My Top 3 Goals for 2021 // Happy New Year :)

Happy New Year everyone! :)

Remember when everyone expected 2020 to be the year? The start of a new decade called for new goals. I, along with many others, made a list of things I was excited to work on over the year. I was ready to annihilate my goals and come out of 2020 as a better person. The 2020 vision was strong… for about 2 months.

And then the world fell apart, along with all of my ambitious goals and resolutions. As soon as everything went crazy, my goals were completely abandoned. My screen time spiked, waking up early was no longer a priority, and any motivation to write went out the window. In short, my 2020 goals were a total flop.

2020 // A Re-Cap and Wrap-Up

Happy (almost) 2021, everyone!

I believe we can all agree that this year has been one roller coaster of a ride. Aside from the chaos of the world around me, there have been several events in my personal life that haven’t been easy to deal with. I’ve had thoughts and feelings that I couldn’t find the right words to express. Writing has been a struggle because I’ve been creatively drained for what feels like forever. I’ve lost people I never imagined I’d lose. I’m ready for things to go back to normal, but at the same time, I’ve enjoyed this strange time of solitude and isolation. It’s been a scary, crazy, insane time, but peaceful in the strangest way.

Even though there was so much bad this year, there was a lot of good, too. Moving on from the bad can be hard – really hard – but focusing on the good can help. So, here’s the good from my 2020.

*deep breath*

I Painted the World on My Bedroom Wall // Because Why Not?

Why hello everyone! Wow, it has been a hot minute since I’ve made an appearance on the blogosphere, hasn’t it? I apologize for the lack of activity, but the whole “online school” thing has thrown me for quite a loop.

Today, I am emerging from my cave of academic studies, loud music and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to bring you my latest late-night project: painting a world map on my wall!

It’s Been a While // Update + Art + A Survey

*sigh* Well, here we are again. :)

As you may or may not have noticed, I kinda disappeared off the blogosphere for about a month. I was reminded of this fact during a FaceTime conversation with two friends the other day:

When The Fireflies Come Out // A Short

Several summers ago, an old friend and I were playing in a park at dusk. When the fireflies came out, we were both thrilled to catch them. My friend decided it would be fun to smash the bugs on his hands so his palms would glow, and it quickly turned into a game of how many fireflies I could protect, and how many he could smash. I was so mad at my friend for destroying these beautiful little creatures, but I was also laughing through my anger.

I miss that evening in the park. I’m reminded of it every summer when the fireflies come out, and a small smile always crosses my face as I remember.

Why I Disliked “Divergent” // A Book Review

*sigh* So I read Divergent.

As I mentioned in this post, I’ve heard many mixed reviews about the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Some love it, some hate it, some don’t really have an opinion. After hearing sooo much about Divergent, I finally decided to read the first book to see for myself what it’s like. (Shout out to Diamond for helping me get a copy!) Was it great? No. Was it the worst book I’ve ever read? Also no.

In my opinion, Divergent was cliché story with poor world-building and shallow characters. In other words, I strongly disliked this book for several reasons. Let me explain.

Collins vs. Darcy // An Epic Showdown Between Two Single Men in Want of a Wife

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Welcome, welcome, welcome, to this epic showdown between two single men in want of a wife. Tonight, our two opponents are going to battle against each other to win the hand of Miss Elizabeth Bennet in marriage. Their strategies will be different, their words will be passionate, and their emotions will not be contained. A single victor shall emerge from this glorious battle of words, and secure the prize of marriage forever. Only time will tell who is to prevail in this epic showdown and ultimately win the favor, affection, and heart of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Hang on to your seats, folks, because this is going to be one wild ride!

May the odds be ever in your favor, and LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

My 2020 Summer Reading List // Books I WAS Going to Read this Summer

Ah, the joys of summer – warm sunshine, shorts, ice cream, swimming, bonfires, fireflies, and best of all, no assigned reading. During these glorious months of freedom, you can read whatever you want. I have discovered many of my favorite books during the summer, and was ecstatic to begin my pleasure reading again this year. However, there is one teensy weensy detail that has prevented me from getting my hands on new books:

THE LIBRARY IS CLOSEDDDDD

Unfortunately, I failed to realize this until after I had made my summer reading list. Unless the library reopens soon, I probably won’t be reading a few of these books in the near future (because you best believe I’m not paying for every book on my list – I have a guinea pig to feed). Despite this dreadful calamity, I thought I’d share a few books on my summer reading list just for kicks and giggles. So without further ado, here are the books I was going to read this summer.

I Painted a Mural on My Bedroom Wall // Summer 2020

So.

As many of you know, I enjoy painting, sketching, coloring – anything that involves artwork and getting my creative juices flowing. You might also know that in June of last year, I tried following 3 Bob Ross tutorials. So it’s only natural that on my first day of summer vacation, I decided to celebrate completing my sophomore year of high school by painting a landscape mural on my bedroom wall.

Let me explain.

Of Pigs, Rebellions, and Choices // My Thoughts on “Animal Farm”

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – Animal Farm

When I first laid eyes on my assigned reading list for this school year, I was not very excited – hardly any of the books looked interesting (that is, except for Pride and Prejudice and The Hobbit). As my eyes traveled down the page examining each title and its author, I became more and more discouraged. Wow, I’m definitely in for some thrilling reads this year, I thought to myself. I just can’t wait to get started. 

And then something caught my eye – a book called Animal Farm by George Orwell. I’d heard of Orwell and his political fiction novels before, but had never read any of them. Since I thoroughly enjoy reading and studying books of that genre, I figured Animal Farm would be right up my ally. After all, I loved The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, so I had pretty high expectations for this book.

And believe me, it did not disappoint. Through this story of rebellion, tyranny, power, and change, this book not only opened my eyes to who it was originally written to, but how it still applies to us today.