate, so when I get down on the level of a homeless man, introduce myself to him and let him know that I notice him and that I care by offering him some comfort by getting him food... I love how you see how important acts of kindness are. We all must realize that we don't always need to give something... But even if we can just aknowledge the less fortunate and let them know that we care and want to help, whether it is through a smile, a kind word or a warm meal... It will make that persons day. We don't need to do it all, but if we all do something no matter how big or small, we could really get all the homeless off the streets.
(Btw Brad, today was one of my favorite days of my life so far. Te amo baby)
My family is amazing. They are all so supportive and I just know my dream for UWC is just as much as my dream as it is theirs for me. My mom came into my room tonight and told me that she moved our family out here so that we could be closer to UWC Canada. "Rach, I thought that if we moved out here then that was my way of putting my dream for you in your view. After that I knew it was your choice as to whether you would make the dream yours or not." LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM.
Oh. and about UWC. Found out now that if I do get accepted I have ways of getting the whole $66,000 scholarship paid for. UWC IS FINALLY IN SIGHT PEOPLE! I can feel it, only two months until applications have to be in. It is no longer a want or a need to go to UWC's, its going to happen.
Quote of this blog (going to do this all the time starting now)
"IF IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S UP TO ME!"
WHERE TO START?! Well, Bradley since I know you are probs gunna be the first person to read this, im going to write about us first. Today was literly beyond words. I love how something I find like a second nature to do, you see as one of the most amazing acts of kindness ever. My goal in life is to help the less fortunate, so when I get down on the level of a homeless man, introduce myself to him and let him know that I notice him and that I care by offering him some comfort by getting him food... I love how you see how important acts of kindness are. We all must realize that we don't always need to give something... But even if we can just aknowledge the less fortunate and let them know that we care and want to help, whether it is through a smile, a kind word or a warm meal... It will make that persons day. We don't need to do it all, but if we all do something no matter how big or small, we could really get all the homeless off the streets.
(Btw Brad, today was one of my favorite days of my life so far. Te amo baby)
My family is amazing. They are all so supportive and I just know my dream for UWC is just as much as my dream as it is theirs for me. My mom came into my room tonight and told me that she moved our family out here so that we could be closer to UWC Canada. "Rach, I thought that if we moved out here then that was my way of putting my dream for you in your view. After that I knew it was your choice as to whether you would make the dream yours or not." LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM.
Oh. and about UWC. Found out now that if I do get accepted I have ways of getting the whole $66,000 scholarship paid for. UWC IS FINALLY IN SIGHT PEOPLE! I can feel it, only two months until applications have to be in. It is no longer a want or a need to go to UWC's, its going to happen.
Quote of this blog (going to do this all the time starting now)
"IF IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S UP TO ME!"
Saturday, December 19, 2009
6 months later...
Today, I was cleaning my room (due to my mothers assumption that there were new species growing under my desk) and came across my summer journal from 2008. In this journal were my thoughts, feelings and emotions from my experiences in 2008 at Outward Bound, Wales and The West Coast Trail. Reading through, some of the entries made me laugh out loud, some of them made me cry and some even made me ashamed of my actions. the summer of '08 will always be the best summer of my childhood though. At the end of my journal was a letter that I had written to myself during my 24 hour solo at Outward bound. I remember that we were all to write one, then the camp would mail them to us 6months later. The day I got my letter back in the mail was around a year ago. My first thoughts after reading my letter filled with advice, criticism and goals to myself was "Wow Rach, your friggen brutal". In that letter, I wrote about things I liked about myself, things I knew I needed to change and things id have to sacrifice to be the person I yearned to be in the future. It makes me curious thinking about it now, what would you write in a letter to yourself? What would you consider some of your great qualities and some that you really should get rid of? What do you like most about yourself and what would you like to change.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Atsikana Pa Ulendo: Girls on the Move! (Malawi)
Found this on a scrap peice of paper in my binder today, thought id write it on here:
Nov. 3rd
DREAMS CAN COME TRUE! IF YOU HAVE THE DRIVE AND THE DETERMINATION, YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES. Take Memory Chazeza for example. A orphaned girl from Malawi (one of the poorest countries in the world) who grew up amongst poverty and illness, she struggled to complete her education. Once she had finished her secondary school education, she had a dream, in which she wanted to help other girls in Malawi who didn't have access to education be able to finish secondary school and get a degree for themselves. In 2000, she met a Canadian teacher named Christie that was working at the same school as Memory was and they decided to join heads and make this dream a reality. Six years later 22 of their previous students had finished their secondary schooling and further training. This was just the beginning for Memory and Christie!
After joining forces, they opened their school Atsikana Pa Ulendo (Girls On The Move) Secondary School, which opened to the first 80girls (all full scholarship!) in January 2008. 80 More girls are accepted each year and through sponsership and fundraising taking part in Canada through Christie.
