#OneWord

Unity by Sakura Sundays is shared under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC by 2.0) license.

The word I chose for the #oneword rock project is unity. I chose this word because I feel it is a universal word for togetherness. There is so much separation, hate, and discrimination and we as humans need to stop focusing on our differences and focus more on the soul inside the person. Race, religion, culture, etc. should never be used to single out a person. So, with this rock, I hope I remind people to look past all of these things and take time to understand someone before you judge them.

Snowy Days

Snow Cottage by Thomas Charles Keenan under an Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Winter is here. The snow is beginning to fall, temperatures are falling, and an attempted snowman in someone’s yard the other day. Although fall is my favorite season, winter is a very close second. I love playing outside in the snow and then coming in when the cold is too much to bear to drink hot chocolate and watch movies. Unlike most people, I’m not too fond of the idea of gift giving on Christmas. I enjoy being with family.  For me, family is more valued over gifts. Family is a gift itself. Anyways, I hope all of you have Happy Holidays!

 

 

Thanksgiving Time

You smell that? The smell of fresh bread baking, a flavorful variety of meats ranging from turkey to ham, and who could forget about the sweet cranberry sauce? My aunt brings her prized deviled eggs while my grandma bakes a delicious fruit pizza. Whereas, my family sticks with the sweet potato mash with marshmallows on top as a dish. You can’t forget about the best part though, and that is spending time with family. I rarely get to see my family all together so Thanksgiving is one of the best times where I can play with my cousins and catch up with my aunts and uncles. I love the sense of unity the holiday brings over everyone, it’s truly one of the best feelings. What’s your favorite holiday?

 

Thanksgiving Turkey [327/366] by Tim Sackton  under an  Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC by-SA 2.0)

Self Improvement

Getting Some Perspective by Phil Dolby under an Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

Over the course of many years, I finally am beginning to feel happy again. I had to overcome many many hardships but I feel as if I’m actually on the road to recovery. With getting bullied in elementary which lead to severe depression to both of my grandfathers passing away, I have dealt with so much emotional turmoil over the course of my life, I sometimes wonder how I’m still here. I think of myself as a very weak person that cracks very easily under pressure, I take everything a person has said to heart in some way, and I tend to be very hard on myself. The hardest thing I had to learn through this process was taking care of myself and reteaching myself that I do matter in this world.

It took many years to accept this and it was possibly one of the most difficult things when I constantly had things knocking me down on my path. With my confidence being completely diminished by a person I called a friend, being completely abandoned in my Freshman year of high school, and the absence of my grandfathers, I had to rebuild myself.  I got new friends, a (few) new hair color(s), and embraced the changes that had happened. All of this truly helped me and I don’t know where I’d be without these important people in my life that helped me in times I needed them most.

Sweater Weather

 

 

Oregon Autumn Part 4 by Ian Sane under a CC by 2.0 license

Fall is the most beautiful of all the seasons in my opinion. Honestly, what’s better than wearing warm oversized sweaters and sweatshirts, drinking warm apple cider, the exquisite colors of the tree leaves, and last but most certainly not least the crisp air and the scented candles of the season.  The treats that come along with the season such as pumpkin spices, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp. Afternoon walks in the fall are by far my favorite with the brisk air and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet, they bring me so much joy. I usually play guitar with my window open and with an apple scented candle lit. The holidays the season brings are my favorites as well. I love the spooky feel of Halloween; kid’s anticipation unbearable, horror movie marathons, and dressing up as a funny character or a scary monster. You can’t forget about Thanksgiving, all my family does on that holiday is eat and sleep, what more could you ask for? This is why fall is my most favorite season. What is your favorite season?

 

A Whole New World

When immersing yourself into a whole new culture brings a new lifestyle, new language, new friends, new changes, and much much more. I thought I would share some attractions from all over the world that intrigue me/ places I’d love to visit. Starting with one of the many Tokyo capsule hotels. I would love to experience the feeling of staying in one, from what I’ve seen in pictures it seems very cozy and that is why I’ve always wanted to go visit one. Another sight in Japan I’d love to see is Mount Fuji. The sunrise from the top of the mountain is such an ethereal sight, I can only dream of experiencing it in real life one day. (Featured Image) Now, traveling to South Korea, the Seoraksan mountains. There are trails on the mountains and along your way, you’ll experience lush plant life, waterfalls, and animals along your hike. Another place in South Korea is Myeong-Dong which is a long street of clothing stores and food places.

Now going all the way to Thailand, another place I would want to go is the Patong islands. They are very tropical and relaxation oozes through the pictures. In addition, I would love to see the Grand Palace, built in 1782, it would be amazing to see the history the palace brings. And the last two places are located in Germany and Ireland. Honestly, I would be ecstatic to visit anywhere within those countries because my ancestors are from there so it would be great to see the places I’ve come from. So, I don’t have any certain locations I would like to visit there. Now, I’d like to ask you, what places would you like to visit?

 

 

 

 

Mount Fuji from Mount Ogochi Sunrise by Alpsdake is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Magnificent Melodies

Black Record Vinyl Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.com

I think having a diverse music taste really opens your mind. Exposing yourself to new things that you end up enjoying can really inspire you. My music taste is so diverse, I listen to pretty much anything. Liking all kinds of different music opens a door in your mind to so many differing cultures. If you are a person that plays an instrument it really helps when you are writing new music because of the diversity in what you listen to, you can take inspiration from virtually all over the world. Kinds of music I suggest you try out are Korean pop, Indie, Chinese pop, and Japanese rock. Latino music has gotten very popular over the years, but if you have yet to listen, I highly recommend trying it out! Music is a very easy way to connect yourself with different cultures if you adopt a broad taste in music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CC 0 Public Domain License

Labels

All my life, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always hated labels. Why are they necessary? Why do we use words to separate ourselves from one another, we are all humans after all. The use of labels to put down other’s culture is intolerable, why does it matter if a person is a different race? The number of racially intolerant people has me truly amused. I cannot comprehend why others put people down because of something they can’t change. The most pitiful excuse a typical racist “American” has to say is, “This is our America, we were here first.” However, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth. The Native Americans were here before us but nobody wants to talk about that. Their people are still living in poverty and have some of the highest suicide rates, and because of who? Us. I feel that this whole issue blew up just a few years ago. There is just so much hate in the world. We need to learn the definition of unity once again, we need to all come together, we all should be at peace with one another despite our differing opinions. Because after all, we only have each other. We are all human, don’t forget that.

The Journey Begins

Hello! This is my new blog where I will be discussing the importance of learning about different cultures, the beauty of open-mindedness, positivity, amazing music and books, and much much more! With all of this, I hope to spread awareness to minorities and some things that you may be missing out on because of the lack of knowledge of different cultures. I hope you will enjoy!

“If you don’t go through life with an open mind, you will find a lot of closed doors”- Mark W. Perrett

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com