As of this blog, I have posted a blog once a day consecutively for 30 days. I consider this quite the accomplishment because going into this I really didn't think I was going to make it, and that I would run out of things to say within the first week. However, I worked through the bumps along the way and have come up with a lot of blog posts I'm rather proud of. I feel like this was definitely a good experiment. I pushed myself to be consistent with my posts and I came out successful.
So overall, I think this month went well. I got a lot done, and there’s so much to come in July. I’m really looking forward to moving into our “new” house. Everything except our beds will be moved Saturday. My room is so empty, there’s a duffel bag of clothes I will be living out for the next couple of days, my laptop case, a water bottle, and my purse. There are clothes in my closet, but those will be taken tomorrow. Other than that I have nothing. My bathroom is still intact, but not for long.
Saturday I’m going to the beach with some friends. I’m really excited because the beach has been calling my name since the weather started getting hotter. I cannot wait to get into the ocean and hang out with a group of friends at the beach.
I still need to finish Catching Fire so I can read Mockingjay and give the books back to Krista. I’m really enjoying them. I wish I had a day to dedicate to reading, but with the move going down, I really cannot.
And then VidCon is at the end of the month, and I can hardly contain my excitement. It’s going to be great.
At this point in time, I do not know when I’ll be able to post another blog because I’m not sure when Wi-Fi will be set up in the “new” house. However, I will keep you posted. :]
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Day 29 - Music Influences
Disclaimer: I do not intend to offend anyone or take away his or her right to an opinion. This blog is strictly MY opinion.
Music has become a big part of my life. Not so much the playing aspect because I mean really, as much as I'd love to be able to play the piano or guitar, I can't. However, I do love to sing and listen to music. Over the years the bands and musicians I listen to have drastically changed in regards to the instrumentals, the lyrics, and my taste. And I've learned for a song to really catch my attention it needs to have both excellent lyrics and instrumentals, which of course is key to any song.
There have been times where I will just listen to the song for either, but I've come to the conclusion that I need to guard my ears. There's horrible music in the world today, and I find myself often times turning off the radio because I cannot stand the music. I don't think a lot of today's music is appropriate. Music is a big influence on everybody, especially younger generations. And with the things kids nowadays are being shown, we shouldn't be surprised of the ways they are acting and portraying themselves. If they saw it on so-and-so on television or so-and-so talked about it in their song, why wouldn't they find it acceptable?
I feel that music should be something that inspires as well as lifts you up. I don't need to know what you do in what should be the privacy of your home, who with, or what a not so eloquent vocabulary you have. I feel lyrics should be relatable to the listener or something the musician is truly feeling. And I feel that there are better ways to convey those feelings without using profanity and swearing. I find I'm more likely to listen to a song that makes sense as well. Rhyming is nice and all, but one should really think about the ultimate meaning.
I try to listen to all genres of music, but I'm really not a big fan of rap or country. I think rap is confusing and country is just depressing. Not all, but most. I like Christian Rock, Inspirational, Classical, Pop, Electronic, Jazz, Gospel, Alternative, and of course Soundtracks. I listen to a lot of Christian Rock bands like Relient K, Skillet, Switchfoot, The Almost, The Rocket Summer, The Mint, Third Day, and Stellar Kart to name a few. These bands are really good, and I find them better than anything on mainstream radio. My radio when I actually turn it on is either set to Air1 or KSGN.
Now before you start writing me nasty comments about how you think I'm wrong, I do understand that everyone has the right to express themselves in whatever way they wish, but so do I.
Music has become a big part of my life. Not so much the playing aspect because I mean really, as much as I'd love to be able to play the piano or guitar, I can't. However, I do love to sing and listen to music. Over the years the bands and musicians I listen to have drastically changed in regards to the instrumentals, the lyrics, and my taste. And I've learned for a song to really catch my attention it needs to have both excellent lyrics and instrumentals, which of course is key to any song.
There have been times where I will just listen to the song for either, but I've come to the conclusion that I need to guard my ears. There's horrible music in the world today, and I find myself often times turning off the radio because I cannot stand the music. I don't think a lot of today's music is appropriate. Music is a big influence on everybody, especially younger generations. And with the things kids nowadays are being shown, we shouldn't be surprised of the ways they are acting and portraying themselves. If they saw it on so-and-so on television or so-and-so talked about it in their song, why wouldn't they find it acceptable?
I feel that music should be something that inspires as well as lifts you up. I don't need to know what you do in what should be the privacy of your home, who with, or what a not so eloquent vocabulary you have. I feel lyrics should be relatable to the listener or something the musician is truly feeling. And I feel that there are better ways to convey those feelings without using profanity and swearing. I find I'm more likely to listen to a song that makes sense as well. Rhyming is nice and all, but one should really think about the ultimate meaning.
I try to listen to all genres of music, but I'm really not a big fan of rap or country. I think rap is confusing and country is just depressing. Not all, but most. I like Christian Rock, Inspirational, Classical, Pop, Electronic, Jazz, Gospel, Alternative, and of course Soundtracks. I listen to a lot of Christian Rock bands like Relient K, Skillet, Switchfoot, The Almost, The Rocket Summer, The Mint, Third Day, and Stellar Kart to name a few. These bands are really good, and I find them better than anything on mainstream radio. My radio when I actually turn it on is either set to Air1 or KSGN.
Now before you start writing me nasty comments about how you think I'm wrong, I do understand that everyone has the right to express themselves in whatever way they wish, but so do I.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Day 28 - That's weird
As I've addressed previously, I'm not very good at meeting new people. And so when I can, I like to use certain socializing tools that I've learned over the years, like asking questions about the other person. I feel that "tell me something interesting about yourself" is a great conversation starter because you never know what to expect.
When I am asked this question I tend to default to "I make YouTube videos." I tend to get a lot of questions out of that one. "What kind of videos do you make?" "You just talk to your camera in your room?" "Can I be in one of your videos?" etc.
And here are some of my other "interesting facts".
When I record videos I tend to finish with anywhere from 10 - 20 minutes of footage, which then get's edited down into a 2 - 3 minute video. I've got epic editing skillz. haha.
When I was in high school I was told dark soda ruins your voice, and so I gave it up for a few years. And now whenever I try to drink Pepsi, Coke, or Dr. Pepper it burns my throat going down. So I tend to shy away from dark sodas, which I suppose is a good habit. It's definitely a lot healthier, especially since a majority of what I drink is water.
I cannot stand kidney beans. I'm pretty sure it's a texture and taste thing. I find them very unappetizing, and will pick them out of whatever I'm eating. I actually don't like to eat whole beans at all. And I've never tried mashed kidney beans, so that could be it.
I eat my pizza, crust first. I have no idea when this start or why, but I don't care if you think it's backwards! haha.
I have a hard time keeping anything on my wrists other than hair bands because when I use my hands to type or write, I rest my wrists on the surface area of my computer or desk. And if I have something on my wrists it makes it uncomfortable.
I eat Peanut M&M's, peanuts first. I bite them in half, eat the peanut, and then eat the outside chocolate shell I won't eat them whole. #weirdiknow
I seldom watch television. Most of the shows I watch are no longer on air, and if they are I watch them on Hulu and Netflix. I just never really have time for TV.
When I am asked this question I tend to default to "I make YouTube videos." I tend to get a lot of questions out of that one. "What kind of videos do you make?" "You just talk to your camera in your room?" "Can I be in one of your videos?" etc.
And here are some of my other "interesting facts".
When I record videos I tend to finish with anywhere from 10 - 20 minutes of footage, which then get's edited down into a 2 - 3 minute video. I've got epic editing skillz. haha.
When I was in high school I was told dark soda ruins your voice, and so I gave it up for a few years. And now whenever I try to drink Pepsi, Coke, or Dr. Pepper it burns my throat going down. So I tend to shy away from dark sodas, which I suppose is a good habit. It's definitely a lot healthier, especially since a majority of what I drink is water.
I cannot stand kidney beans. I'm pretty sure it's a texture and taste thing. I find them very unappetizing, and will pick them out of whatever I'm eating. I actually don't like to eat whole beans at all. And I've never tried mashed kidney beans, so that could be it.
I eat my pizza, crust first. I have no idea when this start or why, but I don't care if you think it's backwards! haha.
I have a hard time keeping anything on my wrists other than hair bands because when I use my hands to type or write, I rest my wrists on the surface area of my computer or desk. And if I have something on my wrists it makes it uncomfortable.
I eat Peanut M&M's, peanuts first. I bite them in half, eat the peanut, and then eat the outside chocolate shell I won't eat them whole. #weirdiknow
I seldom watch television. Most of the shows I watch are no longer on air, and if they are I watch them on Hulu and Netflix. I just never really have time for TV.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Day 27 - supersharayah
I don't think I've ever formally addressed the story behind my screen name anywhere. I've been asked a few times why I decided to brand myself as "supersharayah" online, and I've always just explained it to them. I think I might make a video about this sooner or later, just in case someone decides to ask.
The story behind my screen name isn't very long. To be honest it's because I'm super and my name is Sharayah. There you go. Haha. Okay, let's step away from the 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' reference and get to the real story. [Just a side note: I really do love that movie. It's SOO good! haha].
Even at an early age I was a social media junkie. Back in my middle school years, I acquired my first taste of social media through an instant messaging site called AIM. Mind you this was during the time of myspace, which I actually didn't have until my 8th grade year, but that's a whole other story. I used AIM a lot to chat with my friends. And when I grew tired of my screen name, I would just change it. I probably changed my screen name four or five times.
Some drama went down my last year of middle school and by the time I got to high school I decided I needed to have an official screen name. One I wouldn't grow tired of, give out to just anyone or feel like I needed to change every five minutes. I recall having a conversation with a Mr. Brian Thomas McDonald on AIM nonetheless, and during this conversation I asked him what my new screen name should be.
He thought a little while and said "supersharayah". I thought it over and decided it would probably be a good choice. I then proceeded to ask him why supersharayah? And he replied, "Because one day I'm going to teach you how to fly." I of course laughed, but it just kind of stuck. So every social media site I sign up for, I've always claimed "supersharayah". So if you go anywhere online and look up supersharayah, it's probably me. haha.
And also, Mr. Brian Thomas McDonald, if you're reading this, I'm still waiting for my flying lessons! :P
The story behind my screen name isn't very long. To be honest it's because I'm super and my name is Sharayah. There you go. Haha. Okay, let's step away from the 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' reference and get to the real story. [Just a side note: I really do love that movie. It's SOO good! haha].
Even at an early age I was a social media junkie. Back in my middle school years, I acquired my first taste of social media through an instant messaging site called AIM. Mind you this was during the time of myspace, which I actually didn't have until my 8th grade year, but that's a whole other story. I used AIM a lot to chat with my friends. And when I grew tired of my screen name, I would just change it. I probably changed my screen name four or five times.
Some drama went down my last year of middle school and by the time I got to high school I decided I needed to have an official screen name. One I wouldn't grow tired of, give out to just anyone or feel like I needed to change every five minutes. I recall having a conversation with a Mr. Brian Thomas McDonald on AIM nonetheless, and during this conversation I asked him what my new screen name should be.
He thought a little while and said "supersharayah". I thought it over and decided it would probably be a good choice. I then proceeded to ask him why supersharayah? And he replied, "Because one day I'm going to teach you how to fly." I of course laughed, but it just kind of stuck. So every social media site I sign up for, I've always claimed "supersharayah". So if you go anywhere online and look up supersharayah, it's probably me. haha.
