Do Something

I know that there are still 46 days until Christmas (not that I've been counting or anything) and I know that Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet. So this blog post is a combination of Thanksgiving and a little food for thought as we enter December. 

My mom told me last week that we're going to be adopting a family for Christmas. At first I was think "aw man, now I won't get as many presents under the tree this year". Making a Christmas list one of my favorite parts. I like putting down all these things that I know I probably won't be getting. I just like giving my parents lots of options. But anyway, so we're adopting a family this holiday. I got to thinking about all of the times I've done the adopt-a-family program in the past.

When I did girl scouts in elementary school we would always adopt a family at Christmas and then raise money to buy them presents. We would have this big get-together where we would all eat snacks and wrap presents for the people that we were donating to. In middle school I did this thing called KAY club, which is an organization where the schools get opportunities to do things in the community. In my seventh grade year we decided to adopt a family, so we did some fundraisers to raise money and bought a bunch of presents. I remember that the moms would always ask for things like dish towels, or cleaning supplies, or clothes for their babies. The kids would ask for clothes and toys. This family that we were shopping for had a little girl and I remember going to Target and getting to pick out adorable little outfits for her. 

My family sat down at lunch and discussed the details of the type of family that we wanted to get matched with. We decided that we wanted to shop for a family of four, two parents and two kids (between the ages of 0 and 10). I'm excited now to be able to shop for these kids because I remember my earlier Christmas years and how much fun it was to unwrap new toys and presents. 

I know this sounds cheesy and redundant, but seriously be thankful for what you have. Our generation is so spoiled (me included) and a lot of people don't know what it's like to feel like you have nothing. I've seen a lot of people who don't have a lot of belongings or money. It's really easy to take advantage of the things that we have and I think it would be a good idea to take a minute and think about how we can help other people in these next few months.

Here's some ideas that I've seen around our community of how we can help people:

• www.youshare.org: This is a thing that my church is promoting. It's an opportunity to get involved with your community and reach out to people who need specific things. People ask for things that they need and people can reply and offer their services, money, items, or their belongings for borrowing. 
• www.jlfh.org/community/giving-back: I'm pretty sure this is the organization that we are adopting a family through. Basically they ask you what type of family you would like to adopt, and they match you with the family that best fits.

• Flint Hills Bread Basket: You can always donate food to the bread basket. I know they also promote extra around Thanksgiving and Christmas time to gather enough food to give people dinners when they can't afford it.

These are just a few options of how you can appreciate what you have, and to give back to the community. If you aren't old enough or don't have a lot of money, there are a bunch of other things you can do. Shoveling driveways (since it's probably going to snow next week) for elderly people who can't do it themselves or just baking cookies or cooking a meal for your neighbors. So take a second, look around your house or your room and see all of the things that you have. Take note of all of the things that you are privileged to have, like your phone, or your iPod, or your computer, or your pet. Your bed, your house, your heater, your shower, the dinner that's sitting in front of you. Now think of all the people who don't get to have these things. It's not hard to give back just a little. So I'm going to do it this holiday season, and I hope you all feel compelled to join me and do something. 

Seizing Opportunities

A couple months ago I emailed the guy who owns the Strecker-Nelson art gallery and asked him if he had any job openings (since I've dreamed about working in a gallery since like, second grade). At first he emailed me back and said that he apologized but he was fully staffed and didn't have any openings. Then he gave me some advice on where to go looking for an art related job. Then, he told me to stop by the gallery sometime and introduce myself. He said that he was happy about my perseverance of working at his gallery and wanted to meet me!

With working at Varney's, I was pretty busy for a while (and also nervous about meeting the owner of the place that I really, really wanted to get a job at), so I sort of put it off for a while. But then I decided to go in and actually introduce myself and maybe ask a few questions about what it takes to run an art gallery. So I called him in October and asked when the best time to come in was. He told me a date that he would be available, and we made arrangements for me to come in and meet him. I drove to the gallery, which is on Poyntz, and timidly walked in the front door (Side note: even though I was so gung-ho about working at this place since forever, I'd never actually been in there before...pathetic right?). So I walked in and the lady behind the counter asked if I needed help with anything, and I told her that I was there to meet Jay Nelson (the owner). She directed me up the stairs, which I didn't even know were a thing. Apparently there are three floors to this place. 

I ventured up the stairs and saw that it was a completely different part of the gallery. There were huge abstracts and portraits on the walls and beautiful ceramics on pedestals. When I got up the stairs I ran into an older lady. I told her I was looking for Jay Nelson, and she introduced me as his wife Barbra and told me that his office was right around the corner. When I walked in and introduced myself I was extremely nervous, just because I'm not that great at talking to people. He greeted me with a warm smile and it instantly made me feel better. He thanked me for emailing him and showing interest in working for him and then explained to me that he was fully staffed, just like he had in the email. I asked him a few questions and he talked to me for a little bit about his gallery. Then he offered me the opportunity to help set up their new opening. The last one was called "Peopled" and featured a lot of portraits (some of them were painted by Joel Dugan, who was one of the professors in the Art Department at Fort Hays). This new opening was going to feature landscapes and abstracts, which I thought was perfect because I love painting landscapes. 

So all of that leads to this past weekend, where I got the opportunity to work at the Strecker-Nelson Art Gallery for three days. I started on Sunday at 9 in the morning; packing away ceramics, learning where everything was stored in the four different floors of the building (three main and one basement floor), and wrapping up paintings to be put away in storage. They fed me lunch, which was beyond kind. I learned about the proper way to do things, lie taking care of artwork. On the first day we worked diligently until 6 and then he told me that he wanted me to come back for the rest of the week.

On Monday I got to the gallery again at 9 in the morning. We worked most of the morning bringing paintings up that were going in the next show and taking paintings and boxes down that needed to be cleared from the room (they have a legitimate shaft elevator in their apartment which is connected to the gallery. It was so cool). I got to learn about the proper way of hanging artwork. The goal is to have the center of the art be 60 inches from the ground, because that's where the average person's eye level is at. 

The next day I had to work at Varney's, so my day started at 9:45, and then I headed over to the gallery at 2 to help them clean. I spent the afternoon cleaning frames, floors, and plants (yes, I cleaned the plants). When we were finally done, most of the paintings had been hung and everything was basically situated. Jay then told me that he wanted me to work the gallery opening on Friday night. So I get to go to my first gallery opening, and not only do I get to be there, I also get to work it!

