Go Get Em', Tigers!

This is an inspirational speech that I wrote for my speech class during my senior year of high school. Although it is a graduation speech, it is directed towards the juniors who will soon be seniors! 

Juniors of Okoboji High School, I appreciate you coming out today to support your fellow classmates. Each one of you have made a special bond with an upperclassman that you’ll never forget, and neither will they. So thank you for coming. Now, I know it’s never on the top of anyone’s bucket list to listen to some girl give a speech, but I promise it’ll be over quick, just bare with me.

To start off, we must recognize Okoboji’s class of 2014; they worked their butts off for twelve years in order to graduate with their friends. Some of these friends have been with them since kindergarten, some of them just a few years, but they are all friends none the less. Whether you are graduating as valedictorian or just barely passing government, you did it; congratulations seniors! As many before me have said, the world is your oyster, Carpe Diem, take the road less traveled by, live as if you’ll die today, go get em’ tiger!

Now, as for the juniors… I have a slightly different message for you all today. You have worked your butts off, as well, for eleven years, and although that’s incredible, keep it up… you’re not done. You’ve still got one more year left and you’ve got to make it count! Many students make it to their senior year and believe they can simply coast through their classes and mess around, but that’s not at all the case. In fact, it’s the opposite… no, you don't want to stress yourself out to the point of an “early life crisis”, but you’ve got to work hard and finish out your high school career strong! You should all do this both in your studies and in yourself as a member of Okoboji High School.

Let me explain. First off, your studies are important, so please don’t give up now. Trust me, college’s don’t look at your grades and say, “Well your grades all look good, except for these D’s here… oh wait, I’m sorry, that’s your senior year. Forget about it, here’s a full ride to Harvard!” Sorry, but it doesn’t happen like that. You’ve got to keep working hard. Oh, and for your information, senioritis isn’t a myth; it does happen. It’s a very serious disease and it’s contagious. But don’t panic, there’s medication. It’s called a couple studying pills and a health dose of reality. I know that lectures can be boring sometimes, and your desk looks really comfy for a good nap at 10:30 in the morning… or 2 pm, but you’re gonna need what you learn someday. Simone Elkeles, a young adult author, once said “Problem is, the bathroom pass can't help you escape life. It's still there when you come out. Problems and crap don't go away hiding in the can.” And she’s right! Make the most out of your high school experience, because no matter how much you want it to go away, you need high school; you’ll learn valuable life skills, make friends, and start to find out who you are. Just know that working hard will push you onto bigger and better things!

Second, each of you students represents a part of Okoboji High School, so do it proud! You juniors will soon be seniors, the top dogs, king of the hill. The freshman and the other underclassmen look up to you and they need positive role models. Christopher Reeve, once said, “What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and maturity to use the power wisely…” Follow Superman’s lead and use your power wisely. Forget this seniority thing, yes, it’s nice to eat first at lunch, but if someone needs help, don’t make their situations more difficult by pushing them under the bus because they are younger, help em out! Don’t make enemies by starting drama or talking about others in any negative ways. What’s the point? Just focus on you. Don’t make a fool of yourself for attention so you can get everyone in the school to like you, it’s not worth it! Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself, and a little less time trying to impress people. Have enough self-respect and confidence that you can be your own person and allow underclassmen to look up to you and your elders to see you as a valued member of society.

What’s popular isn’t always right. What’s right isn’t always popular. You’ve got to decide for yourselves if you’re going to do the right things, make healthy decisions, and move on to endure the rest of your adventurous, fulfilling life, or coast through as the most popular kid at school, with high school as possibly the peak of your life. The second option may seem better right now, but in the long run, doing the right thing will pay off big! When you go to your ten year reunion, no one will look back and define you by what clothes you were wearing, who you were friends, or what you did to be popular; but, they might just define you by what you said to people and how you treated others. Take risks, be nice, and be yourself.

Look at that, just five minutes of your time. That wasn’t so bad, right? So please, just remember, you students have the authority now, use it wisely. Don’t slack off and ruin your senior year by catching senioritis, and don’t ruin the underclassmen high school experiences with poor quality role models. This is your senior year, make the most of it, and go get em, tigers. This is your year!

Hidden Beauty

This is a short story that I wrote for my college comp class... it isn't the best story, but writing it made me really happy so I thought I'd share it with you all!