And also, Mr. Brian Thomas McDonald, if you're reading this, I'm still waiting for my flying lessons! :P
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Day 26 - Driving
As soon as all my friends started talking about learning how to drive in high school I wanted to learn to drive. Before I knew it I was registered for driving school and had my permit. This permit granted me access to a car with the supervision of an adult.
The first time I went out driving I was terrified. I didn't really know what to expect. I imagined the racing arcade games. Obviously, I shouldn't floor the gas pedal, and I hoped I would stay away from the concrete walls. haha. My mom refused to teach me how to drive, but my dad's was all for it. He was a little nervous especially since I'm the first to learn, but he was willing to teach me.
Once I got behind the wheel it felt right. With my dad's guidance I think I became a great driver. I was a little nervous with the turns and the freeway, but after lots of practice I got my license the first time I took the test.
Toward the end of the practice period, my mom started to drive with me, but she still doesn't favor it. In her opinion I'm a scary driver and I drive exactly like my dad. My mom likes to be behind the wheel. She makes sure to tell me when to brake and when I'm coming too close behind another car. It's kind of frustrating.
However, I appreciate that she watches out for me, and always tells me to be safe when I leave to hang out with friends. And I do enjoy the times that she does allow me to drive, like today. It made me feel good to be able to give a little something back to them after all they do for my brother and I.
The first time I went out driving I was terrified. I didn't really know what to expect. I imagined the racing arcade games. Obviously, I shouldn't floor the gas pedal, and I hoped I would stay away from the concrete walls. haha. My mom refused to teach me how to drive, but my dad's was all for it. He was a little nervous especially since I'm the first to learn, but he was willing to teach me.
Once I got behind the wheel it felt right. With my dad's guidance I think I became a great driver. I was a little nervous with the turns and the freeway, but after lots of practice I got my license the first time I took the test.
Toward the end of the practice period, my mom started to drive with me, but she still doesn't favor it. In her opinion I'm a scary driver and I drive exactly like my dad. My mom likes to be behind the wheel. She makes sure to tell me when to brake and when I'm coming too close behind another car. It's kind of frustrating.
However, I appreciate that she watches out for me, and always tells me to be safe when I leave to hang out with friends. And I do enjoy the times that she does allow me to drive, like today. It made me feel good to be able to give a little something back to them after all they do for my brother and I.
Day 25 - You're Beautiful
Tonight I went to Fish Fest, a concert put on by The Fish 95.9. They basically get a bunch of awesome Christian bands together at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater for worship and fellowship. We saw Tenth Avenue North, David Crowder Band, Third Day, and MercyMe.
Now I've been to plenty of concerts like this one, and I thought I pretty much knew what to expect. But tonight I heard something I really needed to hear. During MercyMe's set Bart Milliard, lead vocalist, began talking about how in God's eyes we are beautiful. That we are worth His love, and how special we are to Him. And Millard began to sing this song, You're Beautiful, which he wrote for his daughters.
You're Beautiful
Days will come when you don't have the strength
And all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart
They'd see too much
Chorus
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful
Praying that you have the heart to fight
'Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
But they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
Repeat Chorus
Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to die!
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
In His eyes
You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful!
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful! You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful! You're beautiful!
You are treasured
You are sacred
You are His
~~~~~~~
And this made me think of how often times this world has told me otherwise, I have told myself otherwise, people have told me otherwise. The role models that little girls have are ridiculous. These standards cause unhealthy lifestyles, and there's no reason for going to such extremes. Especially when we have a loving Savior who thinks differently. There is so much out there in the world telling us lies. Telling us we're too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too ugly, too dumb, etc. However, this is not the case at all. God thinks we're beautiful. And it's unfair for us to think of ourselves anything less because we were made in God's image. And by putting ourselves down, we might as well insult the creator. He sent His only begotten son to suffer and die on a cross, He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He knew us in our mother's wombs, He adores us, and He knows our paths in His purpose long before we even begin to realize it. God's love should be enough. It's an unfathomable love, and it's ours for the taking. And you know what, I'm beautiful, and so are you. :]
Now I've been to plenty of concerts like this one, and I thought I pretty much knew what to expect. But tonight I heard something I really needed to hear. During MercyMe's set Bart Milliard, lead vocalist, began talking about how in God's eyes we are beautiful. That we are worth His love, and how special we are to Him. And Millard began to sing this song, You're Beautiful, which he wrote for his daughters.
You're Beautiful
Days will come when you don't have the strength
And all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart
They'd see too much
Chorus
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful
Praying that you have the heart to fight
'Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
But they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
Repeat Chorus
Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to die!
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
In His eyes
You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful!
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful! You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful! You're beautiful!
You are treasured
You are sacred
You are His
~~~~~~~
And this made me think of how often times this world has told me otherwise, I have told myself otherwise, people have told me otherwise. The role models that little girls have are ridiculous. These standards cause unhealthy lifestyles, and there's no reason for going to such extremes. Especially when we have a loving Savior who thinks differently. There is so much out there in the world telling us lies. Telling us we're too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too ugly, too dumb, etc. However, this is not the case at all. God thinks we're beautiful. And it's unfair for us to think of ourselves anything less because we were made in God's image. And by putting ourselves down, we might as well insult the creator. He sent His only begotten son to suffer and die on a cross, He knows the number of hairs on our heads, He knew us in our mother's wombs, He adores us, and He knows our paths in His purpose long before we even begin to realize it. God's love should be enough. It's an unfathomable love, and it's ours for the taking. And you know what, I'm beautiful, and so are you. :]
Friday, June 24, 2011
Day 24 - VIDCON
Exactly one month from today, Peter and I will be in the company of our good friends Justin, Ev, and Cody. We will be picking them up from LAX and they will be staying with us until VidCon, which will take place July 29 & 30. But of course, it technically starts the 24th for us.
I'm excited to show them around! There is so much that needs to be done and I have no idea how we will be able to do it all in a matter of 4 days. Though I am glad they'll be coming out early because we will be getting major hang out time. Which is almost always limited because of distance. Ev lives in Maryland, while Justin and Cody live in Pennsylvania. I've met both Justin and Cody when I visited Emily over Christmas Break. However, this will be my first time meeting Ev, and it's extremely overdue for the amount of time we talk with one another. We already have plans for MAJOR hugging. haha.
AHH! And KieraJo [one of my roomies] is coming, we definitely have plans for sushi! #omnomnom And then my other roomies Amanda and Natalie are coming! And I am just asdfghjkl. I cannot even comprehend what will be happening. I just know I want it to happen NOW! Leslie, Laurel, Steve, Philip, and so many others who I just cannot wait to hug, hang out with, and be around.
And I absolutely cannot wait to show the Brits, Samuel and Pappy, around southern California after VidCon. It's their first time to America, and I don't want to mess it up. Although, Samuel is pretty pumped for just the food alone. Apparently, we have a lot of different places to eat and some of the junk food America offers they don't have.
I am just so excited for the end of July and the beginning of August, it truly will be an epic two weeks! :D
I'm excited to show them around! There is so much that needs to be done and I have no idea how we will be able to do it all in a matter of 4 days. Though I am glad they'll be coming out early because we will be getting major hang out time. Which is almost always limited because of distance. Ev lives in Maryland, while Justin and Cody live in Pennsylvania. I've met both Justin and Cody when I visited Emily over Christmas Break. However, this will be my first time meeting Ev, and it's extremely overdue for the amount of time we talk with one another. We already have plans for MAJOR hugging. haha.
AHH! And KieraJo [one of my roomies] is coming, we definitely have plans for sushi! #omnomnom And then my other roomies Amanda and Natalie are coming! And I am just asdfghjkl. I cannot even comprehend what will be happening. I just know I want it to happen NOW! Leslie, Laurel, Steve, Philip, and so many others who I just cannot wait to hug, hang out with, and be around.
And I absolutely cannot wait to show the Brits, Samuel and Pappy, around southern California after VidCon. It's their first time to America, and I don't want to mess it up. Although, Samuel is pretty pumped for just the food alone. Apparently, we have a lot of different places to eat and some of the junk food America offers they don't have.
I am just so excited for the end of July and the beginning of August, it truly will be an epic two weeks! :D
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Day 23 - Top Ten Thing You Should Know About Sharayah
Just in case after 23 days you didn't know enough about me, here's the top ten you should know about me! :]
1) "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 I serve a mighty and powerful God. I have a wonderful Savior who came to earth as a man and died on a cross to save sinners. His blood has washed me white as snow. And this is something I cannot even fathom, but because of it I aspire to be a woman whose heart is so hidden in God that a man has to seek him just to find me.
2) Writing is my passion. I'm really shy and I find it easier to convey my words through the written word. I think it's easier this way because it gives me more time to figure out how to say things to different audiences. Because of this love of writing, I am currently a Journalism major and am working on figuring out how I will use this gift of writing for God's purpose. I'm a logophile and it amazes me how many beautiful words are out there that people do not use. I like to think I'm becoming more eloquent. haha. And with having a love for writing, I have an even bigger love for reading. I love reading books because they take me to place I never thought I could go!
3) My favorite animals are the Giraffe, the Zebra, and the Brontosaurus. I know, I know. It's a weird combination of animals, but I can't help it. Giraffes are adorable, they have these SUPERLY long necks and they have really long tongues! :P Zebras have beautiful stripes, which set them apart from horses. I loved riding horses when I was younger! And Brontosauruses are just amazing looking, plus I like to RAWR at people.
4) My favorite color used to be bright, lime green. But now I'm starting to realize that I don't specify anymore. I'll take any shade of green. I've been leaning more toward blueish greens. I actually just painted my room a teal-like color, entitled "Mermaid Treasure". It's BEAUTIFUL! I cannot wait to move in and use it as a back drop for my videos.
5) Speaking of videos, I'm a YouTuber. I make videos for two different channels. I have a personal channel supersharayah in which I make videos primarily on my own. It's been described as "diary-like vlogs" and I couldn't agree more. I used to post on a weekly basis, but lately I haven't had a lot of time. The other channel is bachelorettebrigade, a collaboration channel between nerdfighteratalie, shedoesntkillgophers, and myself. I post every Monday on this channel.
6) And because we talked about YouTube, you should probably know I am a social networking fiend. I have Twitter, Facebook, Dailybooth, Tumblr, Instagram, and this blog!! I update all rather frequently, especially Twitter.
7) Rain. I absolutely LOVE when it rains. Whenever it starts raining, you can bet I'm on top of it. I'm one of those people who can enjoy the rain from anywhere. Inside, outside, in a car, in the street, in a puddle. Even the sound gets to me. Against the car, on the window, on a trash can lid. It's basically music to my ears. I just cannot get enough of the rain. I don't know why I live in California. It hardly ever rains here! Thunderstorms are THEBEST! The first night we were in Oklahoma on choir tour, there was a GLORIOUS thunderstorm and I enjoyed ever HOUR of it! Although, I slept through most of it, it was appreciated!
8) My birthday is SEPTEMBER 15TH! Do not let anyone tell you differently. Not my Facebook, not my friends, and especially not Alyson Reeve. Nope. I didn't forget that, girl!