I'm so happy that I sent that email and had the opportunity to do this. Even thought it was hard work, I had the most fun I've had in a really long time. I finally got the chance to experience working at something that I actually enjoy. I'm really looking forward to this Friday night and I'm super grateful for the compassion of Jay for taking pity on me and letting me work for him for a few days. So my piece of advice for all of you is to find a career that you will really enjoy, pursue your interests, and work hard at it. 

Have Some Respect

Another headline from the Huffington Post caught my eye today. It said "Someone Smashed the Disputed Oklahoma Ten Commandments Monument to Pieces". At first I read the headline and just kept scrolling. Then, the more I thought about it the more irked I got. So to give you a little background story on what actually happened...

In Oklahoma City, last night, a person drove their car up a ramp near the Oklahoma City Capitol steps and purposely smashed into their granite statue of the Ten Commandments as an "apparent act of vandalism". The statue was over six feet tall, so it most likely totaled the vehicle. The driver abandoned the car and fled the scene. 

The thing that bothered me when I read this article was that the American Civil Liberties Union has been suing to have the statue removed because it "violates the state constitution and could be seen as a state endorsement of religion". It doesn't matter what your perspective is on religion, the Declaration of Independence blatantly states "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...". This country was founded by people who believe in God. I don't understand why now all of a sudden people are trying to undo the religious foundations of our government. In the pledge of allegiance we say "one nation under God". Maybe I'm bias (being a Christian) but just because you think that a statue of the Ten Commandments standing in front of your city's capitol building violates the Constitution doesn't give you the right to smash into it with 
a car. 

Finding A Balance

I've been working on my homework for the last few hours and I am now to the point where I just want to quit for today, which got me thinking...

I think, as humans, our initial reaction when something seems to be more than we can handle is to just give up. I know that I am definitely a one-track minded person. When I get focused on doing a task it is best for me to only focus on that task and get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. If something comes in the way of my task, I get frustrated and don't know how to balance them. Like with my classes starting, I'm perfectly fine sitting for six hours and just doing homework with no distractions. But when my mom tells me to clean the house, or someone wants to hang out, then I get frustrated because something isn't quite going according to my plan.

Balancing multiple things at once is hard, but how can we expect to live life if we only do one thing at a time? Something I'm trying to work on is not getting stressed out about every little thing in my life. I have a lot in my life that I'm trying to balance; whether it be my relationship with my boyfriend, relationships with friends, my relationship with my family, work, school, or just making time for myself. I'm not saying that I'm the only one doing these things, everyone is trying to balance their life. Sometimes I focus more on myself than I should, instead of focusing on relationships with other people. Sometimes I want to just sit on the couch and watch TV instead of do my schoolwork. But I have to keep reminding myself to not be so selfish, or to not be so lazy, and try to find balance.

I was raised to be respectful and to recognize authority. I know right from wrong, and I know what my morals are and how to stand by them. The one thing I wish I was taught, was how to be open-minded. But even after typing that sentence, I'm beginning to realize that it's not anything that someone can teach you. Your thoughts are your own to control and, sure, there will be outside influences, but they are still your thoughts. I'm beginning to realize, with some help, that I'm not as mature as I thought I was. I lack understanding in situations that are unfamiliar to me. I think selfishness is a big part of it too, with the fact that I'm unwilling to understand people's perspectives. How can I expect anyone to trust me if I don't give them the chance to? Or if they do give me an opportunity, why am I so unwilling to adapt to new situations? 

I think, for right now, I need to work on balance and unselfishness. I thought I was always so good at finishing work that needed to be done. My dad taught me how to be a hard worker who knows what needs to be done and can get it done. But it also goes beyond physical work. It goes beyond anything that anyone can teach me. I need to figure out how to work hard at relationships too. I usually expect people to be there for me, but what kind of a friend am I if I'm not willing to return the favor? Instead of staying comfortable in my own little Allison bubble, I have to experience what other people experience and to figure out what makes people happy. Putting other people before myself is something I know how to do, I just sometimes would rather be self absorbed and comfortable. 

Being selfish has gotten me in a lot of trouble. Sometimes I say things before thinking, or tell someone something that I shouldn't, or do something that inadvertently hurts someone without realizing at the moment that that's what I'm doing. There are bigger and more important things out there than me, and I'm working to figure out what they are and how to make them a priority.

Reasons Why I Want To Travel

Ever since I was little, I have always dreamed of traveling around the world someday. Whether it be on my own, with friends, or with my future family, I really want to visit different places and learn about new cultures and ways of life. Saint Augustine once said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." I don't want to be one of those people who say that they want to travel but only ever stays at home and pins pictures of places they'd like to go (because, Lord knows, I've definitely pinned a lot of pictures already). So I've come up with a list of ten places inside and outside of the United States that I want to travel and reasons why.

1. Mole, Haiti

You're probably asking yourself why on earth would I want to go to Haiti. Are you looking at that picture?? It's absolutely gorgeous. Haiti holds a special place in my heart and ever since going there on a mission trip two summers ago, I really want to go back. I want to go back to Mole and Mar Rouge and visit the kids in the orphanages. Creole is also such an interesting language. It's sort of a mix between French, English, and Spanish. It was really fun going to Haiti, because I had taken two years of French in high school so I could sort of understand the people. I met so many amazing kids and got to spend an entire week playing games and singing songs with them.

2. London, England

I actually would be perfectly fine visiting anywhere in the UK, but I have always wanted to go to London. Big Ben is one of my favorite pieces of architecture to draw and I would love to go see it in person. I want to ride in a double-decker bus, visit the Buckingham Palace to see my good friend Queen Elizabeth, and visit a pub (or a few pubs). I am in love with British accents, and I love their iconic red telephone booths. I also would love to visit the English countryside, I hear the air is very fresh there.

3. Dublin, Ireland

The thing I love about Ireland is the fact that it's so green. I also like that they're mostly red-headed, I like people with red hair. I've always joked that when I grow up I want to move to Ireland and become a sheep farmer. It really doesn't sound like a bad idea. I would love to go visit old castles and small Irish villages. I've also always dreamed of getting married there...

4. Portland, Oregon

 

I have family who lives in Portland and Silverton, Oregon. I love how there are so many trees, and the air is so fresh. I haven't been there in a while, since we don't get to visit family very often, but what I remember about it I absolutely love. I've always wanted to live in the upper west coast area because you have ocean to the west, mountains to the east, Canada to the north, and Disney Land just a few hours away. Don't even get me started on the climate... I am in love with rain. I don't need sun (as I get burnt so easily) but I will always love the cloudy and overcast days. The reason I love Portland is because it's such a cultured and art centered place that I really feel like I could start an art career there.

