anahorvath.com

Category: Life

  • Senioritis is Kicking in Hard and It’s Not Even Winter Break Yet

    So finally Thanksgiving Break is upon us and I couldn’t be happier. School has been wonderful so far, I just always feel the desire to not do anything. Lately, I’ve really just been wanting to sleep and if I have homework that’s due but not due the next day, I typically don’t do it. I’m still working super hard in classes and my grades are the best they’ve ever been, it’s just that I’m pretty sure senioritis is upon me.

    I’ve already applied to the four colleges I’m looking at and I’ve been accepted into three of the four (still waiting to hear back from the last one). So at this point, it’s just the scholarship applications, yay?! Those are honestly, so much more work than I expected, but that’s okay. I’ve already written so many college essays and additional essays and stories about my life and extracurricular activities, that this feels like nothing. But I just wanna be done! Done with all of the writing and the stress that comes with it. That’s senioritis for ya.

    All I can think about is going off to college next year and what it will be like living without my family. I plan on only going to college about an hour’s drive away from my home, but the thought of living without Marty and Boo, my dogs, and my parents, and Allyson, my best friend and my sister is odd. Life will be so different. I think about what it will be like to live in a tiny room with another person that I’ve most likely never met and spend a whole year with them. I’m sure we’ll get to be great friends and it’ll be awesome. I think about what classes I might take and how that will get me into dental school so that I can eventually become an orthodontist.

    I’ve truly stopped caring about what other people think of me and spend most of my school days in leggings with a comfy t-shirt from a tennis tournament on. Freshman year, I told myself, “Ana, you’re not going to be like those seniors that stopped trying to dress nice and cute senior year. You aren’t going to be the senior wearing leggings and a t-shirt almost every day.” I laugh thinking about that, because that’s exactly what I became. I still have my days where I wear a cute dress, display my array of Alex and Ani bracelets, or wear some cute jeans with a nice top and some boots. I also have an increasing amount of days where I just don’t care what I look like. Frizzy hair? It’s fine. Same pair of leggings in one week? Honestly, no one will notice. Wear that shirt too much? Not an issue any more. That’s senioritis.

    I know I’m gonna miss the people I’ve made friends with and I’m going to miss the amazing school I’ve called home the past four years, but it will be great to spread my wings and see what the world has to offer. I think I’m ready for it.

    senioritis

  • teenage girls, this one’s for you

    dear teenage girls of today,
    the clothes we wear do not define us as a person.
    our weights and sizes should not cause us to hate ourselves.

    our hair colors,
    our eye colors,
    our body types,
    our money, do not determine whether we are perfect or worthy of society’s acceptance.
    society says to “be ourselves” but then shuns us for being ourselves the wrong way.

    there is no wrong way to be the beautiful girl you are.
    there are no amount of likes or followers on social media that should dictate your self-confidence.
    there is nothing that shouldn’t make you feel worthy, welcome, or beautiful in today’s society.

    teenage girls of today, there is no reason to scramble for people to like you. there is no reason for you to compare yourselves to others. there is no reason to hide behind a fake person, a mask.
    be who you want to be, don’t search for approval. you are an individual, you are beautiful, and you are amazing. 🙂

    dear teenage girls of today...

  • Eighteen Lessons I’ve Learned So Far…

    My eighteenth birthday just happened on Friday. Yay, adulthood! With the arrival of this wonderful occasion, it seemed like a good idea to reflect on my life so far. I’ve seen a lot and been through a lot with my time here on earth already, so here are eighteen lessons I’ve learned so far…

