High School

Everyone always says that high school is the best time of your life. For me, I think it's true but in a different way. 

Since middle school I wanted to be a cheerleader (now that I'm a junior I'm glad I'm not a cheerleader). I always pictured myself being able to go out of my comfort zone and be on those sidelines every Friday night. My life has taken a completely different turn in terms of sports and hobbies. 

On Tuesday I was biking with my triathlon team. Maybe I'm not a crazy-spirited cheerleader, or go to every football/baseball/basketball/soccer game; but I did train for triathlons the entire time. I joined the swim team, the closest knit group of people I've ever met. I took a risk and joined Journalism sophomore year, and now I'm on the Newspaper staff. I did start a YouTube channel and blog. My dad always says that he can't remember much of high school but I will be able to. I am able to document my high school years through blogs and vlogging. 

The best advice for high school I can give (so far) is do what makes you happy. Try different sports and clubs and see what works out. 

Until next time,
Taylor xx

A New Computer

I got a new computer today and I could not be more excited. For those of you who don't know, I have been using a netbook for all of my blogging and YouTube. For my birthday, I used a combination of money from my grandparents and my own money to buy a Macbook Air. 

Not only will I be using this computer for YouTube and my blog but it's what I'll be taking to college (in two years). 

This past week a lot has been going on so I apologize for not posting sooner. Although, I feel like I have been posting pretty frequently throughout the summer. 

Now I can create thumbnails for my YouTube videos, too. It's the little things that make me excited for this computer because I can do so much more creatively. One of the things I'm most excited for is that I can now do voiceovers on videos. I think I'm going to start doing more baking videos and beauty videos. Now that I can do voiceovers it will make it 100% easier.

Also, as you can tell, I've updated the look of my blog. I like the black and white with a pop of color because it looks sleeker to me. I hope you like the look too.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

#YBKSTL

Yes, I just used a hashtag. Back in March, I found out I made it as a reporter onto the newspaper staff. See, my newspaper adviser HATES hashtags with a passion so I thought it was necessary. 

If you don't know what "YBKSTL" stands for, it is "Yearbook-St. Louis." For the past three days I went to journalism camp with the newspaper and yearbook staff of my school. It was mainly for yearbook students but Herff Jones (the company that helps create and assist the students creating the yearbook, and also who put on the camp) had a great newspaper speaker. 

There were only eight people in the "newspaper" section of the camp. We do have 14 on staff but only four of us went. The biggest thing I learned was how to use InDesign. It's basically a software that the newspaper uses to design their pages of the paper. It's becoming bigger and bigger in our publication because we are now a "newsmagazine" instead of just a solid "newspaper". This means we incorporate more design elements than just your stereotypical cut and dry paper.

Sorry, I wanted to upload the original PDF file of the image but it wouldn't allow it so I took a picture instead. The newspaper speaker, Mrs. Jorgensen, said that whenever she wants her students to start to learn InDesign, she tells them to create Minnie Mouse. With the right photo as my guide I created my Minnie Mouse on the left. Obviously it's not perfect but I did this entire thing in just over one day.

A lot of people at my school don't read the newspaper and I think it's a shame. One week a month the newspaper staff stays after school until 5-6 at night, and on layout night, Thursday, they stay as late as 10:30. Newspapers are distributed one day and end up in the trash can the next day. I don't think anyone recognizes just how much time goes into writing, interviewing, and designing the pages for the paper. This also goes with the yearbook. Right when people receive their yearbooks they quickly point out the mistakes. What about all of the hundreds of hours that were put in and all the elements that were right? 

If I got one thing from camp (besides learning InDesign), it was inspiration. The passion all the yearbook/newspaper speakers had for their jobs was inspiring. These adviser's shared so much of their knowledge to help us improve. Being at camp showed me how passionate people can be about publications and I love it.

Until next time, 
Taylor xx

4 Years of One Direction

It's crazy to think of how fast 4 years has gone by. Four years ago, I was going into 8th grade, and I remember some things like yesterday.