5. Barcelona, Spain

 

 Don't judge me, but the first time that I decided I wanted to go to Spain was when I watched the Cheetah Girls movie. I want to go see the Spanish style architecture with their unique designs and all of the different colors. From what I've seen, Spain is a place full of life. I want to eat food and learn how to salsa dance with a tall, dark, and handsome Spaniard (joking) (sort of). 

6. New York City, New York

 

I want to go to Times Square and be in the middle of all the bustle and people. I want to ride in a taxi and go to a multistory Macy's. I want to spend Christmas in New York, with the snow and giant Christmas tree in Times Square. I want to go ice-skating in Central Park. I could never live in a big city, because I do like my peace and quiet, but I would really enjoy visiting.

7. Japan

 I'm not entirely sure where in Japan I would like to go, but I just know that I want to go. I've always been inspired by Japanese art and architecture. My absolute favorite thing about Japan are the cherry blossoms. This is one of the places where I really just want to go be immersed in their culture and to learn their ways of life. This picture was taken at Mount Fuji, so I probably would visit there eventually.

8. Sydney, Australia

I think that I would be happy going to just about anywhere in Australia (except wherever there are venomous snakes and large spiders). Swimming in the Great Barrier Reef would be an amazing experience, as would visiting a large city like Sydney. The landscapes are gorgeous, and I really enjoy Australian accents.

9. Fairbanks, Alaska

 

I'm not exactly sure why I love cold climates so much, but I think staying in a lodge in the Alaskan mountains and being able to kayak on a lake like that would be amazing. I'm not much of an outdoor person, but I think I could definitely handle a trip with a view like that.

 

10. Lofoten Islands, Norway 

Last, but most certainly not least, I would someday like to travel to Norway. My ancestors from my dad's side of the family come from a long line of Norwegians. I think the landscapes are beautiful, and the climate seems to be exactly what I like. Ever since I was a kid (when I watched the Disney movie Brother Bear), I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights in person. The Oslo Opera House, home to the Norwegian Opera and Ballet, is another place that is definitely on my list to visit. If I could live anywhere outside of the United States I would probably choose to live in Norway. The towns and their architecture are beautiful, and the landscapes are painting worthy.

EU vs. USA on Ebola

The thing that bothers me about this whole Ebola crisis is the media. In America it seems that the only thing the media is doing is scaring the crap out of everyone. Instead of reassurance, we get news people telling us that we're probably all going to die. There are theorists saying that our world is due for a new crisis because there are too many people. People are taking it into their hands to create blogs with all of the worst possible cases of this disease and trying to pass it off as the real deal. 

Now, to back-track, I'm not saying that Ebola isn't a big deal. It is. It's actually a huge deal. According to the World Health Organization there have been somewhat major Ebola outbreaks dating back to 1976, possibly even earlier. It's a deadly disease that kills most of its victims, and has terrible symptoms. If you've read my last two blog posts about the matter, you'll know exactly how big of a deal it is.

As far as I know, there has been one reported death from Ebola in the United States. He contracted the disease when he was escorting an infected and pregnant neighbor to a hospital in Monrovia, Liberia (which, I might add, is the center of where this outbreak happened). This is the only death that America has had so far.

There have been a handful of other cases that have been treated as well. Teresa Romero, one of the other patients has been cleared of Ebola. She has one more day of testing to do before she is allowed to leave the hospital. The doctors tested her friends, family, and anyone she was associated with for symptoms and they all came up negative. This happened in Madrid, Spain.

I think it's safe to say that when looking at the big picture, America is perfectly capable of handling the virus as of right now. Something that caught my eye on my Twitter feed today was a headline from the Huffington Post. It said, "EU Seeking To Create $1.27 Billion Ebola Fund". By the end of this week, European Union workers are working to reach 1 billion euros to send to West Africa to aid the fight to end Ebola. The goal is to build more treatment facilities and have better training for health workers. This is exactly what America needs to be doing. Instead of freaking out every time someone coughs, we need to be cutting this off at the source. Sending money and supplies to Africa is the best way to fight Ebola. As of today, the Ebola contributions from Europe equal around 500 million euros ($640 million). 

We need to stop sitting around and listening to the media tell us how we're all going to die. Instead of waiting for a chance to freak out about Ebola, we need to be aiding the contribution to help set up better facilities, better training programs, and better measures of safety in West Africa. So the next time I sneeze in public and someone says Ebola, I am giving myself permission to strangle them.

Change Is Hard

I think the title of this post pretty much sums up my life right now. I'm not even in college right now and I'm still enduring that stupid transition that high school seniors go through after they graduate. I came home from Hays expecting things to be all hunky-dory and my life to just go back to the way that everything used to be. But that's definitely not what happened.

My plan was to come home and take a semester off of classes, work a lot, and hopefully get enough money to start K-State in the winter semester. But then I figured out that in order to keep the subsidized loan I got from the government from winning an essay contest, I have to give proof that I was enrolled in 12 credit hours with a 3.5 GPA by the end of this semester. So I weighed my options and ended up choosing to enroll in online classes through Highland, still work, and then make enough money to go to K-State next school year. I spent weeks and weeks going through all of the classes at Highland, figuring out which ones I needed for a Bachelor of Arts through K-State, and then figuring out which of those classes transferred over. 

When I finally (FINALLY) got all of that stuff figured out, the next step was to enroll. Naturally, that wasn't as easy as it should have been.The first time I tried to enroll, they emailed me back and said, "we're sorry, you can't enroll because you cannot exceed the limit of 12 credit hours per 8 week period." I was only taking 14 credit hours because I needed a lab with my biology class, but I guess there was a limit on how many hours could be taken. So I did some research and found that I can apply for an overload request on credit hours. So I did that, and got permission to take 14 credit hours. So I tried enrolling again. Then I got an email that said, "we're sorry, you can't enroll yet because we have no record of your AP scores." I totally forgot that I had enrolled in English 2 because my AP credits weren't enough to transfer to K-State, so I would have to take the class over again. So I had to call MHS and get them to send my AP scores to Highland. Naturally, they never contacted me that they actually got my scores. So I tried enrolling again, and they finally accepted my classes.

So now that you know the minute details of that story...
My plan is to do three different 8 week sessions online, one this semester and two next semester. Right now I'm independently studying French and plan to take the CLEP test at K-State when I feel like I've studied enough. Potentially, by the end of this school year, I will be done with Highland and have at least 50 credit hours already done.