    1. Chairs that aren’t rocking chairs shouldn’t be rocked. Rocking an unrockable chair may result in you or a loved one saying hello to the edge of the fireplace and cracking their head open.
    2. Tennis rackets should not be used to hit people in the face. Not trying to call anyone out on this one, but there was a girl at a tennis camp my sister and I went to back when I was maybe seven or eight. This girl wasn’t paying any attention and she hit my sister in the lip with her tennis racket and my poor, sweet little sister had to get stitches in her lip.
    3. Gum does not make a cute or pretty headband. It gets in your hair that way and then your grandma has to cut off a solid chunk of hair.
    4. You can get Coke to reach the top of a car if you shake the bottle hard enough. There’s a nice stain on the inside roof of my dad’s car to prove that I did that, if anyone wants to see!
    5. Grasshoppers make great pets, just know that they don’t live incredibly long. RIP Sensei Bobby.
    6. Climbing trees is quite fun. If you ever decide to try this, be careful, have a good grip on whatever you’re climbing, and watch out for weak branches. My sister and I used to (and rarely, but sometimes still) climb our grandpa’s peach trees in his backyard. SO FUN!
    7. Be careful when picking pictures off of the internet for PowerPoints. One time, I was making a PowerPoint off of Microsoft and I went to select a picture. When I clicked on the picture, it downloaded a whole bunch of viruses onto my laptop and that was the end of that laptop… Just be careful on the internet.
    8. Sisters make the best of friends. It might be evident after that last post, but my sister is actually my bestest friend ever. Whether you have a brother, or a step-sibling, it’s really important to establish a great relationship with them, so please do. It makes life so much more wonderful and enjoyable.
    9. Try so many things. This might sound kinda vague, but it really isn’t. My parents have done a wonderful job teaching me to be open to trying a wide variety of activities and hobbies. This has helped me become the well-rounded (at least I hope I am) person I am.
    10. Know that change is okay. When my parents surprised me with the fact that I was switching schools for high school. I thought my life would be over. I thought a new school would be awful and I wouldn’t make any friends and that I would always be miserable. Wow, was I wrong. Going to the school I’m about to graduate from changed my life for the better. I’m out of the drama that built up at my old school and I’ve learned so much more about myself and life in general. Whenever you get the chance to try something new or if something like a new school is thrust upon you, know that you will be okay. Everything that happens, happens for a reason.
    11. Patience is key. For those of you who have been around my blog for a while, you know I went through the wringer for about two years with my foot and ankle. For stuff like that, you have to know that healing and recovery takes time. And not relating to injuries, things like learning new material in school or trying a new sport or hobby will also take time. You can’t master something right off the bat and the beautiful but messy process of trying and becoming better is what truly helps you in the end.
    12. Help your community. I have been extremely involved at my high school and through various non-profits in my area. It feels amazing to know that doing something is helping others live a better and safer life. I find satisfaction in volunteering especially in knowing that my hard work will make someone else’s job or life easier. Being selfless is one of the best feelings.
    13. Dogs are great creatures to talk to. Honestly, Marty and Boo have been the best little dogs I think I’ll ever know. They are both so loyal and so understanding. Even if they can’t understand a lot of the things I say, dogs can definitely pick up on emotions and they are amazing creatures for the support and happiness they bring to us. Talking to my dogs has given me a lot of comfort and if there’s ever a secret I need to spill, I share with them because how could a dog ever share it? And even if Marty is pretty sure, considering he is a dachshund, he gives the best hugs. Boo gives the greatest little kisses and his wagging tail is always a pick-me-up.
    14. Let go of the past. I almost feel like I live by “Let it Go” from Frozen. I dealt with a lot transitioning from middle school to high school and with my freshman and sophomore year as well. Something that has become very important to me is the idea that you should forget what hurt you in the past but never forget what it taught you.
    15. Work hard in school. Now that I’m wrapping up my grade school career, I’ve really seen how hard work can take you places. Being a straight-A student all the way up until sophomore year of high school, I’ve done a lot to put myself ahead of my peers by taking advanced classes, asking questions, and taking responsibility for my work and actions. Working hard in school will prepare me for college and then a job after college.
    16. Bullet journals are fun and a great way to organize your life. At the beginning of this month, I decided to start a bullet journal and they are honestly so much fun! They’re a great way to keep track of your goals and plans and homework as well as track your lifestyle habits and mood. I’ve also found that working on a bullet journal is a great stress reliever too.
    17. Little kids make life so much fun. After acquiring a childcare staff position at my church, I realized how happy little kids make me! They’re so goofy and innocent and happy all the time and that has aspired me to be more silly and think more positive. Something I also admire about little kids is how creative they are and how honest they can be. Sometimes the truth hurts but its a good kick in the right direction, so sometimes you need the truth.
    18. Have courage. When I switched schools, I had no idea who anybody was and vice versa. I feel like I went from the confident, social butterfly I was to a shy, awkward new girl. Freshman and part way through sophomore year I was pretty afraid to speak up or do what I wanted because I didn’t know anyone. Regardless of that, it’s important to not be afraid of what others think of you and it’s important to have courage and say what you want to say. I’ve gained back the more outgoing side of myself and I’m so glad I did. There have been a lot more opportunities and I’ve enjoyed my life so much more because I’m not afraid.