I was introduced to One Direction back, I believe either in late December 2011 or very early January 2012, not too much later than when they started. It begun at my friend Amy's house. I brought over some of those really girly pop magazines (that I still read occasionally...) and it had a quiz for "Which Boy is Right for You". At the time I didn't really know who One Direction was, so Amy and I pulled up the What Makes You Beautiful music video, then the One Thing and finally, the Gotta Be You music videos. Instantly, I was hooked on the music. The snowball for my passion for One Direction started there and just continued to grow over the next three years.

One of the best experiences I had was going to the One Direction concert in Kansas City, Missouri. I had tickets that were somewhat close to the 2nd stage that they performed a few songs on. The position of my seats didn't matter at all, it was the fact that my parents were able to even get me tickets for my birthday.

I did cry, but it wasn't some hysterical mess, I cried once and it was only because they were singing "Summer Love". The moment was just incredible for me because all my hopes in seeing the boys live came true. I spent so much time watching video diaries, watching YouTube videos, and listening to their music, that seeing how much they've grown was just so surreal.
       *One thing I found funny was that my eyes kept drifting to the screens on the sides of the arenas. I've become so used to watching them on a screen that I had to remind myself, no, I'm in the same auditorium with them.

To the guys of One Direction, thank you. Thank you for putting so much time and dedication in your work. Thank you for working day in and day out and touring so often for us. You've truly influenced so many people in so many ways. 

And now for some of my concert photos. These were from July 19th, Kansas City, Missouri, concert.

My very awkward selfie
Outside the stadium    
The next three photos all are while waiting to get inside the concert. It's hard to tell but the Westboro Baptist Church was picketing across the stage, saying some pretty rude things, obviously. When the boys saw this, Harry tweeted out "Despite the company outside, I believe in equal rights for everyone. I think God loves all. Thanks for coming to the show though."



These next photos are just throughout the concert, so enjoy...


My favorite picture from the entire concert. This is when they were coming over to the 2nd stage.
The second stage

 This concert was incredible and I honestly can't wait for One Direction to come back to St. Louis to see them perform again. 

Until next time,
Taylor xx

Why I Don't Sleepover

It's the mark of childhood, your first sleepover. I actually don't remember mine but that is besides the point. If you know me personally nine times out of ten I will refuse to spend the night at your house. I'll stay until ten or eleven but then politely leave.

Now you are probably wondering why I don't spend the night. There are a few reasons.

1) I go to bed early and wake up early. Most nights I go to bed around 10:30 and wake up anywhere between 6:00-7:45. My friends always say that I can wake them up, but why would I wake you up at 7:00 if your normal wake up time is 9:00-12:00.

This leads to my second point,

2) I hate wasting time. Due to the fact that I ALWAYS wake up early, I usually start my day off right away (especially with swim practice in the summer being at 7:45, I have to go to bed/wake up early). And again, I don't want to wake you up so I can tell you I'm leaving, that seems counterproductive. 

3) I like following a schedule. I almost never sleep in, so even if I go to bed later I still wake up at the same time. Then, I'm exhausted and can't accomplish as much. This goes back to my second point of wasting time.

I love my friends and everything, but I really enjoy just hanging out and then being able to return home.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

Triathletes

This morning I competed in the Ballwin Triathlon. This was a 300 yard swim, 9 mile bike, and 3.4 mile run. 
 
I was the first person in my heat in the swim to finish. So I ripped my goggles and swim cap off and sprinted toward the transition area. Going into the triathlon I wasn't really concerned because it had a shorter bike and swim. I was extremely wrong. The bike had 2 substantial hills that were killer. The run was almost entirely hills. The first part of the run, was downhill and all I could think about was how I would have to run back up that on the way back. Yes the hills were killer but that leads me into my main point about triathlons.