I thought that if I could figure out everything and get my life in order, everything would go back to normal. But I'm still waiting for that to happen. I feel like now my day consists of getting up after a crappy night of sleep, not being able to eat breakfast, going to work for 6 or 7 hours, going home, watching TV, and then going to bed. I feel like I'm lacking a purpose. I've resorted to doing Serena's homework because I miss writing papers. I feel like everyone is busy. Well, I'm busy too. But I feel like people are losing interest in me, like everyone is changing and moving on with their lives while I'm here grasping at anything and everything to get my life back.

I also feel lonely. I hang out with my friends and stuff, but I feel like something is still missing and I have no idea what it is. I'm hoping that when I start classes next week (FINALLY) I will be so busy that nothing will be a problem anymore.

Sharon told me that I need to stop controlling every aspect of my life, which I agree. But change is hard, and changing how I am is hard. I like being able to be one step ahead of everything. I like planning things out, and knowing the outcome. But now I'm not sure about anything anymore. I don't know if I will be able to handle my classes, or if I'll end up with enough money by next year to pay for tuition. I haven't even applied to K-State, what if I don't get in? I hate my job, what if I'm stuck there? I can't seem to find any other place to work that will get me enough hours to pay for school.

I miss dancing and I miss long walks on the Konza. I miss playing piano and painting. I miss dressing up and doing crazy things with my friends. I miss coffee dates. I miss curling up and reading a good book. I either don't have the time or don't have the motivation to do those things anymore.

I honestly can't think of anything else to write since I've been rambling and writing this dumb post for hours. So I'll stop now.
Peace

Immortal Jellyfish

I've been staring at my computer screen, trying to decide what to blog about (yeah, obviously I'm not very good at blogging if I can never come up with things to write about). I asked my friend Sharon what I should write, and she told me to write about a certain someone that I won't name because he hates attention (I feel like most people can guess who it is, because it's not like I ever talk about anyone else). Instead of writing a post about this person, I decided to dedicate it to him instead. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

An Inside Look At Immortal Jellyfish

The scientific name of Immortal Jellyfish is Turriropsis dohrnii. They are a species of small

jellyfish that are found in the Mediterranean Sea and off the cost of Japan. 

What makes them immortal, you ask? Well, scientist have found that these creatures are the only known case of animals being able to revert from the stage of being sexually mature, back to being sexually immature. Like most other jellyfish, this species starts its life out as tiny larvae called planula. After the planula comes the polyp stage, where the jellyfish colonize and attach themselves to the sea floor. After that comes the medusae stage, which looks like what we know to be a jellyfish. A cool fact about medusae, is that since they all come from the same planula that rooted itself to the sea floor, they all share identical genetics. With this specific species, if it is exposed to environmental stress of physical assault then it has the ability to reverse its sexual maturity and revert back to the polyp stage, forming a new polyp colony. The reversal of this species' being starts with the deterioration of the bell and tentacles. Then it shrinks down to polyp form, reversing the entirety of it's growth process. 

Ebola Crisis in West Africa

If you have been following my blog throughout the last year, you would know that I have a previous post on the Ebola Crisis in West Africa from April. It was actually my first blog post, because it was a opinion column I wrote for my high school newspaper. Basically that post was about the lack of attention on medical emergencies in foreign countries. 

Medical experts haven't found a safe cure for the virus yet, but there have been promising signs in containing it. When I wrote my last article about Ebola, I had never even heard of the virus. I just remember looking at headlines on USA Today and thinking 'I should bring attention to this issue because it sounds pretty serious', and serious it is. When I wrote the article I had researched about the number of deaths caused by the virus (because there had about a 90% mortality death rate) and found that there were about 90 deaths in Liberia, which was the main location of where the virus was. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 113 deaths since Thursday. That's four days ago from today. 

Health workers in Liberia are currently working on an experimental drug. But, naturally, there are consequences of experimental drugs. This drug is called ZMapp and medical experts are saying that it's unclear as to whether this drug is absolutely effective or not, because it has never been tested on humans. There have been reports in West Africa with resistance from using the drug, which has caused conflict among family members and people in the community. People are trying to take their sick relatives away from health centers where they are being treated, and mobs have started rioting in the streets. 

A new problem of this virus is also emerging; the issue of quarantine. All of the countries that are exposed to the Ebola virus are under strict and careful watch. In order to detain the virus from spreading even more, the official in Africa have been limiting travel of sick individuals, which sometimes results in the shutting off of entire villages. The UN World Food Program is currently preparing to deliver food to one million people over the next three months, because access to food, water, and basic necessities have been severely restricted. 

My questions are, now what happens to these quarantined areas? How often is the UN World Food Program going to be able to supply these people with necessities? If these areas are being completely shut off from outside interaction, how soon will it be before they are completely neglected and ignored? Are we going to let a million people die because there just isn't enough resources to provide them with food and water? I think the biggest challenge of this issue is the fact that medical officials are so uncertain about this disease, and also that they don't seem to be very willing to update people on the process of recovery. 

As of August 13, 2,127 cases of Ebola have been reported and 1,145 people have died.

A Colorful Passion

As I'm about to start this new adventure called college, I'm sitting here thinking about how I want my life to turn out. I'm the type of person to plan out every little detail. Will I make friends in college? What will my classes be like? What kinds of things will I be doing in ten years? Twenty? Who will I marry? Where will I live? It's typical for me to constantly worry and stress about the unknown. It's just who I am. I can't help that I'm nervous and scared to start a new chapter in my life. I'm programmed to be afraid of the unknown. Aren't we all? 

No matter how freaked out I am, my passion for art is one thing that has always been set in stone. When I was in second grade, I realized that I was good at drawing. Mrs. Lewis, my art teacher at Marlatt Elementary, gave us an assignment to draw a close up of a butterfly. I wish I could remember my thoughts when I was drawing this, but all I know is that it turned out to actually be pretty good. I still have this drawing too, it's on a shelf at the top of my closet. I got it out a little while ago and I was reminded of the simple beauty of art. No matter what life throws at me, I will always love art. 

