Six Years of Life

Guest Post: Kaleesha Williams

Kaleesha is a dear friend of mine. Our friendship started out right here on my blog. She and I finally met at an atheist convention several years ago and we really clicked. Our kids have also become wonderful friends to one another.
This post is something she posted on Facebook earlier today and I thought it was marvelous! 
Congratulations, Kaleesha, on your first six years.  💙

Saturday was a significant day. I didn't mention it then, but I treated myself to some celebration for being six years religion-free. Hallelujah.  

Six years ago my then-husband and I studied our way out of the Bible. On Sept 22, 2012, I laid down the book and rejected its god. For me, it meant freedom beyond words (but I tried mighty hard to find them and even published a whole book that probably didn't do the journey justice, though folks seemed to enjoy it anyhow).

I didn't lose faith, didn't get angry with God and reject him -- my belief simply dissolved in the light of reason. I asked the questions, I found the answers, I closed the book and opened my eyes, slowly shedding a lifetime of indoctrination. 

I had been a devout follower of Yehovah God and Jesus Christ my entire adult life. It shaped EVERYTHING and so EVERYTHING changed.

For six years now I have enjoyed the freedom and owned the responsibility of a life without a deity. I escaped a miserable marriage on the back of this, and as a single parent, I have learned to provide the stability my family needs, the stability that was under constant threat before, bound to a broken man (not a bad one, just very broken) by religious ideals. It's difficult; not gonna lie. But it's not as hard as trusting my life to the whims of an imaginary Father or bending my worldview to an ancient, misogynistic religion with the constant mantra of "my life is not my own."

Fuck. That.

This is MY life. Fleeting, achingly beautiful, wretchedly painful, whatever I want to make of it. Mine. None of it has been a mistake, not the religion, not the marriage, not the children, not the time in prayer. I embrace it all. It's mine. I own it. I will own my past. I will own today. I will own tomorrow.

But I will never again tell a child or another person that they are sinful, born broken, destined to always fall short. YOU -- yeah you, reading this now -- YOU are an amazing human being, exactly the way you are. Don't be ashamed of you! You were not created for a purpose -- make one for yourself. Enjoy your time on this rock because it's probably all you've got. Do the dew, climb the mountain, swim the sea, kiss the girl, get the tattoo, eat the soup, read the book, hug the friend, feed the wayfaring stranger.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I just wanna celebrate freedom this week as I think about how hard-won mine was.

Peace out.

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You Might Also Enjoy:
Free to Be
My G2R Talk
The Greatest Gift

Please check out the links in the story.
They are to Kaleesha's book on Amazon.  

Being 75 and Not Knowing

Early last year I started a writing group here in town. I had thought that at least a dozen friends were interested but when the dust settled there were just three of us. We meet weekly at a nice little coffee shop in town where we write over steaming mugs of coffee or tea, amid the detritus of salads, sandwiches, brownies, cookies. We three bring our journaling books and our favorite pens. We use various sources for writing prompts. We share our writing with each other.

Sometimes one or more of us will bring in some samples of our personal writing from the week to share with the group. This week my friend Carol brought in a piece she called Being 75 and Not Knowing. I don't know if it will move you, but Peg and I gave her a well-deserved standing ovation, right there at the table.

Guest Post.
Carol has given me permission to share her piece here with you.
I hope you love it.




Being 75 and Not Knowing

at 75, I have felt, an apex should have been in order
the climb to the mountaintop accomplished
after all, we think the elderly wise.

but I find that there are more questions and more doubts than ever
even the doubt of a personal existence

after all, we are newly born at the cellular level every 7 years
maintaining our assumed identity only by guidance of the DNA passing from cell to cell
and we are mostly water and space 
relative football fields of space at the micro level
electrical pathways processing our actions and reactions

and my thoughts are not myself, flitting as they do
across the fields (and sometimes mine fields) of my mind
they come and they fly like whispered dreams

mooji says it is all nothing, nothing, nothing
no mind, so self, not a thinker but a witness to thought
then what is left?