9) I'm not a big fast food eater, especially since I read Fast Food Nation my senior year of high school. It gave me a whole new perspective on the way restaurants receive and prepare their food. When I do eat fast food it tends to be places that were not in the book such as In N Out, Chipotle, Del Taco, Chick-fil-A, and places I can get Chinese food. I love Chinese food and Japanese food for that matter. I can never get enough sushi. Yes, brace yourself, I eat raw fish! haha.
10) I like my food hot, and I don't mean in temperature. Sriracha is pretty much the hot sauce of choice. I eat it on almost everything. And when I say everything I mean pizza, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chinese food, sushi, and meat loaf. If it's not Sriracha, it's Tapatio. Let's just say I like to spice up my life.
1) "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 I serve a mighty and powerful God. I have a wonderful Savior who came to earth as a man and died on a cross to save sinners. His blood has washed me white as snow. And this is something I cannot even fathom, but because of it I aspire to be a woman whose heart is so hidden in God that a man has to seek him just to find me.
2) Writing is my passion. I'm really shy and I find it easier to convey my words through the written word. I think it's easier this way because it gives me more time to figure out how to say things to different audiences. Because of this love of writing, I am currently a Journalism major and am working on figuring out how I will use this gift of writing for God's purpose. I'm a logophile and it amazes me how many beautiful words are out there that people do not use. I like to think I'm becoming more eloquent. haha. And with having a love for writing, I have an even bigger love for reading. I love reading books because they take me to place I never thought I could go!
3) My favorite animals are the Giraffe, the Zebra, and the Brontosaurus. I know, I know. It's a weird combination of animals, but I can't help it. Giraffes are adorable, they have these SUPERLY long necks and they have really long tongues! :P Zebras have beautiful stripes, which set them apart from horses. I loved riding horses when I was younger! And Brontosauruses are just amazing looking, plus I like to RAWR at people.
4) My favorite color used to be bright, lime green. But now I'm starting to realize that I don't specify anymore. I'll take any shade of green. I've been leaning more toward blueish greens. I actually just painted my room a teal-like color, entitled "Mermaid Treasure". It's BEAUTIFUL! I cannot wait to move in and use it as a back drop for my videos.
5) Speaking of videos, I'm a YouTuber. I make videos for two different channels. I have a personal channel supersharayah in which I make videos primarily on my own. It's been described as "diary-like vlogs" and I couldn't agree more. I used to post on a weekly basis, but lately I haven't had a lot of time. The other channel is bachelorettebrigade, a collaboration channel between nerdfighteratalie, shedoesntkillgophers, and myself. I post every Monday on this channel.
6) And because we talked about YouTube, you should probably know I am a social networking fiend. I have Twitter, Facebook, Dailybooth, Tumblr, Instagram, and this blog!! I update all rather frequently, especially Twitter.
7) Rain. I absolutely LOVE when it rains. Whenever it starts raining, you can bet I'm on top of it. I'm one of those people who can enjoy the rain from anywhere. Inside, outside, in a car, in the street, in a puddle. Even the sound gets to me. Against the car, on the window, on a trash can lid. It's basically music to my ears. I just cannot get enough of the rain. I don't know why I live in California. It hardly ever rains here! Thunderstorms are THEBEST! The first night we were in Oklahoma on choir tour, there was a GLORIOUS thunderstorm and I enjoyed ever HOUR of it! Although, I slept through most of it, it was appreciated!
8) My birthday is SEPTEMBER 15TH! Do not let anyone tell you differently. Not my Facebook, not my friends, and especially not Alyson Reeve. Nope. I didn't forget that, girl!
9) I'm not a big fast food eater, especially since I read Fast Food Nation my senior year of high school. It gave me a whole new perspective on the way restaurants receive and prepare their food. When I do eat fast food it tends to be places that were not in the book such as In N Out, Chipotle, Del Taco, Chick-fil-A, and places I can get Chinese food. I love Chinese food and Japanese food for that matter. I can never get enough sushi. Yes, brace yourself, I eat raw fish! haha.
10) I like my food hot, and I don't mean in temperature. Sriracha is pretty much the hot sauce of choice. I eat it on almost everything. And when I say everything I mean pizza, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chinese food, sushi, and meat loaf. If it's not Sriracha, it's Tapatio. Let's just say I like to spice up my life.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Day 22 - ch-ch-changes
I've been getting really anxious about moving. And not in the I don't want to leave this current house kind of way, rather I wish we were already living there. Of course, we still have a lot to do before everything happens, but I feel like I'm wanting things to change all too quickly. Which I find weird, since I'm not really a big fan of change.
There is a lot changing this year in general. I cannot believe I'm going to be a junior in college, and next year I'll hopefully be graduating. I'll have to figure out what I'll be doing, where I'll be living, if I'll be staying here or going somewhere else. There seem to be a lot of big decisions that are arising.
I'm not exactly sure how to handle what is coming. But I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I know that He will be there to guide my path. And though I may make plans, He is the one with the last word. I'm excited to see what He has planned for my life though.
I've been wondering a lot about what will come next, and I feel ready for Him to lay it on me. But I just don't know. I think I should definitely start looking. I want the opportunities for Him to work through me. I desire to get closer to Him. I want to be able to just drop my plans for His, and to just know that I am living a life pleasing to Him.
I really like this whole daily blogging thing. Although, I do not always know what I should blog about, I feel that it gives me a chance to analyze my days. Did I do anything interesting, what should I share? Are there any topics I can address that He will speak through what I have written? I just become really happy when it comes time to blog. :]
There is a lot changing this year in general. I cannot believe I'm going to be a junior in college, and next year I'll hopefully be graduating. I'll have to figure out what I'll be doing, where I'll be living, if I'll be staying here or going somewhere else. There seem to be a lot of big decisions that are arising.
I'm not exactly sure how to handle what is coming. But I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I know that He will be there to guide my path. And though I may make plans, He is the one with the last word. I'm excited to see what He has planned for my life though.
I've been wondering a lot about what will come next, and I feel ready for Him to lay it on me. But I just don't know. I think I should definitely start looking. I want the opportunities for Him to work through me. I desire to get closer to Him. I want to be able to just drop my plans for His, and to just know that I am living a life pleasing to Him.
I really like this whole daily blogging thing. Although, I do not always know what I should blog about, I feel that it gives me a chance to analyze my days. Did I do anything interesting, what should I share? Are there any topics I can address that He will speak through what I have written? I just become really happy when it comes time to blog. :]
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Day 21 - yay friends!
I started out today thinking I was going to paint all day, take a quick swim, and possibly go home and curl up with Catching Fire. [That's right I have the second book now. But I know once I start reading it, I will be upset when people will try and take it away from me. So it still lies unread on my desk]. However, my previous plans got warped and I actually ended up spending the day with three of my friends. Not all at once, but amazing regardless.
When Madre and I went over to our new house this morning I decided to call a few of my friends and ask if they wanted to come over to my house, help paint, and then go swimming. Right away I was only able to get Karalee to come for a few hours. So while she was there we got the family room painted? [There's a question mark because I always get the family room and the living room mixed up, so we very well could have painted the living room].
After Karalee left, I drove over and got my friend Manuel. We had fun painting half of the living room [family room?] and then had lunch. Daddie brought us pizza. And then around 2 p.m. we picked up my brother from band camp. When we came back we decided it was time to go swimming because we felt like we had worked hard enough for the day. [Although, we didn't finish. >.<] And Lauren came and went swimming with us after she got out of class.
We swam for about 3 hours, it was glorious. It was really relaxing and fun to just chill with some friends for awhile. It had been quite awhile since I had seen any of them. Once we finished swimming, Lauren and I went new bathing suit hunting and Manuel tagged along. He paid attention to his phone most of the time, which is understandable and we really didn't find anything anyway.
We had dinner at Red Robin [YUM! haha]. Apparently they have patty melts and sweet potato fries now. Guess what I got! If you answered what I previously just said plus a Freckled Lemonade, you would be right. Good job! haha. We talked about a lot of things and just enjoyed each other company and the food. haha.
It was great to be able to hangout with friends after it being so long. There was lots to catch up on and I kind of want it to be next week already! BEACH! YAY! Well, AND FRIENDS! YAY! :D
When Madre and I went over to our new house this morning I decided to call a few of my friends and ask if they wanted to come over to my house, help paint, and then go swimming. Right away I was only able to get Karalee to come for a few hours. So while she was there we got the family room painted? [There's a question mark because I always get the family room and the living room mixed up, so we very well could have painted the living room].
After Karalee left, I drove over and got my friend Manuel. We had fun painting half of the living room [family room?] and then had lunch. Daddie brought us pizza. And then around 2 p.m. we picked up my brother from band camp. When we came back we decided it was time to go swimming because we felt like we had worked hard enough for the day. [Although, we didn't finish. >.<] And Lauren came and went swimming with us after she got out of class.
We swam for about 3 hours, it was glorious. It was really relaxing and fun to just chill with some friends for awhile. It had been quite awhile since I had seen any of them. Once we finished swimming, Lauren and I went new bathing suit hunting and Manuel tagged along. He paid attention to his phone most of the time, which is understandable and we really didn't find anything anyway.
We had dinner at Red Robin [YUM! haha]. Apparently they have patty melts and sweet potato fries now. Guess what I got! If you answered what I previously just said plus a Freckled Lemonade, you would be right. Good job! haha. We talked about a lot of things and just enjoyed each other company and the food. haha.
It was great to be able to hangout with friends after it being so long. There was lots to catch up on and I kind of want it to be next week already! BEACH! YAY! Well, AND FRIENDS! YAY! :D
Monday, June 20, 2011
Day 20 - Summer breezes
The last couple of weeks I've been simulating road trips when I drive in my car. I roll the windows down, let the wind blow through my hair, blast my music, and just drive. Of course, no road trip is complete without friends, but so far that hasn't really been an option.
I've been just itching to take a road trip. I think one to Florida to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be a nice trip. [Gosh, I'm such a nerd. haha]. But with how things are playing out, I don't think I'll be getting much of a road trip any time soon. So, I like to trick myself into thinking I am.
As lame as this sounds, it makes my drives to and from work more enjoyable. The drive to school and back is about a half hour both ways. So I try to make it fun.
Although, today wasn't too fun. Since I've been driving with the windows down, I haven't been using the A/C. So on the way home it was about 92 degrees Fahrenheit and I was burning up [for you baby]. But in all seriousness, the weather has been acting up a lot lately.
It was beach weather for a couple weeks, rather windy, not too hot. But then a couple days ago we were getting gloomy overcast weather. And then it rained, well more sprinkled, yesterday morning. Today was scorching though. Luckily, I was not in it too long. Just to my car and all the way home.
Despite the heat, I did not roll up my windows, there was a slightly nice breeze coming in from the drive. And I refused to change my ways. I just really want a road trip.
Let's go! :]
I've been just itching to take a road trip. I think one to Florida to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be a nice trip. [Gosh, I'm such a nerd. haha]. But with how things are playing out, I don't think I'll be getting much of a road trip any time soon. So, I like to trick myself into thinking I am.
As lame as this sounds, it makes my drives to and from work more enjoyable. The drive to school and back is about a half hour both ways. So I try to make it fun.
Although, today wasn't too fun. Since I've been driving with the windows down, I haven't been using the A/C. So on the way home it was about 92 degrees Fahrenheit and I was burning up [for you baby]. But in all seriousness, the weather has been acting up a lot lately.