I came up with a list of reasons on why I love art. So please, take a peek into my passion and I hope you get a better understanding of why I do what I do:

1. History: Just saying, "I love art because I love to draw and paint" hardly even scratches the surface of why I love art. There are so many levels of styles and techniques that, throughout history, have infinitely changed (and is changing) how art is made. Leonardo DaVinci was one of the leading painters in the Italian Renaissance. Along with DaVinci,  Michaelangelo is another prominent artist of the Italian Renaissance. They studied the human anatomy, giving them insight on how to paint/sculpt more realistic people, opening a completely new door in the world of art. With Realism, which is one of my favorite styles of art, artists took a scene and painted it exactly how it was portrayed. One artist, Jan van Eyck, painted the Arnolfini Portrait. In this painting there are so many crazy details. In the back, there is a little mirror that actually shows the reflection of the back of the couple. He also painted himself in the mirror, painting these people. It's like a whole new level of art-ception. After Realism, my absolute favorite style of art is Impressionism. Claude Monet may just have been the most brilliant man to ever have lived on this earth. With Impressionism, artists would paint a scene how they perceive it to be. You can tell that it's an impressionistic painting because it has almost a blurry feel to it. My favorite thing about Claude Monet is that he painted a lot of water scenes. His most famous ones are probably his paintings of the lily-pads. Monet had a house that was surrounded by gardens and ponds, which is where most of his inspiration came from. Most of my paintings are based on the style of Impressionism. I love the fact that it doesn't have to be perfect, whereas in Realism the goal is to have everything look as it should. There is more freedom in painting impressionistic. A modern painter that also does impressionistic work is Leonid Afremov. He uses probably almost every color imaginable to make his paintings vibrant and amazing. I would probably do anything to eventually have one of his pieces hanging in my future living room. Surrealism is another really cool style of art, brought about in the 20th century. Salvador Dali is a prominent name in the surrealist world. A lot of surrealism is based on dreams, or alter-reality. I love looking at Surrealist paintings because there are so many small details that work together to make the painting whole. A big thing in Surrealism is optical illusions. Dali painted a lot of objects that look like something at one perspective, and something completely different at another. M.C. Escher is another famous surrealist. He did a lot of pencil drawings of optical illusions that I find fascinating. These are just a few types of styles throughout history. There are so many more like Cubism, Post-Impressionism, Post-Modernism, Pointillism, Abstract, Pop-Art, etc, which are all super cool to study. 


2. Color: I think one of the most under-appreciated things about this world is color. If you look at an apple, your brain registers that it's red and then you move on with your day. Have you ever stopped to look at how many different types of reds are in that one apple? All of the bruise spots are a darker red than the rest of the skin. The sheen of an apple in the light is a different red than that. No two apples are the same shade of red. We've been taught since we were little that trees are green and brown. Go outside and look at a tree and I dare you to try to count how many different greens you see in the leaves. There is dark green for the shadows and yellow-green where the sunlight hits the tops of them. In the trunk there are deep, rich browns in the ridges and lighter highlighted browns on the top bark. If the tree is next to water, you might even see a little blue being reflected onto it. I love having the artistic license to put color basically wherever I want to in a painting. Let's say I'm painting a sunset over a mountain that has a lake in front of it. There are three major parts to this painting; the sky, the mountains, and the water. My favorite part about painting a landscape is making it have a really dramatic sky, meaning lots of bold clouds and mixed colors. So, I'll start by painting a light blue sky. Then I'll enhance it by smearing a little yellow around. Then some orange will go on top of that to make it bold, followed by bright red to accent where the sun is hitting underneath the clouds. My favorite thing about color is contrast. To contrast the warm colors already on my paper, I probably will start adding some deep purples and blues to create depth in my sky. Since it's theoretically impossible to mix the exact same color twice in a row, it's usually a good idea to start spreading out the colors I've already been painting with. All of the colors that have gone into my sky now have to be reflected in the water. My mountains will have most of those colors in them too, but not as prominent since it's a land mass and not a reflective surface. This is pretty much my thought process when I start a new painting. Lighting has a great deal to do with how colors reflect. Obviously if the light is coming straight down, the top of an object is going to have lighter color than the bottom of that object. Different mediums also affect the vibrancy, texture, and look of colors, which brings us to our next point of this list.


3. Medium: Art is all about creativity and experimentation. The best way to experiment with art is to try all different kinds of mediums. My favorite right now is acrylic paint. The best part about it is that it dries quickly, so if you make a mistake you can always just paint right over it. With acrylic, there are tons of different things that you can do with the paint. If you mix in modeling paste, the paint becomes thicker and you can actually create texture with it. If you add polymer gloss, the consistency of the paint becomes thinner, allowing it to create a translucent layer of paint. Watercolor is a gorgeous, but tricky, medium. You have to be extremely careful where you paint, because there's really no way to undo it. I've learned with watercolor that it's important not to start too dark. The more layers applied, the more vibrant the color. It's a gradual and tedious process that takes patience (which is why acrylic is my favorite and not watercolor). I have yet to try oil paint, because you have to have a ventilation system to get rid of fumes, which MHS never had. I've been told that oil paint is almost like acrylic, but it takes much longer to dry and it's easier to manipulate. Charcoal is another cool medium. It's pretty much like pencil drawing, but much messier. I'm also a huge fan of ink illustrations. I love the contrast between bold black lines and white negative space. These are by no means the extent of mediums, they're just some of my favorites, because I don't want to bore you by rambling on about each one.

I've known since I was little that I wanted to be an artist. When I was in middle school I wanted to be an art teacher. I had thought about being an elementary school art teacher, but I realized that kids that age probably can't grasp the depth of what I would want to explain things at. If I were a middle/high school teacher, I would probably just end up hating my job. Within the last couple of years I started looking into more careers that I could have with an art degree. I decided that I really want to work in/own a gallery. Making art is only half of the fun, the other half is being able to display it. 

I'm so happy for the amount of support that I've had with my decision to study art. My parents have been super supportive this whole time, making sure that I have supplies and the space to paint. My teachers have all been amazing. They've helped me learn not only about the techniques and styles, but also about the history behind it. I'm super excited for what the future holds at Fort Hays State. I've already met the administrators and professors in the art building on campus and they all seem to be amazing and knowledgeable people. I hope that I can study hard and have the persistence and creativity to do great things while I'm in college. I've worked my entire life to become and artist, and hopefully I will eventually become one of the greats. 

Love

A dear friend of mine told me that I should blog about love. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about love is 1 Corinthians 13:4-13. "Love is patient, love is kind..." Basically love is the greatest thing on this planet. We see love in relationships, sometimes between strangers, between parents and children, in marriage, and so much more. Love is amazing. In Christian views, love is the most important thing. God says to love Him, and to love your neighbor. Those are the two greatest commandments. I believe that every single person is loved. Some people might not feel like it, but there's always someone out there who loves you. In my life I know that the people of my church love and support me and I know that my family and friends love me. 

"Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." You know that someone loves you when nothing stops them from making sure that you're happy. Like in Pride and Prejudice (my favorite movie ever) Mr. Darcy goes through so much trouble to make sure that Elizabeth's family is safe, because he knows that it's what will make her happy. He does it without telling anyone, because even if she has no idea that he's doing it he's still showing her how much he loves her. The end of that movie is, in my opinion, the most romantic scene in any movie. Ever. 