I have yet to comprehend these quiet teachings
sleepy even while hearing his voice,
mind wandering to the next distraction.

At night I lie in bed with my tiny dog
who snuggles under the covers, twitching ever so slightly,
as her muscles slowly relax from her day of terrorizing squirrels
and I wonder if she is happy in this home?
or is it just the basic needs of food and warmth and petting 
that she cares about
I ask her, are you happy? but happy is a word she does not know
I am happy with her
her unbounded joy upon my return home enlivens me
grateful for her unadulterated being,
she has no concern for mind, not mind, self, not-self

but I am 75 and I do not know
and perhaps that is enough
the question and the not knowing are enough.

 Thank you, Dear Carol.  💗

Guest Post: Lizzie Wants World Peace

atheist blog

Guest post: Lizzie Wants World Peace

A couple of months ago in April, Lacey and I went to Chicago to see a Korean pop band called B.A.P. While the concert and trip itself were AMAZING and worth an entire post or eight plus pictures, there was one part of the concert that really stood out to me.

There was one part of the concert, somewhere in the middle, when the lights went red and the word "WAR" was on the screen, large and clear for everyone to see. After about a minute and a half of looking at the word, it gets smaller and suddenly all of the wars from the past 100-150 start scrolling past nice and slow. There are a lot, and past the mid 30's or 40's the scrolling speeds up and there are STILL more and more wars. I just kept going and going until the 2000's, where there were more names. The list was staggering. Every time you thought it was going to stop, it just kept going and going.
In the documented history of humans there have been approximately 286 out of  3,400 years of peace. Of no war whatsoever. Just 8% of our recorded history has been without war and it kind of struck a chord in me. 

The boys then performed One Shot which I have linked to with English lyrics. The song itself is very powerful and the music video is very intense and rather upsetting to some, but it surely gets the message across. 

How long are we all going to hate each other? How long are we going to have to fight over things that should be human rights? How long do we have to fight for what is clearly not ours? Why do we have to have country borders and hatred between them? Why do we simply hate people because they don't believe that a man in the sky exists? Because of who we love? Because of our god damned skin color. We're all different, but that's what makes it all so amazing. We have so much to learn from each other, so why does it always have to resort to years of fighting when something goes wrong? Why do people enjoy the concept of war anyway? What is the romance of bombs, bullets and death? Why can't we all get along? 

B.A.P is right. We only have one life, one chance at it, so why are we spending all of our energy hating people because of such trivial things? Why don't we spend it loving and learning and traveling without having to worry about what would happen if our country loses whatever war is going on now? Why is war the only way to decide things? We have one damn shot at life, and we need to make it worth something. We have to make it happy and healthy. Some of us have more time than others, so we have to make the most of every moment. Let's not waste time fighting.

Gemma Says This About Homeschooling

I was contacted by a mother who is working to support her family 
with her freelance writing. 
She wrote this piece for homeschoolers.
Although she is not a homeschooler, she sure tried and I applaud that!
I'm happy to support her efforts

The Financial Cost of Home Schooling your Child

Deciding whether or not to home school your children is a big decision, and should not be taken lightly. Aside from sorting out the logistics of turning your home into an arena fit for education, there are also matters such as the quality of education and the lack of social time your child will receive.

If you decide that home schooling is the right way forward, then the only obstacle that remains – besides ensuring you actually have the time to be the teacher – is to make sure you can afford it.

Fortunately, the amount of money home schooling costs per year can vary significantly, and if you’ve even thought about it then it’s likely that you the budget to go ahead with it.

Free Time  

Naturally, if you’re going to be home schooling your children then you (or your partner) need to have the free time to actually teach them. This means that, barring part-time work, you’re most likely a single-income family, and if someone is giving up their job to be the teacher then the cost of lost income has to be factored in to the overall cost of the education. For example, if the education only costs £500 a year but a £20,000 salary has been lost then you’re going to feel the cost of home schooling much more than just £500 worth.