    Wow, that was a lot of writing and a fairly deep reflection on my life. There’s plenty more things that have made my life the life it is and that have made me the person I am today. Have a good week! 🙂

  • My Sister, My Best Friend

    My sister, my best friend. From the minute she was welcomed to the world, our friendship and bond would sprout from the earth, growing bigger and more beautiful each day. We’d run into our boulders and steep mountains, but we knew that life was meant to be conquered together.

    I vaguely remember having my sister sit on my tiny almost two year old body and bite my thumb. Who knew that little sisters could be painful! I remember the day I told her that regular chairs served the same function as rocking chairs and this caused my sister to crack her head open on our fireplace, oops. I remember the year at Halloween when we dressed up as a pair of princesses from our favorite Barbie movie and pranced around our living room singing with sheer joy. I remember playing with dolls and stuffed animals and pretending to be fairies and different animals for hours and hours in our backyard and really just anywhere we traveled.

    Together we discovered that hair doesn’t grow back on Barbies and that gum doesn’t make a good headband and that a bottle of Coke makes a good explosion if it’s shaken up enough. We’ve learned that tables make good hiding spots from heel-nipping dogs and that I’m a good hairstylist when it comes to chopping off bangs. We’ve seen that tennis rackets can cause major damage to the face and that becoming good at roadtripping is crucial if eight-hour car trips come as a perquisite of being in the Horvath family.

    Allyson and I learned to treasure our time together when I moved to a new school as a high school freshman. We learned to be thankful for our health and good fortune when I hurt my ankle and couldn’t play tennis for almost two years. Allyson and I learned to fearlessly navigate the rough waters of high school and life together. We learned that being each other’s best friend is the most wondrous part of our lives.

    Sometimes, people ask my sister and me how is it possible that we get along so well. They share stories of how they tease and fight with their siblings, and even hate them. Some people yearn to be away from their brothers or sisters and some wish they were not related. It should never be this way. I tell people that it takes time. It takes time to get to know our brothers and sisters. Siblings should support, love, and care for each other. They act as the cheerleader, the coach, the tutor, the Devil’s advocate, and one of the closest people a person knows in life.

    Regardless of where I go and what I do in life, my sister will always be with me. She may not always be right beside me or just down the hall, but she’ll be in my heart. Her goofiness and curiosity and outgoing personality have left a permanent mark on me like the mark we inscribed on the giant peach tree in my grandpa’s backyard. We will forever be tennis doubles partners, dish-washing partners, traveling companions, video directors, best friends, and most importantly sisters.

  • Not a Big Fan of New York, New York

    I’ve been really lucky to do more travelling than usual this summer and this past Friday, I got home from New York after spending a week there, competing at a modeling and acting convention. I will definitely agree with most that New York is a really cool and different city, but I think I’d prefer my Rocky Mountains and 300 days of sunshine in Colorado.

    New York
    The view from our hotel room

    My mom and I arrived in New York on the 9th, early in the morning. Our trip began with a thirty-minute taxi ride from JFK to the Hilton Midtown in Midtown. Wow, was that an adventure. Taxi drivers in New York City are RUTHLESS. The man we had driving us was super sweet but once he got behind the wheel, he became an aggressive, hardcore racecar driver. It was kinda cool to see how he dodged cars and semis and sped down the highway. We got some pretty good air hitting a jump one time too. What a thrill ride!

    New York

    Once we arrived at the hotel, the week was a whirlwind. There were a lot of outfit changes, late nights, hairspray and makeup, and quick runs to grab food. I wish that my schedule at the convention allowed for me to do a little more sightseeing and wandering around the Big Apple, but it is what it is. The convention itself, was fun, but not nearly what I expected it would be. I think that for some people, it opened doors, but for the most part, it seemed fake. There were a lot of promises made by agencies and the convention themselves that were not followed through on and that’s ok. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot from the experiences I had and I’ll never forget that adventure.  Something I learned from my experience this past week and the whole experience I had with my former agency was that you have to be really careful in the modeling and acting industries because there are a lot of real, good people and there’s also a bunch of sneaky people who might seem like they are legit but actually aren’t.  They could care less about who you are and are only concerned with how much you’re willing to pay to sign their “contract”. I respect who I’ve worked with in the past and I wish them all the best and I’d just like to say that it’s tough to discern who the real people are but after this interesting journey, my eyes are more open than ever, and I know what I have to do.