Hidden Beauty

One hundred and two years ago, there was a magical place not so far, far away that was inhabited by thousands of dragons. These dragons came in all shapes and sizes; there were big ones with blue spots, and small ones with yellow spots. There were tall ones with short tails and short ones with long tails. Some dragons could fly and some could swim, some could breath fire and some could breath ice. All of these dragons lived their lives very contentedly and roamed the Iowa cornfields day after day.

A small chubby man with a long white beard named Pete owned all of these dragons; every day he would go out to the cornfields where they lived and feed them, bathe them, and play with them. He was a sweet man, but rather bitter at the world. Everyone he met saw his wonderful dragons only as dangerous creatures, so he saw people as only rude, close minded, and arrogant. He felt he was the only one that truly saw the subtle beauty in the world.

One day, Pete went out to the cornfields to check on the dragons, but they were no where to be found; thousands of dragons were just up and gone. Pete knew something was wrong, so he searched high and low for days to find them. Finally, he came across a group of tall, rugged men with stubble on their jaw lines and hair under their arms. They were filthy, smelly, and mean-looking, but Pete thought he’d approach them anyway in order to perhaps obtain information on the whereabouts of his dragons.

“Hello, men. Would you by chance have seen some dragons go by? There were quite a lot of them; they’d be kind of hard to miss,” said Pete, trying to pull off his kindest voice. Pete was not an aggressive man. In fact, he was a pacifist, a kind hearted man who avoided conflict as much as possible.

“Are you Pete the Dragon Keeper?” boomed one of the men.

Pete was slightly overwhelmed by his shapely chin, large forehead, and loud vocal cords, but he calmly replied, “Yes, sir. I am, indeed.“

“We have your dragons. There is to be a Renaissance Faire built upon the grounds, and we can’t have your dragons causing trouble. We will send them to your land immediately; you have until dawn tomorrow to rid the land of the pests,” expressed one of the men. They rode off into the heat, where mirages made the road look like an ocean. Pete was devastated, but understood there wasn’t anything he could do to stop them. He knew that the dragons were gentle and loving, but he couldn’t have his dragons aggravated by small children poking them and taunting them; he was afraid it would end it the digestion of an entire Renaissance Faire. He believed dragons to be sweet creatures and didn’t want them portrayed any other way, so it was clear to him what he needed to do.

Pete lived in a deep ditch, off the border of the cornfields. When Pete arrived home, all of the dragons were waiting for him, oblivious to their future. The robust men had brought each dragon back in large cages on top of wagons. Pete rummaged in his tool shed for a bit, and found a large tranquilizer dart with poison that could eliminate his problem peacefully. He managed to round up all of the dragons, held his breath, aimed, and fired. One by one, the dragons hearts stopped, Pete’s heart broke, and the deed was done. After he buried each one of his beloved dragons, he realized there was still one left, but no more poison, simply a tranquilizer dart that would put the dragon to sleep. This dragon’s name was Penelope. She was a large purple dinosaur with yellow and green spots. Penelope was very young, and she couldn’t yet breathe fire nor breathe ice. All she wanted to do was play, and she told Pete that with her large, kind eyes. Pete pondered her situation for a while and could think of only one reasonable solution. He hurried out to the middle of the corn field and dug a humongous hole in the ground. Then, he went back to his land and stuck poor Penelope with his tranquilizer dart; she gently fell to the ground. Pete bought an oversize-load, times two truck and used it to take Penelope out to the hole in the corn field. He buried her in the ground, smoothed out the soil, and left her to sleep. Penelope would be Pete promised himself he would wake her up when he found her a new home.

The next day, the Renaissance Faire had indeed been built. Every day, Pete would walk out of his house onto his land to stare out to where his corn field used to be. What was once his corn field was now simply used for small children to acquire facial paintings, cotton candy, and swords. He couldn’t stand watching them play all over poor Penelope as she lay asleep under the ground, but he didn’t have any other choice. A year later, Pete still hadn’t found Penelope a suitable home. He was starting to lose hope, when he saw a little girl at the Renaissance Faire looking at a large stuffed dragon. This dragon was purple with yellow and green spots, just like Penelope. The little girl was trying to convince her mom to let her buy a pet dragon just like stuffed one! She couldn’t think of anything that would make her happier than having a pet dragon like that one. Pete listened closely to see what the mother would say.