Of course, only you know the state of your finances; it may be that you’re in a position to give up the job. However, it is worth mentioning that it’s not fair to the children if you try to fit in a job on top of home schooling to bring more money in to the home. No matter how hard you try, their education will inevitably end up suffering because of it.

Cost of Education

Sending your children to a traditional school can be expensive. You need to buy clothes, materials, backpacks, textbooks, transport to and from school, and a whole host of other expenses. Teaching your child at home can do away with a number of these expenses, and can actually end up being cheaper than traditional education, in many cases.

However, these expenses don’t just disappear – the home still has to be stocked with pens, pencils, notebooks, and textbooks. Depending on availability and the subject, you might have to spend a significant amount just on the subject materials alone. Additionally, you’ll also have to pay the examination boards the cost of the exam – which can be as much as £100 per exam.

Extra Costs

Part of the beauty of home schooling is the flexibility it gives the parent for how they teach their child, but these creative ideas cost money, too. A trip to see a castle you’re studying in history will be a lot of fun, and undoubtedly beneficial, but you have to factor in the cost of the entrance to the castle itself – which could be £10 or more per student – as well as the cost of the petrol to get to the site.

There are also basic infrastructure costs, too. Modern schools are fitted with excellent technology, so at the very least you’ll need a decent computer for interactive learning. Wi-Fi is also recommended. While you may already have those things, it can be a big initial outlay, especially the computer, if you haven’t.

Finally, studying at home will mean that your energy bills increase. It’s unavoidable – after all, the bills for house that needs to be warmed throughout the day will be much more than a house that lies empty throughout the week.

Conclusion

The benefits of home schooling your children are plain to see, and it’s no wonder that parents who do home school the children often say they wouldn’t change it for the world. Still, it’s necessary to review your financial situation before jumping in to the exciting voyage that is home education; make sure you consider what’s best for your child rather than just what you want, because an education without financial backing is unlikely to be much of an education at all.

If it’s financially viable, then wonderful, and welcome aboard! Like the other home school parents out there, you’re sure to find out just how rewarding it is to spend each day with your child as they grow into young men and women.

Links

https://www.gov.uk/home-education

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/good-practice-resource-using-modern-technology-improve-english-alwoodley-primary-school

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/index.html

https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator

https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053.html

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education

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About Gemma:  I worked as a fitness instructor and then, after my studies, as a nutritionist for over a decade. On becoming a mother a few years ago, I took a step back and decided to indulge my love of writing. Since then I've written on a wide variety of subjects.

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Stay tuned, 

the Carnival of Homeschooling is due out later today!

Guest Poster: Deidre and her Traveling Family

homeschooling families homeschool lifrestyle why we homeschool how to homeschool love homeschool homeschooling on the road unique lifestyle homeschool families australia homeschool

Guest Poster:  Deirdra
 
Please meet my friend Deirdra and her family.  They are homeschoolers here in Australia with a unique and intriguing lifestyle of living in an RV and traveling all over the country with their children. Deirdre and her husband Mark and three of their four children have a burning desire to see Australia and beyond!  You can now find them living in their caravan and traveling indefinitely... 

Deirdre and Mark and their gorgeous family

We began selling our belongings last August. It was painful to begin with but as we got going we couldn’t wait for the next garage sale. As the house emptied out, we bought our camping chairs and a few other bits and pieces and “practiced” living with the basics only. In the last couple of weeks we got down to air mattresses, a chair, bowl, plate, cup and not much else each! We left Mackay for Ireland in November and spent Christmas there with my folks. They didn’t understand why we wanted to live in a caravan when we got back to Australia and got one heck of a shock when they saw the plans of it. They thought it would be much bigger- we thought it was huge! 

January 14th came around soon enough and we were back in Brisbane moving into our new caravan. We could hardly contain our excitement, after a couple of years in the planning, the dream had come true and we were now living it. Our eldest daughter, who is at university in Brisbane soon brought us down to earth. She was quite shocked when she saw inside the van and couldn’t imagine how five of us were going to fit in it - it’s smaller than her flat! Well, it’s been eight months now and we’re still finding it comfortable. We don’t see it as confined space living, quite the opposite, we have the whole of Australia to live in!