It was beach weather for a couple weeks, rather windy, not too hot. But then a couple days ago we were getting gloomy overcast weather. And then it rained, well more sprinkled, yesterday morning. Today was scorching though. Luckily, I was not in it too long. Just to my car and all the way home.
Despite the heat, I did not roll up my windows, there was a slightly nice breeze coming in from the drive. And I refused to change my ways. I just really want a road trip.
Let's go! :]
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Day 19 - My Daddie
I figured since it's Father's Day, I might as well blog about my Daddie.
I have been extremely blessed by my Father in heaven for such an amazing Daddie. My Daddie has always been there for me when I have needed him. He's been a strong rock for our family and an excellent example of a godly man to my little brother and I. An example to my brother of how he should be as a husband, and an example to myself on how a man should treat his wife. He's always worked hard to provide for our family and still make time for us after work. My Daddie has taught me well. He's taught me right and wrong, how to earn a dollar, and how to save it too. He loves his family dearly and you can tell.
Things I remember about my Daddie as I was growing up.
He sits at the bottom of the stairs every morning and puts on his tennis shoes.
His hands are always stained with ink.
He's a very sneaky man and when you think he's leaning one way, he's really going the other.
He's an excellent cook, his spaghetti and gumbo cannot be beat.
He's very protective and makes sure we make the right decisions.
He's insightful and always has the answer.
He can always tell when something is up, especially when I'm not telling the truth.
He knows my car better than I do.
Even when I do stupid things, he still loves me, and I love him for it. :]
I have been extremely blessed by my Father in heaven for such an amazing Daddie. My Daddie has always been there for me when I have needed him. He's been a strong rock for our family and an excellent example of a godly man to my little brother and I. An example to my brother of how he should be as a husband, and an example to myself on how a man should treat his wife. He's always worked hard to provide for our family and still make time for us after work. My Daddie has taught me well. He's taught me right and wrong, how to earn a dollar, and how to save it too. He loves his family dearly and you can tell.
Things I remember about my Daddie as I was growing up.
He sits at the bottom of the stairs every morning and puts on his tennis shoes.
His hands are always stained with ink.
He's a very sneaky man and when you think he's leaning one way, he's really going the other.
He's an excellent cook, his spaghetti and gumbo cannot be beat.
He's very protective and makes sure we make the right decisions.
He's insightful and always has the answer.
He can always tell when something is up, especially when I'm not telling the truth.
He knows my car better than I do.
Even when I do stupid things, he still loves me, and I love him for it. :]
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Day 18 - You're not shy!
I'm coming to a point where I'm not exactly sure whether I lean more toward being shy or outgoing. I think my level of outgoingness depends on the situation and the people rather than just myself. I feel I'm not in control of how I interact with others. There are all kinds of factors that are put into play upon interacting/ meeting others.
When I'm with friends or family, I'm actually rather loud. I speak my mind, I act silly, and I can carry a conversation. And most of my friends would tell you I'm not shy at all if you asked them. With friends and family around, I would consider myself a very outgoing person because I'm in my comfort zone and they already know how I am.
But when I first meet someone I usually don't talk very much and I don't openly share a lot about myself unless asked. I tend to be more reserved and am more of an observer/ listener. Especially when I'm surrounded by people I do not know very well. Most of the time I try to avoid such situations, but some times they are unavoidable.
I have a bit of a hard time meeting new people because I'm afraid they won't like me. Now I don't really care what people think about me, I'm going to be myself whether they like it or not. But some times I feel like I already have my friends, why do I need to make any new ones?
And that's where I get upset with myself because I realize I could be a person that becomes a very important part of someone else's life. God could use me in a way that ministers to those people. I could change a person's life by just beginning with a hello and a smile.
And I think that's probably another part that scares me. What if I'm the one to screw it up for them? And so my internal thoughts are fighting with one another "You need to go over there" and "No you don't, keep walking."
However, there are times when I have no problem talking to people. And I think it's when either the real Sharayah comes out or the journalist within me takes over. I don't consider myself a great public speaker, rather a person who is good with words on a paper. But sometimes when I get going and the pressure is on, I can have a conversation with someone I don't know without even batting an eye.
These are the times I enjoy. When I don't worry about screwing up, I just go and handle it. I feel like more often I need to take more initiative and courage, and just get out there and be a light. I want people to look at me and think there is something different about her.
I think I'm getting better at this. Women's Choir helped me with this because before concerts we'd have to mingle with people before concerts. And for a while I'd just kind of walk around and talk to other girls in the choir.
But then I talked to the girls in my small group about how I struggled with meeting people and they gave me some advice and pointers on how to strike up conversations. And then every concert after that I was able to keep conversations going with people I barely knew. It also helped during the host homes we stayed with on tour.
I'm hoping this will also help during this next school year. I'm surprisingly excited to try it out. :]
When I'm with friends or family, I'm actually rather loud. I speak my mind, I act silly, and I can carry a conversation. And most of my friends would tell you I'm not shy at all if you asked them. With friends and family around, I would consider myself a very outgoing person because I'm in my comfort zone and they already know how I am.
But when I first meet someone I usually don't talk very much and I don't openly share a lot about myself unless asked. I tend to be more reserved and am more of an observer/ listener. Especially when I'm surrounded by people I do not know very well. Most of the time I try to avoid such situations, but some times they are unavoidable.
I have a bit of a hard time meeting new people because I'm afraid they won't like me. Now I don't really care what people think about me, I'm going to be myself whether they like it or not. But some times I feel like I already have my friends, why do I need to make any new ones?
And that's where I get upset with myself because I realize I could be a person that becomes a very important part of someone else's life. God could use me in a way that ministers to those people. I could change a person's life by just beginning with a hello and a smile.
And I think that's probably another part that scares me. What if I'm the one to screw it up for them? And so my internal thoughts are fighting with one another "You need to go over there" and "No you don't, keep walking."
However, there are times when I have no problem talking to people. And I think it's when either the real Sharayah comes out or the journalist within me takes over. I don't consider myself a great public speaker, rather a person who is good with words on a paper. But sometimes when I get going and the pressure is on, I can have a conversation with someone I don't know without even batting an eye.
These are the times I enjoy. When I don't worry about screwing up, I just go and handle it. I feel like more often I need to take more initiative and courage, and just get out there and be a light. I want people to look at me and think there is something different about her.
I think I'm getting better at this. Women's Choir helped me with this because before concerts we'd have to mingle with people before concerts. And for a while I'd just kind of walk around and talk to other girls in the choir.
But then I talked to the girls in my small group about how I struggled with meeting people and they gave me some advice and pointers on how to strike up conversations. And then every concert after that I was able to keep conversations going with people I barely knew. It also helped during the host homes we stayed with on tour.
I'm hoping this will also help during this next school year. I'm surprisingly excited to try it out. :]
Friday, June 17, 2011
Day 17 - Day of reading
Today I decided to set aside time to read The Hunger Games. Now as I write this blog, I am not finished with the book, but I'm awfully close. I'm currently 66 pages from the end. I have every intention of finishing this wonderful book tonight, and plan to do so once this blog has been written.
It's been awhile since I've actually had a spare moment to actually read a book for pleasure. I think with all the hustle and bustle of school, I dwell more time on my coursework and my job. I'm always setting my eye on what needs to get done and I don't really have the time to set aside just for myself. And I'm glad that I actually had time to do this today, because as far as I'm consider you should read this book and I'm not even finished with it yet. [That's when you know it's a good book].
As a child I had a passion for reading. Even when I was unable to read for myself, I remember my Madre reading to me. My Madre, a bibliophile herself instilled a love for books in me early on. She read book after book and story after story.
I recall countless summers spent at the city library. Signing up for book clubs in which I had to read a certain amount of books to gain the next level, and a new prize. I recall reading books as school assignments, taking tests, and gaining accelerated reading points. Which earned me trophies for just plain reading.
But I didn't do the reading for the trophies or the gift certificates or any of that. [Actually, I'm not exactly sure if this is entirely true. When I was younger it could've been motivated by that]. I did it for the books themselves. I especially liked it when authors write so well, I feel like I'm actually there. I can feel the emotions the characters are experiencing. I can relate to the story line. I can picture myself as a character, as a bystander there.
Reading gives me such joy. I love being transported to somewhere I've never been, doing things I never thought I could. It's amazing what one book can do. And it's not just the stories, but the inspiration behind them and the inspiration they give me.
As a journalist I can say I love to write. I want to be like the authors of my favorite books. I want to write stories that people enjoy as much as I have enjoyed previous books. I want to inspire people to do things they never thought possible. I want to motivate people to travel, to love, to jump outside of their comfort zones, to pursue God, etc.
I think I need to spend more time reading. It's something I quite enjoy. :]
It's been awhile since I've actually had a spare moment to actually read a book for pleasure. I think with all the hustle and bustle of school, I dwell more time on my coursework and my job. I'm always setting my eye on what needs to get done and I don't really have the time to set aside just for myself. And I'm glad that I actually had time to do this today, because as far as I'm consider you should read this book and I'm not even finished with it yet. [That's when you know it's a good book].
As a child I had a passion for reading. Even when I was unable to read for myself, I remember my Madre reading to me. My Madre, a bibliophile herself instilled a love for books in me early on. She read book after book and story after story.
I recall countless summers spent at the city library. Signing up for book clubs in which I had to read a certain amount of books to gain the next level, and a new prize. I recall reading books as school assignments, taking tests, and gaining accelerated reading points. Which earned me trophies for just plain reading.
But I didn't do the reading for the trophies or the gift certificates or any of that. [Actually, I'm not exactly sure if this is entirely true. When I was younger it could've been motivated by that]. I did it for the books themselves. I especially liked it when authors write so well, I feel like I'm actually there. I can feel the emotions the characters are experiencing. I can relate to the story line. I can picture myself as a character, as a bystander there.
Reading gives me such joy. I love being transported to somewhere I've never been, doing things I never thought I could. It's amazing what one book can do. And it's not just the stories, but the inspiration behind them and the inspiration they give me.
As a journalist I can say I love to write. I want to be like the authors of my favorite books. I want to write stories that people enjoy as much as I have enjoyed previous books. I want to inspire people to do things they never thought possible. I want to motivate people to travel, to love, to jump outside of their comfort zones, to pursue God, etc.
I think I need to spend more time reading. It's something I quite enjoy. :]
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Day 16 - Pictures are worth a thousand words
As I write these blogs I realize I spend a lot of time on Skype, especially at night. Ever since summer started, some of my YouTube friends and I been having almost nightly Skype video chats that last until about 1 or 2 a.m. This cannot be healthy for my sleep schedule, but if I went to sleep I'm afraid I'll miss everything. Not to brag or anything, but we have some pretty legit conversations.
Tonight amongst all the jokes and laughter we began sharing awkward and silly pictures of our younger selves. At first I had some difficulty locating mine because I was the type of person who hated having my picture taken when I was younger. And if I did have it taken, I didn't post it unless I looked presentable in it. I was and still kind of am a self-conscience person.
But each picture shared got me thinking about the stories behind them. My friends and who they used to be. Who they now are. Myself. How far I've come. Who I was and who I am today. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. And In 10 years, I'll be looking back on the pictures that currently find themselves situated on my Facebook.
Now it intrigues [mind you, I can never spell this word right. But I did tonight! woo!] me how cameras work. They capture what the eyes see forever. They take some of our memories, the ones that fade, and they keep them safe for us. And we then look back on them later and it just clicks. Things forgotten have become refreshed. Patterns are acknowledged. Beauty is captured.
