I traveled to the small island of Jamaica when I was 13-years old. It was probably the most memorible trips that I’ve taken in my lifetime so far. The water was such a beautiful blue and when we went sonrckeling, the fish were of all differnet colors, and they ate right out of your hands.

My room wasn’t this high up, but that’s about the same thing I saw every morning when I woke up.

If you’re looking for a tropical get-away….I would have to point you in the direction of Jamaica. People there are so nice and welcoming. The only real bad part is going thru customs in their airport, but that’s the same as any country you travel to.

(from my room) Sandles Resort

The many sights to see there is the glacers, hot springs, mountains, waterfalls and more. If you’re ever looking for a good place to visit with your family, Yellowstone is the best place to go. This is a place for anyone. You can camp in the park and go hiking, fishing, walk, or just hang out.

Take the time this week to think about all the ones you love…whether it be you mom, dad, sisters, brothers, friends, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Don’t be afraid to tell them how you feel!

 This picture is dedicated to my best friend…who has and always been there for me no matter what stupid or crazy things i do…so thank you (: and i love you.

 Pass the love on!

-Betty Deramus

My hero would have to be my middle school volleyball coach and teacher Mr. H (his full name will be kept private). He helped me through the best and worst of times. He was so understanding and helped me to realize what life had to offer me. He is also my hero because of his story of bravery and courage.

When he was a young boy, he lived in South Korea. His mother was a single parent because his dad was an American solider for the army and was deployedback to the U.S. As a half American, half South Korean, his life was brutal. The kids would make fun of him for being a Korean with blonde hair and lighter skin. Even adults would make comments about the way he looked.

Finally, around the age of eight or so, he decided that to make his mother’s live better, that he was going to be put up for adoption. So, with tears in his eyes he left his mother and home behind to live in an orphanage. He was there for almost a year before an American family with children adopted him. They were from the sunny state of California. (I was able to see the videos that the family took when he first to arrived into the country and walked off the plaine)

He lived with this family for a while, and was very happy with them. School was tough, for he didn’t know the English language and, just like back home in Korea, the children would make fun of him for his looks. They called him Chinese and would say, “Ching-chong! Ching-chong!” and pull there eyes back to imitate his Oriental origins. This went of for some time.

Not long after arriving in California, there was a sudden change of plans. His adopted family told him that they were giving him up. They were sending him up to Springfield, Oregon. He didn’t understand, “they don’t want me..?” This makes no sense.

After packing him only belogings, he got in the came adn made the drive up to his new family. This is the family that is his today. They treated him with so much love and kindness that he felt as though he had a real family.

He had a normal live and went to Thurston High School (same as me now), to play soccer and run track. He later went to college and received his college degree for teaching and has been ever since. He is now married and has three beautiful children. Two boys and a girl. And coaches at the middle school.

This man had such an amazing story of bravery and self determination to get through something like that.

I had the privlage of meeting his real mother a few summers ago. He had saved enough money to fly her from Korea to the U.S. That was the first time she’d met her grandchildren. She was a wonderful old woman. I had him translate for me when we talked and I told her what an amazing son she had and how she should be so proud of him. I also told her that I was so thankful to have him as my teacher. This made her eyes fill with tears and she got up to hug me and say thank you. 

To me, heroes aren’t only the ones that are good at sports or that go to war for our country, they are the everyday people that you see on the sidewalk and say ”hi” to. You may not know their story, you may only glance up at hem, but to someone else, they are a hero who has changed their life in some way or shape. So go out today and look at the people aroud you, and don’t just look at them as a strange passing you by, but as a person who has affected someone elses life for hte better. 

This blog was inspired by the blog Bringing us Together

ELEPHANT (:

If I could see any animal in the wild more, it would have to be the elephant because it is my favorite animal.

Though, I know that the zoo’s are made to help preserve the different species that our world contains and so it’s hard to say that I want to see the elephant in the wild, because people hunt and kill them for their tusks, skins, and fat. So, part of me is okay with the elephant being in a zoo. It keeps them safe from the dangers of humans.

Now, I wish that we didn’t have to worry about people doing such terrible things like that, but it’s how some get, money, and food for their families to survive. It’s the, “Circle of life”, as stated in, The Lion King.

The sweet taste of locally grown strawberries in the summer is a warm an inviting flavor to a great day. The different shades of reds that the strawberry comes in, is just another plus to the whole ordeal.

Sunflowers are my favorite flowers. I grow them ever summer with my sister. My favorite kind is the red sunflower. It has multiple colors like red, orange and yellow. They are beautiful and reflect perfectly off the vibrant greens of summer.

(RED) is also the name of the organization that helps the people in Africa who have aids. The porciedes go to buying supplies and to also help find a cure for the deadly disease.

The many shades of red.

I love the Earth. It’s an amazing place to live. The beauty of it is just…well, there is really no way to put into words the beauty of the world we live in. I think that most people foret and take for granted what the Earth gives us.

Where I live though, there is a lot of people that take pride in taking care of the Earth. (AKA: HIppies) We have a lot of enviormentalists in our city and they love it. It’s their passion.

To me though, Earth day is just one of those days where I think it’s good to just take a step back and look around at the world you live in. Go for a walk and just listen to the birds or watch the clouds (if it’s not raining). You may learn something new about yourself or about the place you call home.

A saying to go by…After every “victory” you have more enemies….

by: unknown