Cushla on the island of Vanuatu

We had already been home schooling for over a year. As we were going to travel and not have a consistent home school group anymore I decided to enroll in a distance education school for support. In late January we spent an afternoon with our new head master. By the end of the meeting we were all very happy with the curriculum that had been decided upon and so we went on our merry way to begin our journey. Our distance ed school has a few teachers throughout Queensland and they run a couple of workshops each term. The head master turns up at most of them and he has gotten used to us popping up in different areas too! 

I think we have the best of both worlds. I can educate my kids in a way that suits our lifestyle, I have teacher support via Skype if I need it, a teacher to do the reporting for me and the kids get to go on school camps. One of the teachers has been a volunteer at Mon Repos during the turtle nesting season for many years. At the end of summer we will be heading south again to the family camp there. We can hardly wait to see the thrills and spills of the turtle hatchlings scurrying across the beach to the ocean.

Mark works as we travel, running a small business showing people how they can prepare for a better retirement. This works out well for us in that we stay in a new area for around six weeks. While he is seeing clients we are doing school work. Often we are able to find a local home school group to join in with their weekly meet ups and make plenty of new friends along the way. When he’s not working, well - that’s time for what we love to do the most, exploring new areas! Clearly we don’t have a daily routine! I check out Marks diary and see what appointments he has and work out when and what school work can be done. The kids might start at 6am some days, not often though. Other days they will do their full days school work and ask for tomorrow's and get half of that done too into the evening. They will manage their own time depending on how many other kids there are around to play with or what touring we can fit in. I do have one routine though. As soon as we have parked the caravan in a new town we go to the tourist information centre and have a good chat there. You can learn a fair bit from the internet but nothing beats talking to a local. The second stop is always the library and we come home loaded with books.

We have no fixed plans and have learned to be very flexible! Because Mark is working as we go we expect to take around 4 years to get the whole way around Australia. He won’t be working at every stop, only in the larger towns. We are thinking of leaving Queensland after the Mon Repos Turtle camp but where are we heading? No idea – yet! A lot will depend on my daughter  Cushla’s education. She will be in year 11 next year and would like to do a diploma in reflexology. Unfortunately this can no longer be done online. So, we are looking into various natural therapy colleges, preferably ones with lots of campuses as we don’t want to spend a whole year in one place! 

We are getting there. There are some that will allow her to do a term in each state plus a few units online so this would suit our travel plans nicely. All of the colleges we have spoken to so far would be happy to have her as a student even though she is below school-leaving age. As soon as they hear we are homeschoolers and are traveling they recognize that she would very likely have the maturity to complete the course. TAFE on the other hand is a different matter, less flexible, plus the new government is overhauling the rules at TAFE so until that is done we wait to see where we will travel to after Queensland. It’s an adventure... 

Now, off to Capricorn Caves!

*************

If you are interested in reading more about Deirdre's adventures

and those of her family,

please follow her at her blog site

Family Going Places

Deirdre,

THANK YOU

for generously sharing your family with us!
We miss you in Brisbane!

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:  Funky Family Homeschooling
Or try this one:  Guest Post:  Get Them to Read

Guest Post: Get Them To READ!

Cathy and Friend

 

 

A DEAR friend of mine and a fellow homeschool parent and blogger, Cathy Earle, recently posted this on Facebook and I asked her if I could just pass it along "as is" and she was happy to let me.  

 

For all of the parents who just want their children to PICK UP A BOOK, here is a wonderful story for you!

 

 

 

I was once asked to teach a voluntary after-school class for kids who go to public school and who were resistant to reading. They thought they didn't like reading, and I was asked to try to motivate them to read something...anything.

Of course one thing the kids in the class and I discussed for a few minutes was the idea that they did, in fact, read and enjoy reading -- when it was text messages and ____ [the kids filled in the blank with the kinds of things that they read as they pursued their interests--whether it was help boards for a video game or messages from an internet forum]...