“No sweetheart, Dragon’s are scary. They breathe fire and ice, eat people and terrorize villages; they’re just too dangerous!” she replied.

“No they aren’t!” shouted the little girl back at her mother. She was small, but mighty! “They are beautiful! Some are big with blue spots, and some are small ones with yellow spots. Some are tall with short tails and some are short with long tails. Some can fly and some can swim, some can breath fire and some can breath ice, but they are all loving creatures that just want to play!”

Pete couldn’t handle it; he was furious with the mother, yet amazed by the small girl’s bravery and free spirit. After years of bitterness, he had to confront her! He hurried over to the Renaissance Faire to talk to the little girl before it was too late.

“Hello,” said Pete, as calmly and sweetly as he could. “I saw you looking at that stuffed dragon. Do you like dragons?”

“Oh yes, I love dragons! I want one so badly!” exclaimed the small girl.

“What is your name, dear child?” questioned Pete. He was in awe at her enthusiasm.

“Princess Pat! See my crown? My mommy bought it for me here at the fair. We sailed across the Seven Seas and the Channel, too, just to come look at the stuffed dragons! One day I’m going to live in a castle with thousands of dragons! I like to imagine feeding them, playing with them, even bathing them! What’s your name, Mister?” exclaimed the little girl.

Pete thought his struggles were over. If he could convinced the Princess’s mother that her daughter was right, and that dragons were really incredible pets, she would be the perfect person to take care of dear Penelope.

“My name is Pete, Princess. Ya know, I happen to have a dragon. A real one. Would you like to meet her?” asked Pete.

“Really? Oh wow, Pete, I’d love to! But I can’t, my mom won’t let me around dragons,” said the little girl.

“Let me talk to her,” said Pete. With his kind heart, and open mind, Pete discussed Penelope with the little girl’s mother for hours. After lots of arguing and smiling, yelling and laughing, she gave her daughter permission to meet Penelope.

So, one fall at midnight, Pete, Princess Pat, and her mother went out to the Renaissance Faire to dig Penelope out of the ground. She was sleeping soundly, and she hadn’t grown much. Pete tickled her wings and scales until she woke up. The happy dragon woke up and flew circles around Pete. Holding back tears, he explained to Penelope that the Princess would be taking care of her now, and she would have a wonderful home where she could run and play. She nuzzled Pete a little, and flew over to the Princess and her mother. The princess was ecstatic! As Pete turned to leave, she grabbed his shoulder to give him a long, skinny rod that looked much like an ordinary stick. It was obviously hand made, for it was poorly put together and messy, but there was still something quite lovely about it; it was much more colorful that any ordinary stick Pete had ever seen.

“Here,” said Princess Pat, “I call it a rickabamboo. I made it! It’s red, and gold, and purple too! I use it to calm down my pet dragons when they can’t sleep. Well, my imaginary ones. They like to look at the colors.”

Choking back tears, Pete simply said, “Thank you, Princess. You take care of Penelope now, okay? I promise, I will never forget you.”

“Penelope? Okay, Pete! I’ll take good care of Penelope! You take good care of my rickabamboo!” declared Princess Pat.

“I will cherish it forever,” said Pete in a very quiet, content voice. Pete watched them ride off into the sunset across the Seven Seas and Channel, too; Princess Pat and her mother rode on their ship with Penelope flying close behind. The beauty Pete saw in the world had been passed on to another and his spirit was lifted. He realized that maybe there were more positive people in the world than he thought, and he vowed to always keep that rickabamboo close to his heart.

Because I'm Happy...

Count your age by friends, not years; count your life by smiles, not tears. - John Lennon

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy- it's all that matters. - Audrey Hepburn

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi 

Here goes nothing...

OH HEY WAIT! Click Here If You Want To Be Happy and Smile, Too!