The run was a straight line essentially, you run 1.5 miles down and 1.5 miles back. Whether people were passing me from behind, running back while I was running the first 1/2, or if I was passing people; everyone was cheering me on. Someone every few minutes would say, "you're doing great" or "you're almost there" or "keep it up". Then, after a few more minutes and I start thinking about the pain in my calves, someone would come by and tell me to keep going. All in all, triathletes are the best athletes. No one is ever trying to sabotage you, almost everyone is incredibly kind and friendly.

If you have ever doubted doing a triathlon I say go for it. As long as you start training and set your mind to it, YOU CAN DO IT. The motto of my triathlon club is, "You Against You". It's not about winning the race, it's about accomplishing something bigger than you thought you could. Crossing the finish line is all the satisfaction I need.

Until next time,
Taylor xx
 

Those Teen Boy Protagonists

You all know who I'm talking about. There are many different teen protagonists throughout television shows, movies, and books. I'm going to talk about two book/movie characters in specific. These two are Harry Potter and Augustus Waters. I'll start with Harry Potter.

Before school ended I gave myself the challenge of re-reading the entire Harry Potter series. In June I read the first 4 books. I've been steadily tackling Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but it's been taking a while (this is mainly due to all the contemporary books I have checked out from the library). Now, I have a "Goodreads" account, where I track the books I have read and want to read. As I was scrolling through the reviews of The Order of Phoenix, I was kind of disappointed. A few people were bashing on Harry for his "teen angst" and how rude/stubborn he was. I think this is what makes the story come to life. J.K. Rowling was able to accurately portray a teen boy. No teen boy is just going to smile and wave his way through life. Yes, Harry was a little cocky and at some points rude, but that's what makes his story more realistic. Considering all he was facing, I think J.K. Rowling did a phenomenal job writing Harry during such a crucial time in his life. I'm over halfway through this book right now and I can't wait to complete it.

Next Augustus Waters, who I believe has some under-looked personality traits. Girls are always swooning over Gus (Ansel Elgort) and trust me, I'm right there with them. I think what's under-looked is Gus' desperation for making a change in the world. Yes, he has a brilliant way with words and yes he was the sweetest, cute boyfriend, but he sure had some downfalls, just like the rest of us. Again, this is why I appreciate the writing style of John Green. Even though some people think it, Augustus Waters was not perfect and John Green found a good balance in his character. I loved Augustus because he wants what a lot of people want, to be known for something, to leave a mark. I battle with this myself because I want to impact the world in some way, shape or form. I'm too consumed in the huge ways to leave a mark that I sometimes miss the little things I do that impact people. 

I leave you with this from The Fault in Our Stars. I was looking through quotes and saw this quote that I had never recognized before.

“I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is inprobably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it-or my observation of it-is temporary?” 

Until next time,

Taylor xx

Social Anxiety

I've stared at the blank page for a while now, I started it off but couldn't continue. I saved it for a few days and finally came back to it and decided I need to just say it. So here we go...
 
So the summer going into my sophomore year was probably the worst summer of my life. It all started with summer swimming, which is usually something I enjoyed but certain things happened and my summer swimming was ruined. It was nothing awful but it still hurt. Even before this, my best friend in elementary school suddenly turned on me and left me for another group of friends who were more outgoing than me. So when another friend did this I closed myself off from practically everyone. 

Then July came, I started getting migraines every week (I've decided that I will create another blog post solely on my migraines). No matter what I did, I continued to get migraines. Most of July was spent laying on the couch or in my parents bed trying to sleep all day. When I was okay, I was too afraid that another migraine would attack. So, I spent a lot of time reading and watching television. Then one day, I stumbled upon YouTube again. Three years previous I watched YouTube A TON! Mainly singing and covers of songs. Somehow I was on YouTube and I came across a YouTuber named Zoella talking about her panic attacks and anxiety 

It suddenly hit me, and with a little more research, I knew I had social anxiety. By definition social anxiety is: "is the fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression."  