I pointed out, "So, you guys DO like to read. When adults complain that you don't read, or don't like to read, they're talking about what?" And the kids agreed that it was books that adults wanted them to read. Textbooks, novels and other literature assigned for classes, and books for "pleasure reading" -- but which they never chose to do.

I forthrightly told the kids that I, too, usually felt quite resistant to whatever reading was assigned to me, but that I loved reading things I chose to read. And I told them that I had brought a pile of paperbacks that I loved, and that I hoped that some of them would love some of them, too.

And then I poured a mountain of paperbacks onto the front table, and grabbed them one at a time and gave a one-sentence sales pitch for each. I read the beginnings of many. The kids were champing at the bit to borrow those specific books to continue reading them. A lot of kids did read the books they borrowed, and a lot of them enjoyed the books. In some cases, they LOVED the books. Sometimes, not so much. No matter what, we were able to talk in class about the books we were all reading, and many times it was the kids' recommendations, more than my "sales pitch," that got others to borrow and re-borrow and pass on and on the more popular books.

I don't mind requiring reading in a class that is voluntary. But compulsory reading in a compulsory class is, in my opinion, just not cool. And it often ends affecting kids and their reading habits in a negative way rather than a positive one.

 

Please read more by Kathy at her blog:
http://every-day-is-special.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks Kathy Earle!

Welcome to my readers in Hong Kong!

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:  Homeschooling:  Chapter One 
Or you may enjoy reading:  More Writing Prompts 
Or try: Great Reads for Teens and Tweens: For the Love of a Good Gook

Funky Family Homeschooling

Shona

I've met some truly cool people who homeschool their children in unique ways.  As homeschoolers, we do what WORKS with and for our children, regardless of the social convention of our choices.  

Please meet my friendShona. Shona is an Aussie mom, married to a Kiwi, now homeschooling her eight year old son, Hadley.  She has older children who are now on their own and independent.  Shona has a small business called Funky Fabrix, a shop that sells unique fabrics.  Shona's business employs her daughter, which is cool.

I am simply COPY and PASTING her response to my questions because I think that her words are perfect!

Shona, Please tell me about your lifestyle and how it supports homeschooling.

I have 4 children, 3 grown up and independent, and one 8 year old Hadley.  We homeschool Hadley, who is on the Spectrum.  We have been homeschooling for about a year now.

We have always been addicted to travel, and have spent the last 10 years traveling as much as time and money allows, but now with the freedom of homeschooling we can extend our travels even further. It means we are not restricted by holiday times or by a timetable.  We have an online business so we are lucky enough to still generate a modest income while we are away.

At the moment we are spending 4 months in New Zealand.  It was intended to be a more permanent move, but it hasn't quite worked out like that, but that is ok, we like to go with the flow.

We are quite spontaneous people so we never plan too far ahead, if an opportunity arises to travel we take it.  It is like an addiction.  We would sell our house if we had to, just to travel!  I did not make my first overseas trip til I was 35 so I have a lot of ground to make up!  We have been to New Zealand 16 times in the last 9 years, to Europe 3 times, the US twice, and a few Asian countries as well. We are also just as happy jumping into our car and driving somewhere to do a bit of fossicking or just to discover a new little town.  

One of the things I do love about travel is watching how it educates our son.  I was once told by his year one teacher that she had never met a child with such a broad general knowledge.  He positively thrives when we travel.  I know most children on the Spectrum need routine, but to Hadley, travel is his routine.  You can never teach a child what they can learn whilst traveling.  There is no better education.  

What is your homeschooling style?

Sapphire Fossicking

Our homeschool style - I would say we don't actually have a style as such.  I guess it is more driven by Hadley's interests.  I am a strong believer in encouraging and nurturing a child's passion.  Most people call those passions obsessions (with children on the Spectrum).  I prefer to consider them passions.  Encouragement of these passions not only makes for one happy boy, it means one day he will get to turn his passion into his career and life and maybe achieve amazing things.  How do we do this?  At the moment he loves birds.  We make every opportunity here in NZ to go bird watching.  We take photos, we talk about the birds we see, we write a blog.  Hadley has over 20 books on NZ birds, both new and vintage.  He reads them from cover to cover.  He knows way more than I do.  He can identify any species, he can tell me about each bird, where they live, if they are native, what they eat…….I mean everything.  

