Alaska

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while; I was in Alaska!

I went on a cruise to Alaska for a week. Some people may think that going on a cruise to Alaska is the last thing they would want to do. Why go to the land of snow and tundra (also known as the last frontier) when you can go to the Bahamas or the Caribbean and rot in the sun?

I'll explain why you should pick Alaska over any warm place in the world. Let's be honest here, you will be able to go to the beach almost anywhere warm. To be honest, beaches are nothing new or unique (discounting those that are, like the black sand beaches in Hawaii). However, in Alaska you can see glaciers among other amazing things, including bears, whales, porpoises, bald eagles, etc. You may say that you don't care about seeing a giant piece of ice, but if you think about it, that giant piece of ice may disappear before your children get to see it, so why go sit on a beach and rot away in the sun (and probably get skin cancer) when you can go see sights and smell smells you have never experienced before, and may never experience again?

If you say that you are "more of a rot in the warmth" kind of person; Alaska has something to offer you. Why sit in the sun on a beach when you can sit in the warmth of a hot tub under the cool beautiful Alaskan sky?

I mean, if you really want to go rot away on another beach wherever you go, do it, but if you want to experience life, go Alaska!

If my somewhat abrasive commentary did not lure you away from your spot on the beach, maybe these pictures will.

By no means am I an artist

After taking AP Art History, I've developed a new found love for arts and crafts. I went to Michael's and bought miniature canvases and have been obsessed with them! They are too much fun to paint, and they were super cheap too.

I decided not to paint any mammals. I am quite the amateur. Last time I tried to paint a dog it ended, let's just say, not so well. So, i painted a lady bug instead. I've had a pretty laid back day today; I just did some cleaning and attempted to paint. I have got to say, I quite enjoy the dandelion though. My painting adventure did not do a complete nosedive, I guess.

Thing that makes me happy #6

Wireless vacuums may actually be the best invention ever. They completely eliminate the need to maneuver around the cord and find an outlet.

Writer's Block

Every time I have something to write I have a problem, writer's block. For those of you folk who are unaware of what this is, it is the complete lack of any idea what to write about. I swear, I've been staring at a blank word document for about ten minutes now.

Needless to say, there are ways to combat writer's block.

First of all, read other people's writings or read some of your own. This will help you gather ideas about style and topics. Don't be dumb and plagiarize though.

Next, if you have been staring and thinking for a while, just take a break! Odds are, staring at a blank screen is not going to lead to a big epiphany if it hasn't already.

Thirdly, when you are taking your break, try to see things in a new light. Think about how you could incorporate the snack you are eating or the lamp on the table into your writing. Use your surroundings as inspiration.

When you finally decide that your break is over and you realize that you still have absolutely nothing to write about, do something else that is productive. Don't waste your time idling over a paper that isn't going to write itself.

Finally, when all else fails, write about writer's block.

Don't ever give up on writing. Whether that big epiphany comes when you need it to (the night before your paper is due) or later, make sure you write about it! One day your memory will be fading, but you can always remember momentous thoughts through your writings. Writer's block or not, never stop writing (even if you are writing about writer's block).

Organizational Woes

I finally decided that it was time to clean my closet, my bathroom, and my room. It was quite the daunting task indeed. I would post before pictures, but I wouldn't want to embarrass myself that much...

I finished my closet first so I'll show you guys some pictures!

For a lot of my inspiration, I went on Pintrest, to be honest. There were so many cool ideas! I probably spent a total of $20 reorganizing everything with help from tips on Pintrest. One of my favorite ideas was the ring plate idea. All you need is a sharpie and a dollar (plus tax). 

Instructions:

1. Buy a plate at the dollar store, easy enough.
2. Write a quote (or anything else you want on it) in any color sharpie
3. Bake it at like 150 degrees, and it'll never come off!

Quick Tip: if you mess up, use rubbing alcohol to take the sharpie off.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer (whether it is productive or not).

Chicago Chicago

I never realized, Chicago is, in every sense, a second city. It is just like a miniature New York. I went on a tour of the architecture of Chicago today, and if I had a dollar for every time our tour guide said, "This building was inspired by another building in New York City", I'd probably be able to build my own giant building. Millennium Park is just like a little Central Park, both surrounded by tall buildings. I can't exactly say which city I love more; however, I can say that the traffic is terrible in both (another commonality between the cities).

I can't wait to visit UChicago and Northwestern tomorrow! I'll be sure to tell all of you about my tours!

(As you can probably see, I am still fawning over my new camera)

US Highways

I was driving through South Chicago on the highway, but then the highway was closed halfway down the way we were supposed to be going. We ended up detouring through a small city.

I sometimes feel like the US highway system sometimes masks the inner city problems that we have. We drove through an area where there were few cars on the road, and ones that were on the road were decrepit and old. We all drive on the highways and freeways blazing by the problems this country faces. We never realize the problems that some people have to conquer.

I hope you decide to take a back road some day.

Motivation Dwindling

There are three days of school left. It feels like only yesterday I was walking into the doors for my first day of junior year. I've come a really long way though. I made it through more paper than my entire recycling bin can handle; I'm slowly attempting to throw all of my old notes away.

I think the mere fact that I am getting ready to end the year, throwing away notes and books, is devastating to my motivation. It took me so much effort just to bring my notebook inside; I have yet to actually open it. Instead, I'm sitting at my computer blogging away.

I guess you could say that I'm definitely ready for summer. I can't wait to be done with homework, at least for a while. I don't know how often I can say this, but I honestly can't wait to clean my room. I have more school stuff and AP books lying around that I know what to do with.

It might be high time to start doing homework now though. Good luck to all you who are still working through those last few days! I know you can do it (even if I can't).

Thing that makes me happy #5

I just got a brand new camera, and if you ask anyone, they will tell you that I am obsessed with it. I got the Sony Alpha 5N Camera, and it is absolutely amazing. I love how focused it can get on such tiny minuscule objects. I'm just a little bit concerned about breaking it... Fun fact about me: I drop everything. I'm trying to be careful with my new toy (camera) though.

Fun Fact #9

There are all sorts of really cool things you can do on Google:

1. If you search "tilt" or "askew" the whole page will tilt/go askew
2. If you search "zerg rush" a bunch of little o's will start eating your search results (you can kill them if you click on them)
3. If you search "do a barrel roll" well, that's what the page will do
4. There is Google in Pirate language

There are plenty more if you search for them as well!