All by one click of a button. An import of a memory card. The storing of a hard drive. And it's there. Forever. Until you throw it in the trash. And it's gone.
But when you stumble upon these old memories. You cannot help, but smile. Reminiscing of the good times, the bad times, and the in between times. I realize that what I was self-conscience of before is irrelevant. Who cares what I look like. It's more about the moments. Pictures are worth a thousand words. The stories behind each picture are what really count; let's give them a novel to write about. :]
Tonight amongst all the jokes and laughter we began sharing awkward and silly pictures of our younger selves. At first I had some difficulty locating mine because I was the type of person who hated having my picture taken when I was younger. And if I did have it taken, I didn't post it unless I looked presentable in it. I was and still kind of am a self-conscience person.
But each picture shared got me thinking about the stories behind them. My friends and who they used to be. Who they now are. Myself. How far I've come. Who I was and who I am today. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. And In 10 years, I'll be looking back on the pictures that currently find themselves situated on my Facebook.
Now it intrigues [mind you, I can never spell this word right. But I did tonight! woo!] me how cameras work. They capture what the eyes see forever. They take some of our memories, the ones that fade, and they keep them safe for us. And we then look back on them later and it just clicks. Things forgotten have become refreshed. Patterns are acknowledged. Beauty is captured.
All by one click of a button. An import of a memory card. The storing of a hard drive. And it's there. Forever. Until you throw it in the trash. And it's gone.
But when you stumble upon these old memories. You cannot help, but smile. Reminiscing of the good times, the bad times, and the in between times. I realize that what I was self-conscience of before is irrelevant. Who cares what I look like. It's more about the moments. Pictures are worth a thousand words. The stories behind each picture are what really count; let's give them a novel to write about. :]
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Day 15 - Chocolate
This is not a blog about how much I love chocolate. Au contraire. I am actually not a big fan of chocolate. And as a woman I have been asked multiple times what is wrong with me. Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate chocolate. It's just not something I can just partake in at any moment. I have to be in the mood for chocolate. And even when I am in the mood, it's usually a certain kind.
Yeah, chocolate is sweet, delicious, and chocolatey, but I find it rather bland alone. I cannot just eat a big Hershey bar. Not even a Hershey bar with almonds. I specifically pick the almonds out of the chocolate and eat them. I know, I know it's weird, but it's what I do.
Chocolate cannot stand alone. It needs caramel [pronounced care-a-mel], krispies, lots of nuts, toffee, peanut butter, and all sorts of things they put in chocolate. Chocolate milk is also delicious, when I'm not having to deal with lactose intolerance. And I can handle brownies in small doses.
What I find funny is that Reeses Pieces are my favorite, and they have chocolate in them. HOWEVER. I feel like Reeses Pieces are 95% peanut butter, 5% chocolate. Which I guess that makes it not so funny, rather it makes sense. Especially since I love peanut butter. I favor the creamy kind, and will eat the crunchy if I absolutely have to. But I should probably stop this discussion before I start another Peanut Butter War like I did last summer.
Back to chocolate, I don't understand what the big deal is. Who cares if I don't really care for chocolate? Everyone always forgets though. And then when I say I don't like chocolate they all flip out on me. "YOU DON'T LIKE CHOCOLATE!?!?!" No. Not really. It's OK.
I should probably tell you as I'm typing this up I'm eating a brownie sundae with cookies and cream ice cream, caramel, bananas, and cool whip. Can you guess my favorite part of it?
The bananas. #omnomnom
Yeah, chocolate is sweet, delicious, and chocolatey, but I find it rather bland alone. I cannot just eat a big Hershey bar. Not even a Hershey bar with almonds. I specifically pick the almonds out of the chocolate and eat them. I know, I know it's weird, but it's what I do.
Chocolate cannot stand alone. It needs caramel [pronounced care-a-mel], krispies, lots of nuts, toffee, peanut butter, and all sorts of things they put in chocolate. Chocolate milk is also delicious, when I'm not having to deal with lactose intolerance. And I can handle brownies in small doses.
What I find funny is that Reeses Pieces are my favorite, and they have chocolate in them. HOWEVER. I feel like Reeses Pieces are 95% peanut butter, 5% chocolate. Which I guess that makes it not so funny, rather it makes sense. Especially since I love peanut butter. I favor the creamy kind, and will eat the crunchy if I absolutely have to. But I should probably stop this discussion before I start another Peanut Butter War like I did last summer.
Back to chocolate, I don't understand what the big deal is. Who cares if I don't really care for chocolate? Everyone always forgets though. And then when I say I don't like chocolate they all flip out on me. "YOU DON'T LIKE CHOCOLATE!?!?!" No. Not really. It's OK.
I should probably tell you as I'm typing this up I'm eating a brownie sundae with cookies and cream ice cream, caramel, bananas, and cool whip. Can you guess my favorite part of it?
The bananas. #omnomnom
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 14 - Two Years Already?
You all will be please to know that I did succeed at packing up my room. It took awhile for me to get down to business [to defeat the HUNS!] Sorry, just as soon as I typed that Mulan came to mind and it's now playing through my head. But anyways, it did take me awhile to get started. But when I finally did, I quite enjoyed it.
I had a plethora of possessions to go through, but I got it done. I filled up two trash bags. So this brings the grand total to 4.5 trash bags. I couldn't believe how many things I had kept over the years I didn't need. I definitely need to be smarter about what memories are important and which I just need to get rid of.
In the midst of everything I found my yearbook from my senior year of high school. I spent some time looking through it. Reminiscing over pictures and reading the messages friends had written to me. It made me realize it's been practically two years since I graduate high school and so much has changed!
I've become a whole new Sharayah. I've lost, gained, and held onto friends. I've come closer to God, and strengthened my walk. I've broke old habits and created new ones. I've come out of my shell, taken chances, and realized everything is not about me. And with all the changes and challenges I've overtaken, I've realized everything has been for the better, for God's purpose in my life.
The time in between graduating high school and becoming a junior in college has gone by fast. And I'm excited to see where God will have me in the next two years, when I'll be graduating from college. Where I'll be headed, who I'll be friends with, and how strong I'll have become.
And I know I told you all I would completely avoid the computer today. But I did cheat at one point. As I was packing I realized a light on the side of my laptop was glowing. This light only glows when its on, and I could've sworn I had shut it down. So I opened it to investigate and sure enough I didn't. You all wouldn't have known this though! I made sure not to do anything that would make people aware. But I'm being honest with you all. :]
I had a plethora of possessions to go through, but I got it done. I filled up two trash bags. So this brings the grand total to 4.5 trash bags. I couldn't believe how many things I had kept over the years I didn't need. I definitely need to be smarter about what memories are important and which I just need to get rid of.
In the midst of everything I found my yearbook from my senior year of high school. I spent some time looking through it. Reminiscing over pictures and reading the messages friends had written to me. It made me realize it's been practically two years since I graduate high school and so much has changed!
I've become a whole new Sharayah. I've lost, gained, and held onto friends. I've come closer to God, and strengthened my walk. I've broke old habits and created new ones. I've come out of my shell, taken chances, and realized everything is not about me. And with all the changes and challenges I've overtaken, I've realized everything has been for the better, for God's purpose in my life.
The time in between graduating high school and becoming a junior in college has gone by fast. And I'm excited to see where God will have me in the next two years, when I'll be graduating from college. Where I'll be headed, who I'll be friends with, and how strong I'll have become.
And I know I told you all I would completely avoid the computer today. But I did cheat at one point. As I was packing I realized a light on the side of my laptop was glowing. This light only glows when its on, and I could've sworn I had shut it down. So I opened it to investigate and sure enough I didn't. You all wouldn't have known this though! I made sure not to do anything that would make people aware. But I'm being honest with you all. :]
Monday, June 13, 2011
Day 13 - Productivity Please
Tomorrow needs to follow today's productivity. We got a lot done at work today. Lots of planning for the new school year. We were finally able to acquire a link for our Facebook fan page and the likes keep coming. I'm really excited about the changes being done to the newspaper. At first I was worried, but now I have nothing but optimism. I know we still need to figure out some web issues. But I want it to be training day. I really want to meet all the new staff members and just have a really great year.
I think I'll finish packing tomorrow. I'll get up early and just spend the day packing. It needs to happen because before I know it, everyone else will be moving and I'll be scrambling to get my stuff together. And to be honest there's not a whole lot that need to be done. It's just all the nonessential stuff. I feel like it will be a piece of cake. At least I hope so.
I just need to crank up the tunes and lay off the Internet. I think the Internet is one of my biggest problems. Especially tumblr. Jeez. That site is amazing. There are so many pretty gifs and quotes. I just want to get on there now. It's helped me discover so many beautiful things. Like Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. If you haven't seen it do yourself a favor, GO WATCH IT! So good.
As great as tumblr is, it sucks up my time. Time I could be applying to productivity. Especially since I do have a lot to do.
To Do List:
Pack
Get rid of unneeded excess things
Find MY headphones
Clean
Deposit check
Finish painting room
Plan out room
Read Hunger Games
Finish How I Met Your Mother
Start Big Bang Theory
Get people rounded up for a beach trip
Hang out with friends
Have fun
Plot out a new supersharayah video
As you can see all the fun stuff is at the end. Work before play. Unless I get stressed out, then we'll work a system. But I doubt it will happen. Helloooo, Summer. haha.
So I vow to not use the computer until I am either completely packed or it's blogging time.
I think I'll finish packing tomorrow. I'll get up early and just spend the day packing. It needs to happen because before I know it, everyone else will be moving and I'll be scrambling to get my stuff together. And to be honest there's not a whole lot that need to be done. It's just all the nonessential stuff. I feel like it will be a piece of cake. At least I hope so.
I just need to crank up the tunes and lay off the Internet. I think the Internet is one of my biggest problems. Especially tumblr. Jeez. That site is amazing. There are so many pretty gifs and quotes. I just want to get on there now. It's helped me discover so many beautiful things. Like Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. If you haven't seen it do yourself a favor, GO WATCH IT! So good.
As great as tumblr is, it sucks up my time. Time I could be applying to productivity. Especially since I do have a lot to do.
To Do List:
Pack
Get rid of unneeded excess things
Find MY headphones
Clean
Deposit check
Finish painting room
Plan out room
Read Hunger Games
Finish How I Met Your Mother
Start Big Bang Theory
Get people rounded up for a beach trip
Hang out with friends
Have fun
Plot out a new supersharayah video
As you can see all the fun stuff is at the end. Work before play. Unless I get stressed out, then we'll work a system. But I doubt it will happen. Helloooo, Summer. haha.
So I vow to not use the computer until I am either completely packed or it's blogging time.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day 12 - I just want to be busy
I've done a lot over the last two weeks, but I'm also done a whole lot of nothing. I'm starting to feel like I haven't gotten anything done. I feel like the things I have done aren't really making an impact. Catching up in Doctor Who, working, and painting my "new" room don't seem to be fulfilling this epic summer I had planned.
I haven't really seen any of my friends either because I've been trying to avoid going out and spending money. I need to start saving better and not blowing it on just anything. At the rate I'm going I feel like summer won't get any better until the end of July.
There is tons I can do instead of just being lazy. Right before I started writing this blog, I was watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Another show that I want to get up to date on. There's a plethora of shows I'd like to catch up on. But I feel like I need to be more productive.