1. Music.

2. My Puppy, Elsie the Cow.

3. My Lovely Mother.

4. Getting an Education.

5. Chips and Guacamole, Almond Paste and Scottish Brownies, Ice Cream and Salads, Food!

6.  Laughing

7. Comedians

8. Sleep

7. Vacuuming

8. Driving

9. Camp Foster and My CF Family

10. My Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Loved Ones.

11. Making Friends.

12. Playing Pool and Ping-Pong

13. Swimming

14. Dancing, Zumba, and Yoga.

15. Small Children.

16. Not So Small Children.

17. Speaking Spanish.

18. Helping People. 

17. Turtles, Horses, Snakes, Kittens, Puppies, and Monkeys.

18. Technology.

19. Water.

20. Shooting Range.

21. James and James's Family.

22. Art, Especially Hispanic Paintings.

23. Alice in Wonderland.

24. Disney and Pixar.

25. Big Bang Theory, HIMYM, Rules of Engagement, House, Orange is the New Black, Breaking Bad.

26. Tumblr, Pinterest, and Blogger.

27. Snapchat.

28. Keeping a Beat.

29. Writing. 

30. My Dear Jack.

31. Playing Tag.

32. Playing GaGa. 

33. Life guarding.

34. Thoughts of the Future.

35. Mrs. Wynette Moore.

36. All of my Wonderful Teachers.

37. Babysitting.

38. Bleys.
39. Talking.

40. Stories and Fairy tales. 

41. My Loyal Friends.

42. Sun.

43. Challenges.

44. Board Games and Card Games.

45. Smiles.

46. Warm Hugs.

47. Cuddling.

48. Sweaters and Leggings.

49. Other People's Happiness

50. Me.

There is so much more I could add to this list, but off the top of my head... there are 50 things that truly make me happy.

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. - Ernest Hemingway 

(Thankfully, i'm one in a million.)

Reaction to Steve Job's Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs's commencement speech was simply incredible. I believe his speech easily appealed to any audience member, including both those who were there and those who watched via Stanford News or Youtube, like myself. I agree with each one of the points he made through his three personal stories, but I believe one point that he made is the most important. In his speech, Jobs said that everyone should focus on doing what they love; he believed that that was one of the key’s to his success. I have been trying to live my life like that since I was in middle school; I truly do trust in his philosophy. When I was younger and still trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would tell myself… have a career that you would do for free, if money wasn't a factor. That is why I work at a nonprofit camp. I only get paid three dollars an hour, but I adore my job and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I hope to spend the rest of my working life with a job I adore, just like Jobs did. Though Jobs did not graduate from college, he was still an incredibly successful, well known man, who has definitely influenced billions of lives. Listening to Jobs give a commencement speech like this had more of an affect on me than some speeches, I believe, because I could relate to him in some ways, like him wanting to focus on classes that interest him, and he obviously knew what he was talking about. I believe Jobs was an astounding man and influenced the lives of many greatly by giving his know-how of success to the world. If you would like to be inspired by his commencement speech as well, click here.

What Teachers Really Need To Hear: A Reaction to What Students Really Need To Hear by C. Mielke

What Teachers Really Need To Hear: A Reaction to What Students Really Need To Hear by C. Mielke

Dear Teachers Everywhere,

I am going to assume that C. Mielke spoke for all teachers when he wrote his article “What Students Really Need To Hear”. So, for those of you who are doing your jobs and losing sleep over us students, thank you. I am truly indebted to you.

As a senior in highschool, I have been taught by many different teachers in my life, through two different school districts and online college classes. Some of these teachers have helped me to realize my potential and keep me motivated. I am looking forward to the future! Some of these teachers, on the other hand, have not. So for those of you who are doing your jobs and influencing your students in positive ways, thank you. Now, let’s look at Mr. C. Mielke’s article in more depth.

In the first part of his article, C. Mielke is telling students that teacher’s lose sleep over us at night because they worry and care about us. I would like to again, thank you, and also let you know that as students, we do the same thing. I can’t say that we care about your futures in the same way you care about ours, but we do care and we do appreciate you! Now, because I can’t speak for all students, I will stick to referring to myself for a moment.

I lose sleep thinking about making you satisfied and proud. I lose sleep thinking I am not living up to your standards. There is a lot of pressure on students; when I have outstanding teachers, I feel as if I need to be just as outstanding, which can be a little overwhelming sometimes. But, don’t worry, it’s a good feeling knowing I am are working hard for such amazing people. So thank you for fatiguing me.

Next, I’d like to point out that students also lose a lot of sleep because of the career we have. As long as you have careers as teachers, we have careers as students; we both have jobs to do. Us students are expected to do our homework every night plus study, participate in extracurricular activities, eat well balanced meals, keep good hygiene, have social lives, and get good amounts of sleep. Unfortunately, the good amounts of sleep thing doesn’t always happen. I know you expect a lot out of us and believe in us, but sometimes we need a break. It is hard being a kid, and even harder to be a student. As hard as we try, we can’t always live up to all of the expectations… but know when we come to school exhausted and fall asleep at our desks, it’s just because we are trying so hard to be successful. (Oh, and thanks for not letting us get away with it.)