"Love is patient." When Odysseus went to sea, leaving his wife Penelope behind, she waited for his return. She resisted 108 suitors because she was still so in love with her husband. After 20 years, she still has a small amount of hope that her husband will return to her one day. Odysseus even resists a tempting sorceress who offers him everlasting love and eternal youth so he can go back and see his wife and son. This proves that true love is worth waiting for, and once you have found it that you should hold on to it.

"It always protects,always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails." When Queen Victoria's uncle William IV died, she married her cousin Prince Albert. She fell deeply in love with him, and he with her. They reigned together and had nine children. When Albert died, Queen Victoria wore black and mourned her husband's death until the day she died. 

Love is found between people who are willing to give up their own needs for someone else. Lassie loved her owner so much, that she risked her life to save him. Lucy and Ethel were inseparable and always looked after each other. Bonnie and Clyde were criminals together. Romeo and Juliet died for each other. Jack died to make sure that Rose was going to live (even though there was enough room for both of them...). Love means self-sacrifice. Willing to go above and beyond for someone else. When it comes to relationships, don't settle for less than the best. You deserve someone who is constantly willing to make sure that you're happy. In friendship, it's a two way thing. If you constantly expect the other person to do everything, then it's eventually going to fail. Project love wherever you go. Seeing strangers in the grocery store, or in traffic, or whatever the case may be. Strive to love, because love will set you free.

I Am Not In Control

Last week I went to one of my favorite places, King Solomon Christian Camp. If you ever need to go to a place to get away from the world, to meet amazing people, and be surrounded by people who love you as much as they love God, then this is the place to go. I've been attending every camp every summer since going into seventh grade (except last year, because I'm lame and didn't go). Every year I learn something that I didn't know about God, myself, and other people. 

This year I had the pleasure of being a graduate (so one of the oldest campers at the camp) and didn't feel the need to worry about what other people thought of me, which I find myself habitually doing. The camp teams and the staff this year were so amazing and friendly. All of the other campers were also super nice. I sometimes struggle with meeting new people because I'm really bad at conversing, but everyone there was so easy to get along with. Since I was distraction free, I got the opportunity to focus on learning about scripture. I grew up in a Christian home and always did what I was told. I knew the basics of children's bible stories and stuff from sermons at church. But I've never really delved into the Bible and actually tried to understand what it says. 

This last week we learned that God has a plan for everyone. I grew up with people constantly telling me that, but what does it really mean? It means that He gave me talents and characteristics that I'm supposed to for His glory. It means that He knows what my future consists of. No matter how much I try to plan my own future, or want to do my own thing, His plans are always bigger, better, and more important than mine. As humans, we naturally want things that are bigger and better. We especially want bigger and better of things that we value. 

We also talked a lot about opportunity. We talked about how God will constantly give us opportunities to live like Him, it's just a matter of whether we are willing to take those opportunities or not. We are all pawns in the game of life and God is the chess master. I listened to a guy speak this week about the parables in the Bible. He talked about how Jesus used parables to help people understand something that new and foreign to people. Parables are stories or ideas that aren't necessarily true, but are used to prove a point. So how is this relevant in terms of talking to people about Christ who know nothing about Christ? This guy told us to think of telling someone about Christ by comparing Christians to a pencil. He told us to think of ways that parables could be used for this comparison. 
Here's what I came up with:

-The pencil has no control over where it goes. The hand is what guides it.
-If the pencil isn't sharp, it's basically useless.
-Even if the pencil is broken, it can still be useful.
-It can be used to do great things, but isn't the one who gets the credit.

And last, but not least, my ultimate favorite one:
-If you make a mistake, it can be erased.

This last one is the beauty of God. Obviously we mess up, I mess us every single day. But in Matthew it tells us that we have to forgive others, forgive them over and over, and then we can accept God's forgiveness. We don't deserve to be forgiven, but that's just how much He loves us. In return for His love, He only asks us to be like Him because we are made in His image. He promised us (with scripture from Jeremiah and Matthew to prove it) that He is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. He tells us that every person has a purpose. We all have specific talents that have been given to us. He says in Jeremiah that when we seek Him, we will find Him. The best part, though, is in Matthew 28:20. This verse says that God will never leave us. For me, I've always relied on myself to get things done. I've always believed in God, because that is what I was raised to believe, but I've really only relied on myself to plan out my future. I took a step back this last week and really thought about what it means to believe in God. I realized that sometimes I just need to give up my worries and seek His help. 

I've been reading a lot of scripture about love lately. My favorite thing that the Bible mentions are what Jesus calls the two greatest commandments; love God and love your neighbor. If we don't love other people, who are made in the image of God, then how can we say that we love God? The verse 1 John 4:20 says, "If anyone says, 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." This verse really reminds me what faith actually is. It's believing in something that can't be seen. People can tell me that believing in something that isn't seen is stupid, but that is the point of having faith. This verse also calls to love people. Love your neighbor, love your brother, love the smelly kid at the next lunch table over. Love is what holds people together, love is what creates bonds, and love is what gets us through life. 

Something that my youth minister asked before we ended the week was, 'what changes now?'. For me, I realized that I'm not in control of my life. I need to stop worrying about what will happen five, ten, even fifty years from now. I have to start focusing on how I can use my talents and seize the opportunities that God provides me to bring Him glory. My ultimate goal is to live and love like Christ. I will probably (undoubtedly) make mistakes along the way, but as it says in 1 John 1:5, "God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all." In the end, anything that I have to go through to bring glory to God will totally be worth it. 

The last thing I will say about this is that I have a favorite verse that I would like to share with you. In 1 John 3:18, John says, "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other. Let us show the truth by our actions." I get really irritated and frustrated easily. Sometimes I get grumpy and don't want to love someone. God calls us to love everyone, no matter what. This is something that I need to start living by, because I think the world could use a little more love. The bottom line is we need to love God, love people, take up our cross daily and follow him, and use our talents to bring Him glory. In return, God promises that He will love us and that He will never leave us. 

How Much Are You Worth?

Bill Gates is worth $76 billion. Steve Jobs was worth $2.1 billion. President Obama's base salary is $400,000 a year, which makes him worth over $7 million. Christy Walton, the "heiress" of Wal-Mart is worth $35.4 billion. These people are ranked in things like Forbes Magazine and are looked up to in society. Why? Because they're the people with the money. Money is the one thing that rules our society, but I believe that there are so many more aspects to how much a person is worth. 