I did paint more of my room today, and one of the downstairs rooms which still needs to be finished. And that's slightly productive. But not as productive as I want to be.
I still haven't packed anymore of my stuff away. That really needs to get done. I have a lot to sift through. I'm hoping to get rid of more stuff. There's just too much unnecessary junk.
I also need to read The Hunger Games. I borrowed the book from Krista before I left for choir tour and I've only opened it once. I'm starting to feel guilty for hanging onto it for so long.
I could probably continue to try to teach myself to knit, or maybe even finally get around to teaching myself how to play guitar or piano.
I quite enjoy the blogging I've been doing. I'm definitely going to keep it up. I feel so proud of myself for blogging 12 consecutive days. It feels like an accomplishment, no matter how minuscule the task is. I think it also helps me reflect on what kind of day I had.
I think for the most part today was okay. Went to church, breakfast, painted forever, ate gumbo, and just spent a lot of time on my computer. I kinda wish there was more listed, but to be quite honest, painting forever is not an understatement.
Here's to hoping this week will be more productive! Cheers! :]
I haven't really seen any of my friends either because I've been trying to avoid going out and spending money. I need to start saving better and not blowing it on just anything. At the rate I'm going I feel like summer won't get any better until the end of July.
There is tons I can do instead of just being lazy. Right before I started writing this blog, I was watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Another show that I want to get up to date on. There's a plethora of shows I'd like to catch up on. But I feel like I need to be more productive.
I did paint more of my room today, and one of the downstairs rooms which still needs to be finished. And that's slightly productive. But not as productive as I want to be.
I still haven't packed anymore of my stuff away. That really needs to get done. I have a lot to sift through. I'm hoping to get rid of more stuff. There's just too much unnecessary junk.
I also need to read The Hunger Games. I borrowed the book from Krista before I left for choir tour and I've only opened it once. I'm starting to feel guilty for hanging onto it for so long.
I could probably continue to try to teach myself to knit, or maybe even finally get around to teaching myself how to play guitar or piano.
I quite enjoy the blogging I've been doing. I'm definitely going to keep it up. I feel so proud of myself for blogging 12 consecutive days. It feels like an accomplishment, no matter how minuscule the task is. I think it also helps me reflect on what kind of day I had.
I think for the most part today was okay. Went to church, breakfast, painted forever, ate gumbo, and just spent a lot of time on my computer. I kinda wish there was more listed, but to be quite honest, painting forever is not an understatement.
Here's to hoping this week will be more productive! Cheers! :]
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Day 11 - Fresh Coat of Paint
So as I stated yesterday my "new" room is getting a fresh coat of paint. I carried out this task today. I figured it was going to be no problem because I was under the impression I'd be helped. However, I ended up painting my whole room by myself.
Now mind you, it's not completely done. There's still some painting that needs to be done around the ceiling fan, smoke detector, and my closet. But these places were too high for me to reach. So in a few days I'll be bringing a ladder back to finish it all up. And I might even end up painting another room in the house the same color because we have a whole gallon of paint left over.
It didn't take me too long to decide on a color. I sort of already had one in mind. I just need to figure out the right shade of it. I had picked out a nice, dark tealish turquoise entitled 'Peacock Feather'. However, my father informed me it would probably dry darker. So we went with 'Mermaid Treasure' instead.
Painting the room was a lot of work. Especially since I really had no idea as to what I was doing. The last time we painted my room, my parents did most of the work. And this time around I did kind of want to do it by myself because I felt like I would appreciate it more, and because I really didn't have much of a choice. But I really like it. It looks so pretty. I'm very satisfied with the color, and how it's turned out so far.
It did take me awhile to get the whole room painted, but it was a lot of fun regardless. I started out thinking about how people paint on television and how sometimes they get covered in paint. I was really hoping I would avoid this. And I felt lin the groove about five minutes in, until I stepped on the paint can lid.
Luckily I had put down a drop cloth, so I didn't make too much of a mess. But the bottom of my foot was covered in paint for the rest of the day. I manage to get most of the paint on the walls, but paint did appear on my face, clothes, legs, arms, and in my hair. [When painting, do not get too close to the wall]
Though it took awhile to paint the entire room, I felt like it went rather fast. I did a lot of thinking and singing while I worked. Lots of reflection on the room and how I can further improve it's looks before I actually move into it. I thought about hanging a curtain as the closet door instead of having to deal with the doors. I got this inspiration from my best friend, Natalie's room. I also am in dire need of a new door. And it really needs a lock. Preferably one that cannot be picked. [Does anybody knock anymore?] I'm not sure about the window yet though. I think I might just keep the blinds, but curtains might be nice too.
There's still lots of time to think about that though. In the mean time I really need to get everything packed up so that I can actually take it over to the house when we're ready to move in. I only have three boxes packed. And one of them was a prepacked box from when we moved into the house we're currently living in. I'll hopefully be getting this done sometime this week. :]
Now mind you, it's not completely done. There's still some painting that needs to be done around the ceiling fan, smoke detector, and my closet. But these places were too high for me to reach. So in a few days I'll be bringing a ladder back to finish it all up. And I might even end up painting another room in the house the same color because we have a whole gallon of paint left over.
It didn't take me too long to decide on a color. I sort of already had one in mind. I just need to figure out the right shade of it. I had picked out a nice, dark tealish turquoise entitled 'Peacock Feather'. However, my father informed me it would probably dry darker. So we went with 'Mermaid Treasure' instead.
Painting the room was a lot of work. Especially since I really had no idea as to what I was doing. The last time we painted my room, my parents did most of the work. And this time around I did kind of want to do it by myself because I felt like I would appreciate it more, and because I really didn't have much of a choice. But I really like it. It looks so pretty. I'm very satisfied with the color, and how it's turned out so far.
It did take me awhile to get the whole room painted, but it was a lot of fun regardless. I started out thinking about how people paint on television and how sometimes they get covered in paint. I was really hoping I would avoid this. And I felt lin the groove about five minutes in, until I stepped on the paint can lid.
Luckily I had put down a drop cloth, so I didn't make too much of a mess. But the bottom of my foot was covered in paint for the rest of the day. I manage to get most of the paint on the walls, but paint did appear on my face, clothes, legs, arms, and in my hair. [When painting, do not get too close to the wall]
Though it took awhile to paint the entire room, I felt like it went rather fast. I did a lot of thinking and singing while I worked. Lots of reflection on the room and how I can further improve it's looks before I actually move into it. I thought about hanging a curtain as the closet door instead of having to deal with the doors. I got this inspiration from my best friend, Natalie's room. I also am in dire need of a new door. And it really needs a lock. Preferably one that cannot be picked. [Does anybody knock anymore?] I'm not sure about the window yet though. I think I might just keep the blinds, but curtains might be nice too.
There's still lots of time to think about that though. In the mean time I really need to get everything packed up so that I can actually take it over to the house when we're ready to move in. I only have three boxes packed. And one of them was a prepacked box from when we moved into the house we're currently living in. I'll hopefully be getting this done sometime this week. :]
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 10 - Packing, packing and more packing
One of the worst parts of moving is the packing. At least that's what I remember from the last time we moved. In the course of my life time I have moved twice. This is my third time. It's technically not a "new" house considering we're moving into our old house. But over the last three or so years, I've grown accustom to this room, this space, my own bathroom.
And now we're moving back. I don't mind too much. The only negatives of the move are, I will not longer have my own bathroom because I will have to share with my brother. I'm hoping this does not rise any unnecessary conflict because he definitely goes to school way earlier than I do. So it shouldn't be too big of a deal.
And the house is about 10 extra minutes from school. This only means I'll need to leave for school earlier. Which I don't think will be a huge problem because as I said, I go to school later. I am not a morning person. haha.
Which aren't as big as the positives. In our new house, I'll be slapping on a new coat of paint to give the room a new look, and there's a pool in which I'll be doing lots of swimming in this summer.
As cool as this will be, I find myself having a hard time bringing myself to pack. I just don't desire to do so. And it's not because I don't want to move. I have nothing against it. In fact from the little packing I have done, I've also thrown out a lot. I've already filled up two trash bags and a little university bookstore bag.
I've come to the conclusion that I am a bit of a pack rat. I have a "memory box" if you will, in my room dedicated to old movie ticket stubs, concert tickets, wristbands, birthday/ Christmas/ Valentine's cards. However, there's lots in my room which doesn't fall under any of those categories. And I'm glad I figured this out now.
I really want to make sure that at this "new" house, I'm extremely organized. Because I'm definitely one of the least organized people I know, hands down. And I feel like the move will help that, at least I hope it does.
Butterflies are beautiful. Just for you Natalie. ;]
And now we're moving back. I don't mind too much. The only negatives of the move are, I will not longer have my own bathroom because I will have to share with my brother. I'm hoping this does not rise any unnecessary conflict because he definitely goes to school way earlier than I do. So it shouldn't be too big of a deal.
And the house is about 10 extra minutes from school. This only means I'll need to leave for school earlier. Which I don't think will be a huge problem because as I said, I go to school later. I am not a morning person. haha.
Which aren't as big as the positives. In our new house, I'll be slapping on a new coat of paint to give the room a new look, and there's a pool in which I'll be doing lots of swimming in this summer.
As cool as this will be, I find myself having a hard time bringing myself to pack. I just don't desire to do so. And it's not because I don't want to move. I have nothing against it. In fact from the little packing I have done, I've also thrown out a lot. I've already filled up two trash bags and a little university bookstore bag.
I've come to the conclusion that I am a bit of a pack rat. I have a "memory box" if you will, in my room dedicated to old movie ticket stubs, concert tickets, wristbands, birthday/ Christmas/ Valentine's cards. However, there's lots in my room which doesn't fall under any of those categories. And I'm glad I figured this out now.
I really want to make sure that at this "new" house, I'm extremely organized. Because I'm definitely one of the least organized people I know, hands down. And I feel like the move will help that, at least I hope it does.
Butterflies are beautiful. Just for you Natalie. ;]
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day 9 - Lots of random facts
Today, I've learned so many new random facts and I thought I should share them with all of you.
Giraffes travel in towers. [This makes me smile because I feel this is definitely appropriate. Giraffes are pretty much towers].
The word "nerd" was first coined by Dr. Seuss in "If I Ran the Zoo." [I owe a lot to Dr. Seuss. He's the reason I have friends. haha. He paved my childhood and he gave the term to my way of life].
The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 ft. [I can just picture people using their hearts as guns, like *pew, pew, pew* YOU'RE DEAD! Except you're not . . .because you're covered in blood. Nevermind . . .]
The tip of the shoe lace is called the aglet. [I had no idea they even had a name. I just referred to them as the shoe lace holders for when I tie my shoes or the plastic at the end.
It is physically impossible for a pig to lift it's head up toward the sky. [This one made me really sad for piggies. I need to lift a few up to see the beautiful creations God has made].
When you snap your fingers, the sound is created from your middle finger hitting your palm and not your thumb rubbing against your index finger. [I tested this one. It checks out. But it makes me wonder how some people cannot snap if it's the middle finger to palm?]
The electric chair was invented by a dentist. [I knew the dentist was out to get me. Just couldn't be satisfied with my teeth. RUDE].
Mosquitoes are more attracted to people who just ate bananas. [I love bananas. I hate mosquitos. This poses a problem].