Moving on. C. Mielke points out the fact that school is about a lot more than academics. For instance, he sees school as a learning opportunity for dealing with harsh situations and adversity. I’d like to say that I totally agree, and that is one of the hardest lessons of all! If overcoming adversity was a school subject that students were graded on, I’m not sure many people would pass. It’s hard! Thankfully, students see you and how positively you see life and that makes us want to keep trudging on and working hard! As long as you keep doing your jobs, we’ll keep doing ours. Every once in a while we may need a little pick me up, a little kick in the butt… but we’ll get the message after a bit. And for the students that you see “quitting”, please understand that the adversities you talk about are indeed difficult and sometimes just too much for our poor teenage minds. Just remember that you guys are miracle workers and your passion and drive for teaching can help get us back on our feet!

Everyone learns a little differently and everyone has different circumstances they have to work around, but if you can adapt to us a little, we can adapt to them! Kind of like… I scratch your back, you scratch mine? Well, maybe it’s not quite the same, but you get the picture! Either way, we can all work together,students and teachers, to make each year of education a rewarding experience for everyone! You guys are all doing an incredible thing by caring about us, and not giving up; that’s what we need, someone to keep us in check!

Oh, one more thing. Students don’t just see you as teachers, but much more than that. You are nurturers, seconds mothers and second fathers, coaches, friends, leaders, role models, guides, motivators, clowns, lawyers, doctors, the occasional prison guard, geniuses, miracle workers, dancers and singers, warriors, and most of all our sidekicks, because without you, we wouldn’t be on the paths to greatness. As much as you bring us stress, we put it back on you, and yet you still give us comic relief during the day and love throughout our academic careers.

So I’d like to thank you again, for being there for us students. Those of you who truly have a passion for teaching and care about us, are real heroes. You all deserve raises.

With gratitude,

Grace

A future teacher

Race: A Blackout Poem

I am of a black father and a white mother. 

I identify as I am viewed.

I am proud.

Yet, racial identity is a matter among arguments.

It means choice. 

It is not observations of skin. 

The portraits and photographs direct narrow stereotypes that divide us. 

A matter of choice in legal standards.

In time, one's sole and blood. 

The series of assumptions made about race by others have power. 

The portraits, the faces, colors and stories define society. 

Soundtrack of my Life

My life has been full of surprises, both good and bad. Thankfully, music has always been right there by my side to let me wallow in my pain, rejoice in my jubilation, and all in all, express myself. Recently, I created a soundtrack of my life with songs that accurately illustrate events in my life that have made a huge impact on who I am today. I'd like to share a couple of those songs with you and tell you what they mean to me. For those of you who don't know me, they may seem rather bizarre out of context, but I promise... they all have meaning. Please, feel free to comment with questions about the songs I post. Also, if you find yourself curious about the rest of my life's soundtrack, let me know and perhaps we can go a little deeper into the life of the Girl Behind the Keyboard. For now, we will start with one rather dismal event from my early childhood and an event from my high school day's that gave me both hope and happiness. 

Enjoy, fellow bloggers.

"Warrior" by Demi Lovato

Click Here To Listen

My parents got a divorce three months before I was born; unfortunately, their divorce carried with them after I was born and their burdens were passed on to me. When I was three years old, my father lacked custody of me, which was not okay with him. I was only three years old and didn't really understand what was going on; my dad didn't have any custody of me, because he was “a bad man”. So he could I would live with him, he abducted me (taking me from Des Moines, Iowa to Berkeley, California); he took me after a T-ball game. The abduction landed me in a foster home with two twin boys and a little mermaid themed bed room. My father abused me before and during the abduction, and again when I was nine years old, after he gained joint custody of me. These many occurrences are one event in my mind and the song “Warrior” by Demi Lovato helps me to illustrate those events; these events affected me both physically and emotionally. Lovato sings, “All the pain and the truth, I wear like a battle wound. So ashamed, so confused; I was broken and bruised. Now i’m a warrior, now i’ve got thicker skin. I’m a warrior, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been”. I can relate to Lovato’s song through and through; from the pain to the strength, I really have become a warrior.