    New York

    When I had time to be outside of the hotel, my mom and I had a lot of fun. We visited the Rockefeller Center and took a tour of the NBC Studios which included seeing the sets of the Tonight Show, SNL, and the Late Night Show with Seth Meyers. That was super cool. It was exciting to get to be in the same room and even step in the same places as some famous and talented people. My mom and I even got to make our own late night TV show at the end of our tour and we enjoyed that. That was probably the highlight of my NYC trip.

    New York

    We also visited Central Park and Times Square while in the Big Apple and those were both cool places to visit. I honestly imagined Times Square, specifically where the ball is dropped on New Year’s’, much bigger and wider than it was. There were a lot of sketchy people and pushers making attempts to sell my mom and I stuff or get us to take pictures with them. That was definitely uncomfortable. Also, it was incredibly hot and humid while we visited Times Square and that made it a struggle to do a lot of walking. We spent about thirty minutes wandering Times Square and then frantically searched for the nearest Starbucks or air-conditioned place to cool off and head to Central Park. After a quick trip to get some iced tea, we walked to Central Park and I enjoyed seeing nature and trees and endless (not really) green. It was a nice escape from the dirty, crowded, and crazy place that New York City is. I enjoyed getting to see the many different people in Central Park and see a variety of plants and trees, because trust me, there were soooo many different types of trees. It was pretty cool.

    New York

    At some point during our stay in NYC, we also managed to find a few good places to eat at, like Fresh & Co, an artisan bakery with really yummy sandwiches and coffee, and a great pizza place called PizzArte. Food, well actually everything, was EXTREMELY pricey in New York and it was crazy how much we spent on food. At PizzArte, one of the pizzas we got was $24!! Holy cow, was it expensive, but it was also probably one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. We also found an ice cream truck chilling right by our hotel one day, and that half-and-half ice cream cone was one of the best ice cream cones I’ve ever had. I never wanted it to end.

    New York

    I did enjoy my time in New York City, but I will honestly and confidently say that it’s not my favorite city. I wish I did a little more sightseeing, as mentioned earlier, and I hope to go back in the future and see more of the city. I could do without the gross smells and the unhappy people and the sketchy people and the trash constantly fluttering the streets and the awful traffic and sound of sirens every hour or so, but not every city is perfect. Actually no city is perfect! The time I had in New York was worth it and I’m ready to go back (whenever I do) and have another adventure.

    New York
    I took this picture near Carnegie Hall on the way to Central Park. What’s with the giant pile of trash?!

  • Get to Know Me

    Happy Father’s Day, everyone! I hope that you all have a great day hanging out with your dads. They deserve the day off. 🙂 I just realized that in my three years of blogging, I’ve never really told you all too much about me and my personal life, my likes and dislikes, and some of my favorites. Well, I guess that’s kind of what this blog is dedicated to, but still. Here’s some facts about me and now you get to know me!

    I’m left-handed despite both of my parents being right-handed.

    I live in Colorado and absolutely love it.

    I picked up a tennis racket for the first time when I was six months old.

    Get to Know Me

    I used to tap dance competitively. I was also training for pointe in ballet until I hurt my foot. 🙁

    My sister, who is a year-and-a-half younger than me, is my best friend.  I don’t know what I would do without her. XOXO

    Get to Know Me

    I love hanging out with my family.

    I hate oatmeal. The texture is disgusting.

    Polar bears are my favorite animal.

    My favorite color is like a pastel or icy blue.

    Winter is my favorite season.  I’m weird.

    I love soft pretzels.

    When I was four, I told my parents I wanted to be a pirate.

    I hate spiders and any bug that moves really fast.

    Weiner dogs are the best kinds of dogs to own, in my opinion.

    I competed in a pageant called National American Miss for two years.

    I love student council and community service projects. Volunteering is also a lot of fun.

    People tell me I’m mature for my age.

    I want to either become an orthopedic surgeon or orthodontist.

    I can do a decent impression of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and also Kristen Chenoweth.  I’m gonna cram two facts in one here and also say that I love Disney movies and really all things Disney.

    Get to Know Me

    When I was seven, I really wanted to change my name from Ana to Sheridan. I really liked the name after watching a Bratz movie.

    I finished my last semester of junior year with a 4.4 GPA. I should’ve finished with a 4.5, by I just couldn’t hold onto my A in calc…

    My poetry is mostly published. Yay! 🙂

    I find crocheting challenging.