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. [If this is the word for the fear of long words it must have been created by one who doesn't. But I don't understand how someone can be afraid of words. I LOVE WORDS!]
Until President Kennedy was assasinated, it wasn't illegal to assasinate the president. [Wait. President Lincoln was assassinated WAAAAY before President Kennedy. How did this go so long without being addressed? But then again, I think they probably thought it was common sense that you shouldn't assassinate the president. Jeez].
"Mountain Dew" is an old slang term for moonshine. [I wonder if maybe there was originally moonshine in the first attempts at Mountain Dew].
The Statue of Liberty wears a size 879 sandal. [And I thought my size ten was pretty big].
I've also decided that every so often I'm going to be releasing tweets entitled #nowyouknow and with this I will be informing my followers of random, interesting facts. Keep a look out for that @supersharayah
Giraffes travel in towers. [This makes me smile because I feel this is definitely appropriate. Giraffes are pretty much towers].
The word "nerd" was first coined by Dr. Seuss in "If I Ran the Zoo." [I owe a lot to Dr. Seuss. He's the reason I have friends. haha. He paved my childhood and he gave the term to my way of life].
The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 ft. [I can just picture people using their hearts as guns, like *pew, pew, pew* YOU'RE DEAD! Except you're not . . .because you're covered in blood. Nevermind . . .]
The tip of the shoe lace is called the aglet. [I had no idea they even had a name. I just referred to them as the shoe lace holders for when I tie my shoes or the plastic at the end.
It is physically impossible for a pig to lift it's head up toward the sky. [This one made me really sad for piggies. I need to lift a few up to see the beautiful creations God has made].
When you snap your fingers, the sound is created from your middle finger hitting your palm and not your thumb rubbing against your index finger. [I tested this one. It checks out. But it makes me wonder how some people cannot snap if it's the middle finger to palm?]
The electric chair was invented by a dentist. [I knew the dentist was out to get me. Just couldn't be satisfied with my teeth. RUDE].
Mosquitoes are more attracted to people who just ate bananas. [I love bananas. I hate mosquitos. This poses a problem].
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. [If this is the word for the fear of long words it must have been created by one who doesn't. But I don't understand how someone can be afraid of words. I LOVE WORDS!]
Until President Kennedy was assasinated, it wasn't illegal to assasinate the president. [Wait. President Lincoln was assassinated WAAAAY before President Kennedy. How did this go so long without being addressed? But then again, I think they probably thought it was common sense that you shouldn't assassinate the president. Jeez].
"Mountain Dew" is an old slang term for moonshine. [I wonder if maybe there was originally moonshine in the first attempts at Mountain Dew].
The Statue of Liberty wears a size 879 sandal. [And I thought my size ten was pretty big].
I've also decided that every so often I'm going to be releasing tweets entitled #nowyouknow and with this I will be informing my followers of random, interesting facts. Keep a look out for that @supersharayah
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Day 8 - Like old times
Last year I got more involved in the YouTube community. Did a lot more watching, a lot more commenting, and a lot more vlogging. In the midst of these I stumbled upon the VLOG MANOR. This was a project that was going on for the entire year of 2010. But it wasn't until April, I began to make friends.
I stumbled upon a group of vloggers who would tinychat quite often. Tinychat is a site in which people can all chat on web cam at once. Only 12 people can at once. And they would always fill them all up. They'd talk about anything and everything and it was ALWAYS entertaining. Made up of nerdfighters, raptor screechers, do it themselvers, and serial killer enthusiasts.
These people were really awesome and I soon found myself making sure I made it to each tinychat. I soon became friends with these people and consider them some of my closest friends. We spent the whole summer talking to each other and staying up until the wee hours of the morning. But it was one of the best summers of my life.
These people have come to mean so much more to me. And I've slowly been meeting each of them over the course of this year.
However, we all really haven't had a whole lot of time to talk as one group because we're all different ages and have either school, work or both to deal with. The group has grown mightly, and we've had our bonds grow stronger. And tonight has been the first night in a very long time where we've all been able to have fun with one another.
It feels just like old times, nothing has changed. Random discussions that lead into another. Quotes that are tweetworthy. Each person with their quirks and mannerisms. Accents and all. I love this group so hard. They are some of the best people I've never/have met.
I definitely cannot wait till the end of next month. VidCon is going to be so EPIC and BEAUTIFUL. HUGS ALL AROUND! :]
I stumbled upon a group of vloggers who would tinychat quite often. Tinychat is a site in which people can all chat on web cam at once. Only 12 people can at once. And they would always fill them all up. They'd talk about anything and everything and it was ALWAYS entertaining. Made up of nerdfighters, raptor screechers, do it themselvers, and serial killer enthusiasts.
These people were really awesome and I soon found myself making sure I made it to each tinychat. I soon became friends with these people and consider them some of my closest friends. We spent the whole summer talking to each other and staying up until the wee hours of the morning. But it was one of the best summers of my life.
These people have come to mean so much more to me. And I've slowly been meeting each of them over the course of this year.
However, we all really haven't had a whole lot of time to talk as one group because we're all different ages and have either school, work or both to deal with. The group has grown mightly, and we've had our bonds grow stronger. And tonight has been the first night in a very long time where we've all been able to have fun with one another.
It feels just like old times, nothing has changed. Random discussions that lead into another. Quotes that are tweetworthy. Each person with their quirks and mannerisms. Accents and all. I love this group so hard. They are some of the best people I've never/have met.
I definitely cannot wait till the end of next month. VidCon is going to be so EPIC and BEAUTIFUL. HUGS ALL AROUND! :]
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Day 7 - Women's Choir Tour 2011
So I had intended on making a vlog about this once I had returned home from tour. I've been home three weeks now? And I haven't made a single video about anything. I've been in a bit of a video slump. But I just don't feel like this topic would've been easily conveyed through words.
I didn't have a very good attitude at the beginning of tour. I mean two weeks on the road with I don't know how many women? That's enough estrogen to drive a girl mad. Plus I had already been out for a week, so I felt teased and cheated by summer. Summer had lied to me. It wanted to get me excited only to bring me down.
I was dead wrong. Tour had to be the best thing ever. Get up early, sleep on the bus, eat lunch, sleep on the bus again, curl my hair, set up a bass amp, eat dinner, put on a dress, sing for the Lord, get paired up with girls I sort of knew and families I didn't know, get chummy for the night, and then repeat it all over again. I mean who wouldn't kill for a life like that?!
And believe me, a couple of days like that and BAM! Attitude altered. Tour quickly became extremely great. We got to meet so many great families! I heard so many touching stories and testimonies. And each night was a new surprise. Some hosts were extremely hospitable and wanted to know our life stories. While others were more reserved, chatted for a little while and then sent us off to bed because I mean two weeks of travel through 3 different time zones is exhausting.
However, I really liked when the families wanted to talk all night long. As much as wanted to go to sleep, I really enjoyed speaking with them. It was interesting to see how other people know the Lord. How they praise Him, and the faith that each of them possessed. It was very refreshing and helped me reshape my faith. I felt like the Lord was at work every where we went and we could feel it.
Especially, the night we went to the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission. I went in absolutely terrified. I didn't really know what to expect or how to deal with the situations presented to us. I felt uneasy and unsure of how to react. And once people began filing in and taking seats, I felt like those feelings got progressively worse. But once we started singing, I realized everything was in the Lord's hands. I needed to be still and know that He is God, and He was protecting us and using us to touch the people there.
I think the moment that touched me the most was after we sang the song Grace. We began singing Amazing Grace and the people watching joined in with us. I had never cried at a concert before that point. And it just felt like I viewed everything differently. We all had those words in common. We all had been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ dying on the cross. We all have sinned in different ways, but we are all equal, we've been washed as white as snow.
The bus rides were pretty awesome as well. We got rather close to everyone. Since we were combined in such a tiny space for two weeks. Not a lot of moving around happened. But when it did, it sometimes became permanent. I started with a seat all my own. But I was soon invaded and I understand now that was for good.
I tried to invest a lot of time in the other girls and I hope that I blessed some of their lives as much as they blessed mine. Especially Kira, Aly, and Star. Those girls made huge impacts on me. Showing me their compassion, kindness, and love for God. I grew so close to them, and they definitely helped me grow over the course of tour. We bonded, and just kinda meshed together. I miss each of them so very much. But I know that the three of them are lasting friendships that I hope to carry.
Women's Choir Tour was an amazing experience. I grew a lot the past two years, spiritually and vocally. Women's Choir was a joyful and safe place. I'm still a bit sad about not being able to continue it next year. I'm crossing my fingers for second semester. But that's TBD. Regardless the experience I've had in Women's Choir will be something I cherish forever. :]
I didn't have a very good attitude at the beginning of tour. I mean two weeks on the road with I don't know how many women? That's enough estrogen to drive a girl mad. Plus I had already been out for a week, so I felt teased and cheated by summer. Summer had lied to me. It wanted to get me excited only to bring me down.
I was dead wrong. Tour had to be the best thing ever. Get up early, sleep on the bus, eat lunch, sleep on the bus again, curl my hair, set up a bass amp, eat dinner, put on a dress, sing for the Lord, get paired up with girls I sort of knew and families I didn't know, get chummy for the night, and then repeat it all over again. I mean who wouldn't kill for a life like that?!
And believe me, a couple of days like that and BAM! Attitude altered. Tour quickly became extremely great. We got to meet so many great families! I heard so many touching stories and testimonies. And each night was a new surprise. Some hosts were extremely hospitable and wanted to know our life stories. While others were more reserved, chatted for a little while and then sent us off to bed because I mean two weeks of travel through 3 different time zones is exhausting.
However, I really liked when the families wanted to talk all night long. As much as wanted to go to sleep, I really enjoyed speaking with them. It was interesting to see how other people know the Lord. How they praise Him, and the faith that each of them possessed. It was very refreshing and helped me reshape my faith. I felt like the Lord was at work every where we went and we could feel it.
Especially, the night we went to the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission. I went in absolutely terrified. I didn't really know what to expect or how to deal with the situations presented to us. I felt uneasy and unsure of how to react. And once people began filing in and taking seats, I felt like those feelings got progressively worse. But once we started singing, I realized everything was in the Lord's hands. I needed to be still and know that He is God, and He was protecting us and using us to touch the people there.
I think the moment that touched me the most was after we sang the song Grace. We began singing Amazing Grace and the people watching joined in with us. I had never cried at a concert before that point. And it just felt like I viewed everything differently. We all had those words in common. We all had been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ dying on the cross. We all have sinned in different ways, but we are all equal, we've been washed as white as snow.
The bus rides were pretty awesome as well. We got rather close to everyone. Since we were combined in such a tiny space for two weeks. Not a lot of moving around happened. But when it did, it sometimes became permanent. I started with a seat all my own. But I was soon invaded and I understand now that was for good.
I tried to invest a lot of time in the other girls and I hope that I blessed some of their lives as much as they blessed mine. Especially Kira, Aly, and Star. Those girls made huge impacts on me. Showing me their compassion, kindness, and love for God. I grew so close to them, and they definitely helped me grow over the course of tour. We bonded, and just kinda meshed together. I miss each of them so very much. But I know that the three of them are lasting friendships that I hope to carry.