There are hundreds of thousands of missionaries that go global to help people in need. There are organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the Peace Corp, or AmeriCorp that are solely based on changing people's lives and making the world a better place. I personally know of people, some of my amazing friends, who have such big hearts. They are willing to go to foreign countries to serve people instead of themselves. My friend Morgan has dedicated her summers over the last few years to go to Haiti and serve God and His people. My friend Liz goes to Mexico to do the same thing. They give up comfort to go to places that need help and provide people with service and their love, which I think is absolutely amazing. To me, that says a lot more than how much money a person has.

The idea of self-worth is something I think about a lot. I often connect it with my image. If I do things a certain way then maybe people will value me more. I think in my faith I get caught up in trying to be pleasing rather than trying to actually have a relationship with God. I've come to the conclusion that my life is worth something (duh), just as is everyone else's. The question is, what can I do to make a difference? Since I know that I'm worth something, how can I help other people realize the same thing? 

I'm a selfish person. I mean, everyone is selfish at times, but I really am selfish. I write about these terrible problems in my blogs of things that happen in third world countries. I give my view on how they can be fixed. But I'm not really doing anything to help the situations. It's because I constantly think about myself. My views of my own image overrule my willingness to help people. I realized that today in a situation where I wasn't willing to put someone's happiness in front of my own. My quest this summer is to get over myself. I will be more compassionate and less selfish. I have three big opportunities to do that within the next couple of months. Between camp, CIY, and a mission trip I will be surrounded by plenty of people that I can practice on. 

Self- worth is not about how much money you have or how many cool things you own. It's about your willingness to put other peoples' needs in front of your own. It's about showing people that they are worth something, which in turn affects how much you are worth to a person. It's like a never-ending cycle of awesomeness.

A World Without Water

Could you even imagine a world without water? It's one of the most important elements of life. We have the luxury of using it to cook, to clean, and to drink. In America there is an abundance of clean drinking water. You can go to essentially any faucet and be able to safely drink out of it. Around the world, there are countries who aren't anywhere close to being that lucky.

There are about 884 million people around the world who don't have access to clean water. We can go to the store and buy as many bottle of water that we want, while people in third world countries who aren't able to find a sustainable water source. The quantity and the quality of water are equally important. Water is one of the most efficient ways to carry illness and disease. Even if people have abundant amounts of dirty water, they still can't drink it due to the risk of dying anyway. 

Places like sub-Saharan Africa, with an extremely dry climate, suffer from lack of water. Women and children are usually the ones sent to walk miles and miles to find a small river or pond and carry back water for their families. They do this every day. Walking to and from a water source, which on average totals to 3.5 miles per day to get water. This water is, most of the time, filled with water-borne diseases that are being carried back into the homes of these people. It is estimated that 3.5 million people die from water-related illnesses each year. 

More than one half of all primary schools in developing countries lack access to clean water. Water not only affects health, but it affects education and the economy too. The main reason for the water crisis is due to treating water as a commodity. It has led to the privatization and control of the water supply by corporations. They sell water at outrageous prices that poor people can't afford, and they find themselves being shut out as prices of water increase. A study of water price in 2006 shows that water in Barranquilla, Columbia is almost six US dollars per cubic meter. In New York, on the same scale, water costs less than a dollar.

If privatization and commoditization of water was brought down to a minimum and wells with clean water were put up in villages, then maybe the global water crisis would decrease. It's not an unobtainable goal, but it's difficult to do that. Organizations have been working in villages to set up supplies of clean water for people to have access to. It's not like it isn't happening, people are out there trying to help. But at the rate that the world is growing, we can't seem to be helping fast enough. In the next 20 years it is estimated that the amount of people without access to clean, safe water will increase by two-thirds. So the question is, what can we do to help and how long will it be before it's too late?

We're Still Studying...

I lied, I'm not actually studying. I've been studying for a total of *drumroll please* eleven and a half hours in the last two days. I literally went home yesterday after my AP Gov exam and studied for seven hours. SEVEN HOURS. Guess what I was studying? Yep, you guessed it, AP Gov! I currently have a D in that class. I feel quite stupid.
So today I thought I would rant about the fact that I'm still awake at 10:32 pm, waiting for my flash-drive to clear so I can put my photography assignment on it. Yes, I still haven't finished my school work. And yes, before you judge me, let me just tell you that I like to procrastinate. Get over it. I still have two finals to finish tomorrow. I'm quite frazzled at the moment. I kind of actually hate AP classes. Like, a lot. I mean, I've never been in college before, but I think they're supposed to be equivalent of college classes. But in all reality, how can anyone expect anyone to take three AP classes and one college class on top of regular classes and not be frazzled? And that's not even bad compared to some people in my school. Maybe I just don't handle stress very well...
I've been switching between studying and crying my eyes out for the last couple of hours, but I think it's safe to say that I'm 100% ready to be done with school. Forever. Like, I don't want to learn anything new for as long as I live. I've accepted the fact that I'm an average person. Average height, average personality, average IQ. You know, the works. So, based on that, I'm definitely doing just average in school. It's not that I'm not trying, I think I just don't have any more brain capacity to open up to new information.
Speaking of opening up. If you're going to be my friend, I expect you to trust me. Unless I give you a reason to not trust me, which I hopefully don't, then you have to open up to me at some point. I really think that it helps both parties in the long run. Like, honestly, if you expect me to be there for you then you have to let me know what I'm supposed to be being there for you for. Ha. That sentence made no sense. But for real, don't expect me to constantly elaborate on my issues when you won't even tell me what's bothering you. This is a two way thing. I was told by a wise soul once that I should write about my feelings because it lets people know what I'm thinking. So hopefully that wise soul is reading this, because that's exactly what I'm doing.
It's currently 10:49 and my flash-drive still hasn't finished. My eyes are so dry, I'm tempted to dunk my head in a bucket of water. I haven't eaten since...I don't remember when. Tomorrow is my last day of school and I really just want to stay in my bed for the rest of my life.
At least I wasn't kept awake by my chanting grandmother. But that's another story for another day. Tomorrow needs to be over so I can go into hibernation. Forever.
Peace.

Conquering the World...Well Maybe Just High School (For Now)

This is my last week in the Hell we call high school. Thank goodness that these four dreaded years are coming to a close. 