    My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip made by Tillamook. (That’s a brand.) 😉

    I have a keychain collection and one of my goals in life is to visit all fifty states in the U.S. and collect one from each state. So far I’ve visited Colorado (duh), New Mexico, Florida, California, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. I haven’t been to Nevada or Ohio but I have keychains from there too. 😉 It’s not the greatest list but I’ll also be adding New York and Nebraska pretty soon.  I love travelling and I hope that’s something I get to do a lot of in my life.

    Get to Know Me

    I hope you all have a great week and an awesome Father’s Day today. I hope you also enjoyed getting to learn some stuff about me. See you next week. 🙂

  • Three Years Later, Thank You All So Much!

    This is crazy. I can’t believe I’ve actually kept this up for three years now. Well actually on Wednesday it’ll be three years, but it’s fine. I’ll celebrate today. 😉

    I’d just like to give a big hug and thanks to everyone that’s read my blog. Whether you’re just now reading this one or you’ve been around for a while, thank you. I’ve been able to share my opinions and my writing with you for the past three years and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve written about everything from my favorite soup recipe to recently my junior prom. I’ve posted videos of my sister and I making Dubsmashes and I’ve shared a variety of quotes and poems that make me happy. I hope all of this has also made you happy or given you something to think about or some information you maybe didn’t know.

    Without my dad giving me this website, I might not have become the writer I am today. Thanks Dad! 🙂 I might not have had the confidence to write about some of the things I have on this blog and in school. I might not have become more open with my feelings and thoughts. Thanks to all you readers too for dealing with my feelings, thoughts, obsessions, and ideas.

    As of right now, I’m above 5,000 views on this blog which is above anything I ever imagined and this will be the 155th blog post. That’s a lot of writing! Some weeks, it’s been difficult to come up with actual ideas and so I’ve had to dig deep and sometimes they turn out really good and sometimes you get something really random like a post about fruit or polar bears. Sometimes I’m really passionate about something and you get multiple posts on that topic like with all of the posts about JFK and tennis, especially when dealing with sportsmanship.

    I hope this blog is something I keep up for years to come. It’s been fun to write and create posts for the past three years. It’s been fun knowing that people are out there reading my writing and hopefully enjoying it. Once again, thank you for allowing me to share my life and loves with you. Here’s to many more years of blog posts. Thanks again!

    Love, Ana

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  • Last Week of School!

    We are finally here! Finals week, whoop whoop. But then again, that means four days of more stress and awful tests, but it’s fine.

    Looking back on junior year, it. was. hard. I’m not even joking. I remember being a sophomore and thinking that junior year was going to be easy-peezy. I was very wrong. I remember talking to some of my junior friends and asking them about junior year. Some of them said it was going to be easy. Most of them said it was going to be easy, now that I think about it. Haha, they were wrong too. I did take three AP classes, so I guess that factored into the difficulty of the year but still. Oh, man was that rough.

    I spent so many nights crying and studying and crying some more. I had so many headaches and I’ve never seen myself more sleep-deprived in my life. I didn’t cry because of friend drama or anything like that, I was actually crying over my homework. I had a wheelbarrow of it every night, it felt like. But other than dealing with the academic stress, this year was actually the best. I had so much fun.

    I was in multiple organizations and clubs at school and those helped make my year amazing. I was healthy this year for high school tennis and finally got to play singles, won first in my region, and got to go to state for a third year in a row! Yay. 🙂 I was in NHS and had fun working with different volunteer groups to make my community a better place. In BLUE Crew, which is a group that helps the incoming freshmen transition, I enjoyed getting to know my little ninth-grade nuggets and guide them on the start of their high school journey. In student council, I had a blast planning events and I feel honored to be able to serve as one of the three co-presidents on the executive board for next year. I also was a part of Circle of Friends which is a club that partners students with students in the intensive care learning. I got to eat lunch with one of the sweetest and most amazing kids for the past two years now. I never saw myself doing anything like that, but now it’s something I’m passionate about and look forward to every week. The kid I eat lunch with has brought a whole new perspective of life to my life and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I had junior year. I’ll get to serve as one of the presidents for Circle of Friends next year too, and I’m pumped to do that as well.

    I kept the friends I’ve made over the past couple of years, grown close with some, and even made new friends that I look forward to spending senior year with. It’s insane that I’m going to be a senior soon. I helped escort yesterday at my high school’s graduation and it’s so hard to believe that I will be graduating next year. AHH!

