I walked into the doors of Statehouse Expo Center, my feet walking with the sound of my bag rolling over the little cracks on the light floor tile, my white uniform as crisp as a fall breeze. With every step further, I could see more people. Lots more people. The mats filled with people. People who spend their whole lives working to be where they are, on those mats. Sparring, combat, weapons and forms. XMA in one corner, Black Belts in another corner, everyone else in a corner and staging in a corner. All surrounded by a Sr. Master or the occasional Master. When we get to a tournament, our team always meets up. Then all the kids go explore. We found our team and all the kids put away their IPads and Kindle Fires.…
One rainy day two girls named Lisa and Erin were driving to Colorado because they rented a cabin for the weekend. When they got to Colorado they stopped at the gas station for so gas. Lisa asked the cashier if they were going in the right direction to the cabin? The cashier said that they were going the right way but would take a will to get there. They spent three hours driving and then they see a sign that says Summer Lake Forest on it. Erin checked her phone to see if they where in the right spot and it said they were.…
Before I moved to NC , I lived out west. The demographic and food delicacies are far different than here in the south. My taste aversion was fully loaded hot dog with chili and slaw. I never heard of that type of combination on a hot dog. I was raised eating a hot dog with just ketchup, mustard, relish and sometimes onions. I have lived in NC for about 23 years. I finally tried eating a hot dog Carolina style and love it. Since I have gluten allergy, I skip the bun and still eat it that way.…
One of the oldest questions in philosophy is whether humans have free will. When I look in retrospective, my journey to Miami makes me wonder is everything predetermined. Ever since I was a kid, I had vivid dreams about a sunny beach, soft golden sand, palm’s waterfall, and beautiful girl who will love me unconditionally.…
I had just moved to Tennessee about a month ago, I was an only child so it got lonely most of the time, there was also not a lot of kids we're I lived then one day my mother told me there was a library just down the rod so I went up stairs to my room and grabbed a thin sweater and put on some old sneakers then I was on my way.…
My rite of passage was coming to Randolph-Macon. As I arrived at Randolph-Macon College on September 1st to begin my freshman year of college, I could not do anything but shake from being so nervous. My parents kept telling me that everything would come together and I would fit right in. I had never felt so out of place. Coming from a small private school, with a graduating class of 30, I could not bear to meet a freshman class that was as bigger than my hometown or my k-12 school. It was like I was a nightmare and no matter how many times I pinched myself, I could not wake up. I was trapped here without any friends or a vehicle to escape.…
In life everyone has heard words that just stick with them. The words that make you think twice about how you feel about certain situations. The words of encouragement i remember the most are from my dad. For example, The time i didn’t want to relocate to Indiana. I listened to him and i’m very happy that i did relocate.…
A day in Memphis is not complete without the diversity in our community. As a second generation Memphian who has primarily lived in Midtown, I had the privilege of watching several different cultures in one place and especially now that I attended one of the largest public schools. Daily, I experience someone else’s world. The people I get to meet and see are from various backgrounds: race, religion, ethnicity, etc. that I may never comprehend, which is wonderful. In Memphis, it is normal to be an enigma, to have idiosyncrasies. I believe that is the heart of Memphis. What makes this heart surpass discrimination is the acceptance that follows years of diversity. My neighborhood has single mothers whose children play with the neighborhood adolescents.…
Hi, I was going on a trip to Maryland and I want to know if you will come with me. My sister, Dad, and I was looking for places to go and there is an extra bed. The reason I picked you is because there are great places to eat, Amazing parks, and the Boardwalk.…
We started our tetris trip to Florida in a suburban for 12 hours scrunch up in a ball trying to sleep the whole way down but you know how that goes you never get to sleep the whole way down. I usually play my phone games or play music,if I have internet. We finally get out of Kentucky and in Tennessee to stop to get some gas and use the bathroom,but if you're ever on a trip and you go in to use the bathroom and you see all those snacks so you want to buy one because you're hungry. We are now in Alabama which is the longest state we go through. Were about an hour away from the condo and we stopped to get gas and a snack at thorntons. We made it we yelled rolled down the window and jammed yelawolf as we went over the bridge.…
Me and Roberto are hauled into a Border Patrol van and drive to the immigration headquarters. Me…
Going to Southern California, no one would think of packing an umbrella. Why would they? California is in the middle of a drought. When someone thinks of California, they think of baby blue skies and palm trees along the streets. But, of course, the weekend my family decided to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld is the weekend Southern California experienced what the local news called a “tropical depression.”…
On Saturday April 13, 2013 I was walking through the parking garage on the USAA campus in San Antonio, TX to start my 4 hour work shift, I began to go through the turnstile and seemingly startled awake a bat. This bat began to fly and squeal in fear. It darted at my head getting caught in my hair a couple times. I started to scream and flail my arms about trying to fend off the nocturnal flying mammal in fear. During what seemed to be forever I was able to unlock the turnstile and exit the entry way but not before rupturing two discs in my neck. This incident caused quite the turn of events in my life. I had been working for USAA for 3 years and truly loved it there. I also lived in a beautiful apartment with my mother and two children and…
Leaving your country is always a difficult decision, and whoever has experienced it understands the sacrifice it entails. When I left Poland at 18, I thought I was going to be in paradise, but to my disappointment it was far from that. I had to learn a new language and work hard to provide for myself. What kept me motivated was the hope for a better future and an independent life.…
We finally moved to North Carolina and I was devastated. I felt like I had to leave behind all of the friends I had just started formulating deeper bonds with. I felt like I had to start over from scratch with making friends and I missed Khalif; and finding out that he contacted me the night before we moved and I missed his call, didn't make things any easier. I never told him I was moving when I found out. I figured since we wasn’t together anymore, why bother. He found out my last day of school because my best friend and I were crying, and another student went back and told him. He approached me before the day was over, and wanted to know why I didn’t tell him I was moving. After we talked, he gave me a hug. I didn’t expect him to try to contact me that night. I didn’t find out he had called until my family and I were well in NC and I checked the caller ID box.…