Alright, I'll admit it, it wasn't that bad. I really do feel that most of the classes I've taken have benefited me in some way. Like, for example, my freshman classes weren't too bad. I had Mrs. Bartlett for my English teacher and she made me first realize how much I love learning about English and how much I love to write. Mr. Ficke was my sophomore English teacher and I was extremely wary to be in his class. I had heard some pretty scary things about him. But he turned out to be one of the most beneficial teachers I've had so far. His class really pushed me to think outside of the box and to not rely on my natural love of English to let me glide through the year. I actually had to put effort and thought into his assignments (his class was the first time I had ever gotten a B on my grade report). Mr. Thies is to thank for giving me my first C on my transcript. He was one tough teacher, but it's the hard ones that are always the best.

As an artist I have felt compelled to try and take as many art classes as possible. Throughout my four years I've had the privilege of having Mrs. Copeland as my drawing and painting teacher. She was an art major at Fort Hays (go Tigers!) and was definitely inspirational to me. I loved the fact that she tried to focus as much on art history as she did the elements and principles of design. I mean, anyone can do art, but if you don't understand the reason why someone does art then what is the point? She is one of those teachers who is intent on making sure you are ready for college. With her help, my AP Studio Art class was the most strenuous, but rewarding, class that I've ever taken. Mr. Allman is also on my list of most memorable teachers. There is really no way of describing him, so hopefully you have the pleasure of running into him (Hopefully not while you're both driving. Then you probably won't like him and he definitely won't like you). He is an ever-spouting fountain of knowledge when it comes to photography and has taught me so much.

I feel like I should dedicate an entire paragraph to Mr. Davis. Mr. Davis is currently my AP Government teacher and he is the coolest person I've ever met. From the first day that I tentatively walked into his class he has been nothing but caring to every one of his students. He makes an effort every day to individually ask each person in the class how they are doing. He also makes time in the class period to have personal conversations with everyone. At the same time, he is just a really good teacher. He knows what he's talking about and he relays it in an intelligent, but easy to understand, manner. Even though I suck at history and government, being in his class has made everything worthwhile. 

Most of my high school days have been spent pushing through those annoying couples making out in the hallways, or complaining about how much homework I have to do (thanks to Tyler, Sharon, and my Studio Art friends for listening to me vent on the daily). Much of my free time has been spent sitting on my bed, studying something or other. My stress levels have definitely been tested and at times I just wanted to lay on the floor and cry. I'm not an exemplary student and I don't quite have a 4.0 GPA, but I'm pretty dang proud that I can say that I've tried my best. 

I don't think I'll miss much of high school. I won't miss the boring classes, or the library staff, or the snappy supervisors, or incompetent people, or lazy teachers. But there are definitely a few aspects of the last four years that have helped me get to where I'm headed in life.
So yeah, this next week is going to suck with finishing finals. But then I'm going to graduate and be done with high school forever.
It's going to be awesome.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

One of my absolute favorite writers ever is Maya Angelou. She is so inspirational to me. I’m really interested in the Civil Rights Movement and I love learning more about countries and places that are struggling with things like slavery. Whether it be poverty or physical slavery, I like to find ways to help people who are less fortunate than myself. I really like her poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. I’m not going to post the whole poem, because it’s like six stanzas long. But basically she is talking about the difference between a free bird and a caged bird, relating it to slavery. (I forgot to mention that she is an African American author, so she writes a lot about segregation and slavery).So the first stanza talks about the qualities of a free bird. She writes “The free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.” There is so much power in the way she writes. I think we could probably make the connection of this stanza to a majority of the United States. We are all seeking the American dream. We have the ability to achieve basically anything that we want if we work for it.

When Angelou writes about the caged bird she says, The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom." This line is so powerful to me because even though this bird is restrained behind bars, or whatever is holding it back, it still has the power to sing.

So here's a random segway into my experiences in Haiti. I feel like the people in Haiti are almost like this caged bird. When the earthquake struck Haiti, many of its people lost everything. Including their freedom. Their government was crumbling, just like the buildings caught in the quake. People were thrown into poverty. Poverty in Haiti, just like basically anywhere else, is a never ending cycle. Poverty is slavery. People do what they can to get the means necessary to feed their families, but usually it isn't enough.

When I first flew into the airport in Port au Prince, it looked like any other normal sized airport. But when we stepped outside we were bombarded by people asking if they could help us with our luggage (not airport attendants). We were told not to let anyone touch our stuff because it would probably get stolen. As we drove from the larger airport to the small airport that we would fly out of to get to the place we were going to stay, there were people wandering the streets trying to sell things out of carts to try to make some money. There were little boys weaving in between cars offering to wash their windows for a small fee while they were stopped in the road. As we neared the smaller airport, there were less structured buildings and more shacks with tin roofs. I had heard stories of people going through the city while it rained and all you could hear was the thunderous roar of the rain on the thousands and thousands of tin roofs. And this was in the big city, I couldn't even imagine what smaller villages would look like.

When we got to Mole, the little town where the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission was set up, we were introduced to more of the village life. When compared to Port au Prince, Mole was much less overwhelming. From Mole, we took a two hour truck ride (the most bumpy ride I've ever been on in my life) to a place called Mare Rouge which is where we stayed for the rest of the week. The goal of the mission trip was to interact with people from a different place and culture, while teaching them about God. I tried to be with the kids as much as I could, because it was easier for me to look like a fool in front of them (not knowing their language) than it was in front of the adults. The language barrier with the kids wasn't difficult, as long as you smiled and laughed and hugged them they were completely content. We taught VBS in the mornings at the local church (which was actually just a tiny one-roomed building), and did activities with the kids around the village like soccer and kickball.

I can't even begin to imagine the hardships that these people have to face. The kids that we interacted with came to play in just about the same clothes every day. They were dirty, and most definitely under-fed. They spent their days helping with chores and watching younger siblings. The people of the village would all line up at the same time every afternoon and wait their turn to draw water from the well. But no matter what these people were put through, they were some of the happiest people I've ever seen. When I think of happiness I usually think of money, because in reality money is the one thing that matters in this country anymore. The people in Haiti didn't have much money, but they were still so happy. The kids that I met (there was Winston, Linda, Tsi Tsi, Jameson, and so many more) had the most adorable laughs. They called me Allie and followed me around and would come running whenever I came out of the yard of the place we were staying. They touched my heart in so many ways and they're inspirational to me to be happy and keep looking up, even when things get bad.

So I guess to tie in my random beginning, the second to last stanza of Angelou's poem goes like this, "But a caged bird sings on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing." Basically, there are people in this world who have next to nothing. I don't know anything about having nothing, because I have everything that I could ever need in my life, but there are people who do know what it's like to suffer. The people I encountered in Haiti are an excellent example of people who have nothing but are still willing to make the most of their lives and sing of freedom. They lift up the things that are important, cherish the things that they are given, and make the most out of what they have. May they be a lesson to us all.