Women's Choir Tour was an amazing experience. I grew a lot the past two years, spiritually and vocally. Women's Choir was a joyful and safe place. I'm still a bit sad about not being able to continue it next year. I'm crossing my fingers for second semester. But that's TBD. Regardless the experience I've had in Women's Choir will be something I cherish forever. :]
Monday, June 6, 2011
Day 6 - Doctor WHO?
Since I have buried myself within the online community that is YouTube, I've run into a plethora of YouTubers obsessed with the show Doctor Who. I consider myself to be one of those people. Although, I'm not as caught up as I could be. I did buy a shirt though. haha.
I discovered Doctor Who last summer and I immediately fell in love with the series. I of course, did not go all the way back to the black-and-white ages, but rather stuck to the more modern episodes.
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television program. The show is basically about the adventures of a mysterious, time traveling alien known as The Doctor. With his TARDIS and companions, he travels through time and space, faces a variety of foes and saves civilizations, helping people and righting wrongs. [This explanation, not my own. That of wikipedia. But it did an awfully good job].
I've been pretty much spending all of my time so far this summer [when I'm not working or Skyping] catching up to the current series. I'm almost there! But it was brought to my attention that I missed out on various Christmas specials along the way. Thanks, Netflix.
I would desperately love to be The Doctor's next companion because I mean who wouldn't want the ability to travel through all of space and time. And I mean have you seen the man. With each regeneration he gets even more attractive! Especially Mr. David Tennant. He can be my Doctor any day!
But anyways this was just a drawn out explanation of why tonight's blog will be EXTRA short and lacking of content.
BECAUSE I LOVE DOCTOR WHO AND I MUST CATCH UP!
Allons-y! ;]
I discovered Doctor Who last summer and I immediately fell in love with the series. I of course, did not go all the way back to the black-and-white ages, but rather stuck to the more modern episodes.
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television program. The show is basically about the adventures of a mysterious, time traveling alien known as The Doctor. With his TARDIS and companions, he travels through time and space, faces a variety of foes and saves civilizations, helping people and righting wrongs. [This explanation, not my own. That of wikipedia. But it did an awfully good job].
I've been pretty much spending all of my time so far this summer [when I'm not working or Skyping] catching up to the current series. I'm almost there! But it was brought to my attention that I missed out on various Christmas specials along the way. Thanks, Netflix.
I would desperately love to be The Doctor's next companion because I mean who wouldn't want the ability to travel through all of space and time. And I mean have you seen the man. With each regeneration he gets even more attractive! Especially Mr. David Tennant. He can be my Doctor any day!
But anyways this was just a drawn out explanation of why tonight's blog will be EXTRA short and lacking of content.
BECAUSE I LOVE DOCTOR WHO AND I MUST CATCH UP!
Allons-y! ;]
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Day 5 - I want to travel!
Today, I had a Skype call with two of my good friends, Lizzie and Samuel. Lizzie is from Florida and Samuel is from England. We were discussing and getting excited about the plans for VidCon at the end of this next month.
This conversation naturally sparked up talk of what we will do, what we will see, and what we'll eat, which also led into another about where we're from especially Samuel. Lizzie and I, having grown up in America, definitely want to travel the world and see all of the places outside of the United States. England being a very large one.
Everything across the pond seems so enchanting. Big Ben, Stonehenge, The Eiffel Tower, The Colosseum, Sydney Opera House and so many more glorious, awe-inspiring landmarks and landscapes.
I'm a junior in college and currently live in southern California. At this moment I need to either study abroad or save up lots of money in order to get myself across the Atlantic. But I feel like I'm not going to be getting there any time soon. At least not until after graduation, and even then, I have no idea how I'll get there.
I think for the most part I'd rather just get myself out of my comfort zone. Out of where I know. Over winter break, I flew across the country to Albany, NY and stayed with friends in New York and Pennsylvania, and I honestly had the time of my life. There was so much new and unknown. And it was quiet lovely.
I want more of it! I want to be able to just go and not have to worry about everything else. I want to learn the stories behind why that house is missing a window, and who carved their initials into that tree. I want stories to tell and share. I want to experience what I never thought possible. I want more leisure and play time to find out what everything means.
I luckily was able to experience some of that in the first half of May. Women's Choir tour took me on so many adventures, through so many states in the span of two weeks. I felt like each night was a new story, a new family, and a new song to sing. I'm really going to miss that.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Day 4 - The Internet isn't so scary
I was taught the Internet was a scary place. That I shouldn't share any of my information with anyone. And if I did, I needed to be VERY careful. But it seems that as I grew up, things changed. Social networking sites changed that. These sites wanted you to talk about yourself. To share your information with others, and to socialize with friends, family, and even strangers.
However, considering it's now 2011, nearly six years later, the account is still in good use for the most part. (Except for the fact it has almost been a month since I posted my last video. I should really get on that). Regardless the account is still alive and kicking.
I never thought that account would lead me anywhere. Video Blogging? Me? Camera? Talking? Naah. That's not my thing. I'm a writer. If I'm going to be blogging it might as well be through writing. But that's not entirely the case. I mean, I'm blogging right now, but that's not the point. Vlogging should not have been my thing, but it's become a large part of my life.
I now have friends in numerous places around the world. Me? How did this even happen? Honestly, I have no idea. I don't know why currently 337 even care about what I have to say. But I think of it as an accomplishment. I never thought I was going to break 10 let alone 300, but it happened.
And I'm glad. Some of my closest friends I've met through the Internet. My best friend lives in Northern California. I just got home from hanging out with a friend that lives 40 minutes away. We live 40 minutes apart, and without meeting on YouTube I doubt we'd even know who the other is. I visited friends I made in New York and Pennsylvania over winter break. And a whole lot of us from various parts of the world will be getting together at the end of July in LA to hangout with one another at VidCon.
I'm not sure what exactly got me into this whole vlogging deal. But whatever it was, I'm so grateful. Because without it, I wouldn't have the beautiful life I'm currently living. So much influence from all aspects of life, and I just adore it. :]
Friday, June 3, 2011
Day 3 - Too connected?
I have Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Dailybooth, Etsy, Tumblr, Skype, Hulu, etc. The list of social networking/ Internet sites I currently am a member of goes on and on, sometimes I cannot even remember them all and just tack on an etc. at the end to describe that.
And I mean I love these sites, they help me stay connected to the world. Which as a journalist I need to be. But sometimes I wonder if I am too connected. I feel like if someone decided to launch an experiment of the best way to get ahold of me, they would not even need my cell phone number to accomplish this.
Now most of the time this does not bother me at all. I have an iPhone 4 which gives me access to all of these sites 24/7. If someone comments on my Facebook wall, I know the second it has been posted. If someone tweets at me, I get a text message and a twitter notification. If someone comments on a video I made, I get an email. Everything is connected to that silly, little device.
This makes me feel like I should take a step back. Maybe reevaluate my connections. Should I make it harder for someone to grab my attention?
I should make people dig deeper to get to know the real me. But I don't put all my information out there. I don't consider everyone who follows me on Twitter or is friends with me on Facebook, etc. one of my close friends. My close friends are the ones who talk to me on a daily basis. Who go around my tweets and status updates. The ones who actually converse and interact with me.
Is my Internet usage ridiculously out of control? I don't think so. I don't spend ALL of my time browsing the Internet. Should I make friends with people through the Internet? Of course, I know so much more than I did before I made a YouTube account.
I like being connected to everything. But when the power goes out, and my battery dies, what will I do?
Many of my friends have said I couldn't survive without my cell phone. I don't think I'm too addicted. But maybe I am . . .I don't think it's entirely a bad thing. I like to think myself well-informed.
Am I kidding myself?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Day 2 - Silence is Golden, Seriously
According to dictionary.com, silence is the absence of any sound or noise; stillness.
You might like silence, I know I do. Noise distracts me and keeps me from focusing on the task that needs to be completed. Now this isn't entirely true, noise can also keep me occupied in other situations. Such as getting to know others or just having a nice conversation in between classes, so on and so forth.
But when I need to study, silence is great. I can deal with silence. Silence helps me reflect, recollect my thoughts, and concentrate. Which is good for me.
HOWEVER, I don't know about you, but even though I enjoy silence now and again, I pretty much hate it. Now I don't want to get all contradictory on myself here now, but silence is not my friend. Especially when it takes place between myself and others. To put it simply silence stresses me out.
I am a naturally shy person around people I don't know. My close friends don't recall this upon meeting me, but once they introduce me to their friends they soon realize it as the truth. I am one shy girl and I feel like that makes me socially awkward.
I mean I know how to communicate and carry my way through a conversation. I'm a Journalism and Media major for Pete's sake. I NEED to know how to communicate. However, when it's not related to Journalism or my job in any way and flip like a fish out of water.
Communication is difficult for me because I convey myself best through the written word. I mean can't you tell? My blog is entertaining! At least I hope it is . . . ha.
But returning to the stress of silence issue, I can't handle it. When there is an "awkward silence" if you will, my mind is driven crazy. What do I talk about? What do I say? What are they thinking? Am I too boring for them to talk to? Do they not like me? Is our conversation irrelevant to them? And the list of questions goes on and on.
However, as I'm writing this I am currently sitting through a silent conversation. I hear my fingers typing away at the keyboard and I can hear my good friend, Ev's clicks of his mouse on the other side of our silent Skype call.
I mention this because it's a remarkable thing. Ev and I discussed a photograph I posted on my tumblr a couple days ago. The photograph reads "True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable."
Now this is a curious case. Because it caused me to realize, I don't have a problem with silence between my close friends and I. Silence can be okay. Silence does not need to be filled with meaningful conversations when the two or more parties don't require it.
My best friend Natalie and I spend hours on Skype calls doing homework and even surfing the web in silence. Sometimes we don't even realize it. Numerous times I have gotten up from my desk without even notifying her of my absence and gotten a sandwich or blow dried my hair. And we don't think it's weird in the slightest, we are just so comfortable with one another that the silence doesn't bother us at all.
And because of this I can say that I enjoy having Ev on a silent Skype call as I type this blog and I don't feel the least bit awkward. And I can name quite a few others who I do the exact same thing with. These people are my good friends, and I wouldn't have a better silence with anyone else. :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Operation: Blog Every Day In June
I really finished school for the summer back in the end of April, but Women's Choir consumed my life for two weeks starting the day after graduation. As of last Tuesday, I was released for my practically 4 months of summer vacation. Woot! Woot!
For the last two previous summers I have worked customer service at my father's print shop. However, this summer I am taking a different route. Instead of answering phones and dealing with rude customers, I'm working web for the newspaper at the university I attend.
Seeing as I'll only be working Mondays and Wednesdays, I've found myself in a bit of a slump. I have a plethora of time on my hands. And while I enjoy this, I also loathe it. It's great when my friends decide to plan a spontaneous beach trip or just want to hang out and watch movies. However, the other 85% of the time I have nothing.
I feel like I should dedicate this time to more things than just staying up late, sleeping in, and watching the entire series collection of various interesting shows. I've looked and contemplated on what to do with myself, and I feel like one of those projects should be getting back into writing. And seeing as I am a bit of a social networking fiend, I think the best way to do so, is just to blog every day in June.
Now this could go further, maybe even blog every day, summer 2011. But I feel like I just need to take baby steps at the moment. Although, I won't be busy, I can guarantee excuses will be made to why I shouldn't blog. And that is not where I want to end up.
So here's to blogging every day in June. *raises water bottle full of water* [I'm nineteen, chillax] ;)
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