After Memory and Christie's presentation to my Social Justice 12 class today I felt so inspired. If these two woman could go into a country as poor as Malawi and take a dream of giving girls of Malawi the opportunity to have Secondary education and turn it into reality, then there is no reason I couldn't make it into a UWC!
Nov. 3rd
DREAMS CAN COME TRUE! IF YOU HAVE THE DRIVE AND THE DETERMINATION, YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES. Take Memory Chazeza for example. A orphaned girl from Malawi (one of the poorest countries in the world) who grew up amongst poverty and illness, she struggled to complete her education. Once she had finished her secondary school education, she had a dream, in which she wanted to help other girls in Malawi who didn't have access to education be able to finish secondary school and get a degree for themselves. In 2000, she met a Canadian teacher named Christie that was working at the same school as Memory was and they decided to join heads and make this dream a reality. Six years later 22 of their previous students had finished their secondary schooling and further training. This was just the beginning for Memory and Christie!
After joining forces, they opened their school Atsikana Pa Ulendo (Girls On The Move) Secondary School, which opened to the first 80girls (all full scholarship!) in January 2008. 80 More girls are accepted each year and through sponsership and fundraising taking part in Canada through Christie.
After Memory and Christie's presentation to my Social Justice 12 class today I felt so inspired. If these two woman could go into a country as poor as Malawi and take a dream of giving girls of Malawi the opportunity to have Secondary education and turn it into reality, then there is no reason I couldn't make it into a UWC!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Give it your all!
I didn't have a chance last night to write a post but what happened last night I want to remember forever so i'll write it tonight.
Well school sucked majorly. I got home around 4:30 and all I wanted to do was curl up under the covers and stay there until christmas. Just as I was bout to call it a night and go to bed (aroud 5... Im lame!) I heard knocking. Our house has like six doors on the main floor that lead to outside so i went scrambling all around trying to see if anyone was here. With no luck I started heading upstairs. Then, someones comes up behind me on the stairs, picks me up and swings me around. It was my host brothers from Pearson College! I was so happy to see them! Mo from Yemen, Logan from Cali and Yannick from Hong Kong. I hadn't seen any of them in a while so I was soooo happy to see them all. The wonderful boys had decided to suprise me for my birthday (which is on the 27th) before they all go home for the holidays. It was so much fun! We decorated gingerbread men, and each of the boys had made me avery special card each. My favorite was Logan's cuz he wrote all about how he believes in me and my goal for UWC. Also, at the end of the night before they all went back to the college, the sweetheart took me aside and said words that made me tear up. "R, you desrve to go to a UWC so much. Your overqualified I think, and if they don't accept you then im going to friggen tell them off. Everytime I think of you applying my heart speeds up because I know that like me, you know that UWC is a once in a life time opportunity and I know you will give it 110%. I believe in you , never forget that." TOTALLY MADE MY 2009!
Well school sucked majorly. I got home around 4:30 and all I wanted to do was curl up under the covers and stay there until christmas. Just as I was bout to call it a night and go to bed (aroud 5... Im lame!) I heard knocking. Our house has like six doors on the main floor that lead to outside so i went scrambling all around trying to see if anyone was here. With no luck I started heading upstairs. Then, someones comes up behind me on the stairs, picks me up and swings me around. It was my host brothers from Pearson College! I was so happy to see them! Mo from Yemen, Logan from Cali and Yannick from Hong Kong. I hadn't seen any of them in a while so I was soooo happy to see them all. The wonderful boys had decided to suprise me for my birthday (which is on the 27th) before they all go home for the holidays. It was so much fun! We decorated gingerbread men, and each of the boys had made me avery special card each. My favorite was Logan's cuz he wrote all about how he believes in me and my goal for UWC. Also, at the end of the night before they all went back to the college, the sweetheart took me aside and said words that made me tear up. "R, you desrve to go to a UWC so much. Your overqualified I think, and if they don't accept you then im going to friggen tell them off. Everytime I think of you applying my heart speeds up because I know that like me, you know that UWC is a once in a life time opportunity and I know you will give it 110%. I believe in you , never forget that." TOTALLY MADE MY 2009!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Like a maze.
Had a really good chat with a new friend tonight. During out conversation, he asked me what my opinion was on fate. Whether I believed in what if's, or that our lifes already planned out. My personal opinion? I belive when god plans out our lives, he creates it like a maze. there will be dead ends, right ways to go and some not so smart ways to go. Only we can decide which path we decide to take. Only we can decide how we react when we are met with a dead end. Do you just sit down and admit defeat? Or do you go back and try to find a different path to take. Now, look back at your life. How many dead ends can you remember? Was it maybe as severe as a divorce in your family, or just a bad grade in a certian class. Did you raise the white flag? Or did you say "Im not going to let this stop me" and keep going?
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