I knew for sure I had social anxiety because before any social "thing", I would literally sit and plan out what I should/would say to people I would be hanging out with. Or, whenever someone asked for me to hang out I would automatically say no. I don't know why I freak out before hanging out with my friends, because obviously they are my friends and aren't going to hate me but it's a constant factor in my mind. Even if I've known the person my entire life, I will still think "why would they want to hang out with my?" 

Even recently, my social anxiety was at an all time high last Saturday. As a crew leader for VBS I had to go on stage in front of my church and sing and dance with the kids. Why I freaked out, I don't know. None of those parents cared what I was doing, they were consumed in their five year olds dancing. I just couldn't do it. I barely sang and danced and made myself look even more stupid than if I would have just done it full out. I can talk in front of people (generally) fine but when I have to perform on stage, I freak out.

Going back to the day I first watched Zoe's video, I also found an accompanying video called Just Say Yes. Since watching this video, I try to live this out. It took baby steps but, now, a year later, I can say I've greatly improved since last summer. I've been out for ice cream with friends, went to the local fair (which I used to swear I'd never do), and went to some grad parties. I still freak out before going out but I've started to say yes to events instead of immediately saying no. I'm working on my confidence but that all comes with time. 

I'm so proud of myself, for how far I've come. So that's my social anxiety story. Again, I still face some struggles but I'm trying to handle my anxiety better.

Until next time,
Taylor xx
 

Far From You Book Talk

Sophie Winters has defied death twice. The first time was when she was 14 in a car accident with her best friend Mina and Mina's older brother, Trev. Due to her injuries, including a bum leg, she got addicted to Oxycontin (which she struggles to kick for years).

The second time wasn't an accident. A masked man confronts Mina and Sophie in the woods. Mina is shot and killed but Sophie survives. When the investigation ensues, Sophie has a pill bottle in her pocket, the police rule that Mina's death is a drug deal gone wrong. Due to Sophie's past, no one is willing to listen to Sophie, she had been clean for months. She is forced into rehab, while Mina's killer is running loose.

When Sophie is released from rehab she decides to investigate herself Mina's death because no one else believes her. She must get old friends to trust her again so she can pursue the case. As Sophie gets closer to solving the mystery, she has to reveal her and Mina's biggest secrets.
via Goodreads

 My opinion of "Far From You" changed throughout the entire course of the book.

First the mystery part of the book, this has no spoilers, in the book you learn about this part later in the book but it doesn't ruin anything. When Sophie is figuring out who Mina's killer is she discovers the story Mina was working on for the newspaper. It was about a girl named Jackie who disappeared three years ago. With Trev, her friends Rachel, and Blake, she finds notes that were telling Mina to stop investigating the case or bad things will happen to her. Whoever killed Mina also killed Jackie. Now they had to solve two mysteries, Jackie's and Mina's. This was done so well, I actually guessed in the beginning who I thought might have killed Mina and I was right- kind of. The ending had a huge surprising twist that I don't think anyone could have predicted it. 

**AGAIN SPOILERS**
When I originally picked up this book, the secret that was revealed was nothing like I expected. Like I said in my Goodreads review, hear me out and let me explain myself. In today's culture I feel like there has to be a gay couple/person in a television show or story. For example, the T.V. show I love, "The Fosters". It wasn't necessary for there to be a lesbian couple but they did. I support gay rights 100%, love is love, and as long as you're happy that's all that matters, it's your life, not mine, do what makes you happy. So when I figured out that Mina and Sophie were in love with each other I was kind of disappointed because I thought it would be a different kind of "secret". BUT, as the story continued I was really happy that Tess Sharpe chose to make Sophie bisexual because she it explored a more complicated relationship, Sophie/Mina and Sophie/Trev. I grew to love the Sophie/Mina relationship because it was raw and true.
**END SPOILERS**

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I was going to. I actually want to purchase this book because I liked it that much. Go check out Tess Sharpe's debut novel.