5 Things Everyone Needs to Know

1. You are who you are and you have what you have

We tend to want something we don't have and want to be someone we are not. We are our own biggest bully and life is hard in that manner. We need to learn that no matter how much we want to be someone else we can't and we should just focus and worry about ourselves.  We just need to accept who we are and learn to love ourselves. We also need to learn not to compare ourselves to other and just be happy with who we are because everyone is different and thats just the way life is.

Don't compare yourself to others (image from pretty designs)

2. Little moments count too

We often sit there and wait for the perfect moments or big moments in life while the little ones just pass right by us and we don't even realize it. We need to learn to live in the now and not wait around. Perfect moments will come and you don't have to wait for them.

3. Live in the moment not in your cell phone

Phones are taking over the world. We tend to rely on them too much and spend time on them too much. I personally do this. Our whole lives are based around phones and its like people are living in their phones instead of just living. When I am hanging out with my friends we are all always on our phones and don't actually socialize with each other. Everyone only cares about how many Instagram like they got or if their picture matches the theme. But honestly no one cares about that stuff, only you do. I feel like phones are just something to do to pass the time but they have become way more than that. There is also so much hate on the internet that we would be better off and happier if we just put our phones down and lived.

4. People over possessions

When you die what do you want to be known for? Do you want to be known for "the guy who owns the ferrari" or "the best friend"? The best friend. Don't be known for what you own, but who you are as a person. Don't base your whole life around making your possessions and making money because then you won't have time for the things that really matter. Don't devote your whole life to your possessions because at the end of the day no one really cares about what you own. They care about who you are.

5. Focus on the good learn from the bad

I have a friend in volleyball that whenever she does something bad she always focuses on that instead of what she did good. It brings her down and she starts playing worse. This is a perfect example of focusing on the bad. If you focus on the bad you won't be happy and you want to live life happily don't focus on the bad things in life just learn from them and move on. You are better off.

Stress and Pet Peeves

Stress

Summer ends and school starts causing a huge amount of stress upon the students. I admit the beginning of first quarter is pretty easy but the end even, though it may not be hard, it sure is stressful. Throughout the quarter its okay, not too hard, not too easy but once near the end of the quarter hits. Its becomes real stressful. The number one reason is because of tests. Tests seem to only come at the end of the quarter and when you have a test in each class each day its hard to study for them all. There is just not enough time in the day. Especially when you have volleyball three hours everyday after school. Now I'm not trying to complain or blame teachers for our vast amount of stress. I just need to get it out. Just this week I had a AP geography test, english test, math test, biology project, and an art test. For the geography test we had to study and take a test on all the vocabulary throughout the quarter. For the english test we were tested on all the common roots and vital vocabulary of the quarter. 

Another reason for it being stressful is you don’t have enough time to get your grades up. Throughout the quarter students don’t really worry about your grades too much but when the end of the quarter comes near thats when they start to worry about them because they know they will be final soon. As result the end of the quarter is really stressful and hard but I know everyone else feels the same.

Stress (Image courtesy of Chibird)

Pet Peeves

I know that it is bad to judge other people and I shouldn't do it but there are somethings that just get me and I can't stand, here are a couple of them.

1. Loud chewing

Maybe it is just me but I honestly I cannot stand the sound of loud chewing or even hearing someone chew. It is repulsive and makes me want to leave their presents.

2. Repetition

When people are literally deaf and make you repeat yourself like one hundred times. Also when someone thinks you didn't hear them are kept telling you the same thing over and over again.

3. Slow people

When people talk slow, walk slow, or eat slow it sends me off the edge. Like I have places to go and things to do and I don't want to wait around for you.

4. When people don't have manners

I think it is really rude when people don’t have manners. People and I mean everyone should learn to have good manners. They should have good manners when they go over to people’s house, when they go out to dinner, and when they meet people’s parents.

5. Kids who are rude to adults 

I think that all adults whether they are teachers, coaches, or parents they should be respected by kids always. Adults are meant to be respected and under no circumstances should adults not be respected.

I know that I am kind of venting, but isn't that what a blog is for? 

ActionQuest

Every summer I sit at home solitary while pondering what to do with my life and how to spend a whole three months school-free and somehow the best thing I come up with is tv with a summer gone to waste. However, this summer was different. This summer was filled with excitement. In March I decided I wanted to spend the summer at camp and found a camp called ActionQuest. Once I saw the video about what the camp contains I immediately knew I wanted to go there. I was a long four months of anticipation but when the day came (July 7th) I was off on a plane with my sister, her friend Maddie, and my friend Jenna heading to the British Virgin Islands. We woke up at four o'clock in the morning and headed to the airport. Three flights later I was in the U.S Virgin Islands and the next morning took a ferry to my final destination the British Virgin Islands. There I found out the boat that I would be living on for the next month was named Sambamba later that day I met my eleven other shipmates and three instructors. The day after we set off sailing around the British Virgin Islands. Here is where my camp story begins.

Me and my shipmates at the beach

Day one started off with a swimming test which in my personal opinion I thought was very unnecessary considering we were at a sailing and scuba diving camp and everyone knows how to swim or else they wouldn't sign up. After the swim test we went for a quick snorkel then took ocean showers (showers where you jump into the ocean then apply shampoo jump in again then put on conditioner and body wash then jump in again and last wash yourself off with a fresh water hose).  The next couple of days consisted of scuba dive training, sailing training, water sports, and hanging out on the beach. Every night we slept on the bow (front) of the sailboat looking up at the bright stars with only a single sheet to cover us and a pillow to rest our head. We occasionally stopped in the towns where we got to talk to our family and friends over the phone. Like when we stopped in Spanish Town and got to eat burgers which tasted especially good considering my diet on the boat mostly consisted of PB&Js. We also go to go to the shops and buy stuff for ourselves or family and friends in those towns. After a couple days of training I finally got to dive and it was the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced but nothing like what I imagined. Breathing underwater is exhilarating and the animals you see underwater are so exotic. On our first dive we ran into some jellyfish but they were moon jellyfish and don't sting. There must have been hundreds around us and it looked absolutely remarkable. I grew close with everyone of my shipmates and when it came time to go home I didn't want to. Not only did I leave camp with a scuba certification, sailing and boating passport, and coral reef preservation license but also new friends that I made for life and new life lessons.  

Sailing day!

Scuba diving Lilly (on the left) and Me (on the right)

Now this experience wasn't all about scuba diving and sailing even though it may sound like it. I learn many important life lessons. First of all I learned how to not be so reliant on my phones. We barley had the chance to use our phones while at camp. They were locked away at all times while we were on the boat and when we did stop at towns (every 5 days or so) we got to use them but that was a maximum of two hours. We also had lifeworks meetings every couple of days that taught me some really important things but those things will come in a later blog.