    And so I should probably leave this post here, because I need to go finish studying for my physics final. Have a good week and best of luck to everyone taking finals! 🙂

    Last Week of School

  • Happy Mother’s Day, Moms

    And here we are at another Mother’s Day. Honestly, every day is Mother’s Day but I think a designated day for our moms is pretty great. Here’s some things I’d like to say to all of the moms out there.

    Moms, thanks for all you do for us. Thank you for the late nights you stay up on the couch or in your room waiting for us to finish our homework or come home from being with friends. Thank you for worrying about us, even if we don’t like it sometimes. We know you care. We know you love you. We know you do what you do for the best. Thanks for the hugs on rough days and even on good days. Thanks for the good night kisses and tucking us in, even if we are teenagers. Haha, that would be me in particular. Thank you for going on shopping trips and quick grocery store trips and trips to Target when we forget something for a project at school.

    Thanks for keeping our dreams alive. Sometimes we get frustrated and upset and worry that what we want to do will never happen. You push us and force us to keep our dreams in sight. With you, we never lose our track. Moms, you’re our rocks. You keep us humble and keep us hopeful. You also keep us in line. You teach us right from wrong and do your best to keep us from doing stupid things. Thank you for the long talks about silly friend drama at school and issues we may have. These talks help make us more comfortable and feel understood. Your stories of similar accounts make us feel human and not alone.

    You inspire us, make us happy, and drive us to be perfect, like you all are. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. You are amazing, beautiful, and wonderful people that we all revere and appreciate so much. We love you!

    Happy Mother's Day, Moms

  • Decompressing After Prom

    Wowza! Junior prom came and went and boy did I have a blast! Here’s a little on how my prom and after-prom went.

    My school is pretty awesome and was fortunate enough to book the Downtown Aquarium for our prom! I haven’t been to the aquarium in a long time so I was pretty pumped when we got the chance to dance the night away there. The aquarium provided us with a good dance, a full dessert bar, and plenty to drink because MAN was it hot! We also had full access to the aquarium and I really enjoyed getting to walk around and see all of the pretty fish and sharks. One really funny thing was watching all of the other girls in their heels as they fumbled around on the rocky floor of the aquarium. I struggled with that too so I guess I should also be laughed at, haha.

    I went with two of my close friends from school and we had a really good time together. We went to an expensive Italian restaurant not too far from our houses. Fun story now, I had a white dress and being the smart human I am, I got spaghetti, with RED SAUCE. Luckily, I didn’t get anything on my dress so I was pretty proud of that.

    After we finished dinner which was around 8? we drove down to the aquarium. At the aquarium, we walked around for a while and then danced some. The DJ was okay, but not great, so it was hard to actually do any dancing. I saw a couple of my other friends at prom who all looked amazing and then after 10:30 pm, my friends that I came with and I got bored and decided to head to one of their houses to get ready for JAM, or Just After Midnight.

    At my school, the after-prom, or JAM party is even bigger than prom. A group of parents work almost around the entire school year prepping for JAM. There’s always a theme and there’s always inflatables and arcade games and food and cool prizes that include TVs and other awesome things. After we got to my friend’s house, we all changed out of our dresses and into some more comfortable clothing so we could bounce and run around. A little after midnight, we headed to the school and had a blast at JAM.

    This year’s theme was all sorts of games ranging from board games to mobile games and video games, which was sweet! At JAM, by winning games and even just participating in games, we earned JAM bucks and got to spend them at the JAM store where there was a variety of prizes. I played real-life Mario Kart and went down inflatable slides and pushed around an inflatable wrecking ball and even jumped on one of those indoor bungee things with a trampoline! I ate Chick-Fil-A and s’mores and did an escape room with my friends and just had a great time. As JAM came to a close, I dashed to the JAM store and purchased a nerd emoji pillow (I’m a dork) and this cool hair thing from Chi, which is one of my favorite haircare brands. I didn’t win any of the ultra-mega huge prizes like the TV or the cool bike, but I had a great time with my friends and that means a lot more. 🙂

    I am definitely exhausted today, as I sit here and write this blog. I got home around 4:30 am and slept until noon today! I’m so glad that I went with the people I did. It may have been quieter and more low-key than some groups, but at least I didn’t get wasted, or flat out drunk like some kids. In my mind, you can have a great time at prom and really any school dance without doing all of that crap. You can enjoy your friends and make actually good memories by staying clean. It’s more important that I was safe and not stupid. This prom is going to definitely be a memory I’ll cherish forever. 🙂