“Good Morning” by Mandisa

Click Here To Listen

I could go on and on about this event, but I will spare you by simply giving you the basic details. HOBY has been one of the most meaningful, eventful experiences of my life. HOBY is a leadership seminar that I had the privilege of attending when I was a sophomore in high school. I then became Okoboji's 2011-2012 HOBY Ambassador. I met a few hundred incredible people! I participated in service projects, listened to incredible motivational speakers, and realized that I had a role to fulfill in life and things were going to start looking up for me. I started to focus on my dreams, goals, and friends who were positive and could build me up. Good Morning was the first song that I went up on stage at HOBY to dance too! I had such an incredible time and I really did start looking towards Good Mornings!

Gratitude Evaporates Frustration

I'm thankful for...

The warm sun that shines down on me. 

The soothing chords in a melody.

The two human beings that gave me sweet life.

The fork I eat my food with, and to cut it, the knife.

The fatty meat, as well as the healthy greens. 

The gourmet meals and the pork and beans.

The nerves and senses that help keep me keen.

The personalities I see from the kind to the mean.

The computers and phones that help the future grow.

The wonderful books that let imagination show.

The small house I live in that is truly a home.

The big world I live in where I freely roam. 

I am thankful.

Where I'm From

I am from balloons, from Scamp, and Netflix.

I am from butterfly kisses and footie pajamas.

I am from a small, hectic, cluttered box.

I am from the sage and the sun, comforting and warm. I am from xes and os, nappy curls and slick Moroccan oil. From Mom and Dad; Omi and Cuckoo; GG and Val; and from Schoenthal and Williamson; Finley and Muse.

I am from the fights and confusion, the silly and the simple.

From “If she’s not there, she doesn't love you,” and “I will always love you”.

I am from trust and respect, from manipulation and fear, from here and there.

I am from spirit and soul, from hymns and bibles, from togetherness and inner peace.

I'm from the Caucasians and the Negroes, the peach, brown, and the gold. From Germany and Scotland, from the reservations and the African plains. I am from Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. I am from Tarzan and the Lion King.

I am from “What? I’m not eating that?” and “Wow, that’s good”. From the organic meals and beautiful gardens.

From the plane ride back from Cali, the Thomas the Tank suitcase, and the foster mom with the twin boys. From Chuck E Cheese, the twisted cousins, and so much noise. I am from the birthdays and Christmases, the weddings and funerals, the happiness and sorrow.

I am from the beat, the land, the music, the wonder.
I am from leadership, friendship, and support.
I am from the grateful and the thankful, from the blessed with beautiful life.

I am from passion and lack of judgment. I am from Disney and song.

I am from “Stop, Breath, Relax”, from the laughter and joy, from the family who will forever be one.

I am from anything but ordinary.

Hummingbird

I am a hummingbird. 

I am independent. 

I am bright. 

I am beautiful. 

I am unique. 

I am an individual.

I am a hummingbird.
Because,
Butterflies are too symmetrical.

The Girl Behind The Keyboard

Dear Fellow Bloggers,

My name is Grace. I am writing to you from a mystical land called Iowa, where Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter all occur within one week. If you don't mind, I would like to tell you a little about myself.

I will start off with the basics. As you now know, I reside in the state of Iowa. No, this does not make me a cowgirl. No, I don't ride a tractor to school. I am from Okoboji, land o' lakes (no, not the dairy products). I have a mother, a father, and a big brother; I also have a small dog named Elsie, the Cow. My favorite color is purple. I could eat tortilla chips and guacamole for the rest of my life and be quite happy. I don't generally like pop, but I love root beer floats. I love horses, monkeys, snakes, and kittens. I am easily startled. In Christopher Robin's World... I am Tigger. Some people consider me a social butterfly, but I prefer a social hummingbird. I am highly energetic and fun loving, yet I have strong morals and big goals and dreams.

Along with those little details, I'd like you to know I am attending the University of Northern Iowa in the Fall of 2014. I will be majoring in Elementary Education to become a teacher and eventually expand my education to help me become a leadership consultant/motivational speaker. I have a passion for children and strive to influence them in positive ways. Also, I hope to one day write a book.

There is so much more I could tell you about myself, Fellow Bloggers, but then nothing would be a surprise. There would be no mystery, no stories, no writing. Therefore, I hope you will keep up on my posts to learn more about me.

Until then,
Peace, Love, and Happiness from,

The Girl Behind The Keyboard