Architecture Walk

I still try to stick to the basics with Maths and English and we use Curriculum books for both subjects but otherwise we don't use any set books or follow any curriculum.  All our conversation are teaching Hadley.  I studied Architecture, so when we arrive in a new town we will drive around and look at the buildings, we will date the buildings, talk about the Architecture style, we will look up the history of the town or city we are in.  In almost every conversation we have, we are all learning new things from each other.  His father does the same with his interests and areas of knowledge.  I am extremely lucky in that, homeschooling for us, is a joint effort between Jason (my husband) and myself.  

Hadley is an avid reader.  He heads straight to the adult non-fiction section in book stores now.  He will read almost any book you put in his hands.  He really does just teach himself.  He has told me he likes to collect facts and knowledge.  There really is no need to teach him a lot.  He does it all himself.  I am very blessed to have a child with such a thirst for knowledge.  It does make homeschooling very easy for us.   

Traveling so much makes it essential to pare your materials down to the essentials.
What do you consider essential?

Essential materials - books!  Access to a library, second hand book stores and new ones.  Access to the internet is essential for us too.  I often need to google something if Hadley asks questions.  His questions and knowledge are now often way beyond my scope.  That is scary considering he is only 8 years old!  We also believe travel is essential to his homeschooling too.   

If you could simplify your life, how would you do it?

To simply our life?  It really is not simple enough for us yet.  We do hope to sell up in Brisbane and live on some land, to remove a mortgage from our life and be free to travel the world whenever we want.  We are not materialistic people.  We don't need a fancy car, house or clothes.  We are happy with the basics of life.  I think being self employed, whilst hard financially in this economic climate, has been one of the most freeing things we have done.  It can be stressful but it is very liberating.  I think one of the ways to simplify your life is to stop worrying about what other people think.  It means they do not come into the equations when you are making decisions for your family.  I find that simplifies things a lot and means I am free to choose what we do and when we do it.  Leaving the schooling system has helped achieve that as well.

Hadley in Paris

Shona's eldest daughters, Kitty and Bella (and Kitty)

My sincerest THANKS to Shona for sharing her life with me today.

The decisions that her family makes are inspiring to me, the freedom and the dedication to her child's needs are truly refreshing.  To pick up your family and your life and to actually TRAVEL, as so many of us think of doing, is such a brave move. 
Thanks, Shona!

I am working with another friend of mine to share her family's unique homeschool lifestyle with you.  She is a very thinking and caring woman and she is aware that her words offer a unique perspective into the circle of her family and her home.  She is taking her time and choosing her words carefully.  But stay tuned, because they are very cool people.

I am motivated, moved and enriched by the journeys of these wonderful families and I hope that you are too!

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:  
Passion Fruit and Chloe
I am a Homeschool Mom 
Not Very Average 
Getting it Right 
Baby, I was Born this Way 
Habits for a Happy Homeschool

Alright Now: Time to Get Serious

 

Guest poster:  Elizabeth, The Doctor

Alright Now:  Time to Get Serious

Have you ever wondered what it's like to move away from everything you've ever known into the deep unknown of someplace where everything that lives there has one mission:  kill all humans? Well, it's not what you would call "comforting" to know that everything in the country (except for maybe koalas and kangaroos) has some amount of poison strong enough to kill you, or at least make you very sick.

Well, let's simplify things a bit. Imagine you're fifteen years old, just, and you move away from everything you've ever known and you're moving to a country you never REALLY take time to think about. It's a bit like that song Silhouette by Owl City. 
  
If you've never heard it, it's basically explaining an unknown grief and becoming a shadow because of it and asking if the pain is over yet. The lyrics are deeper than that, but that's the basic idea. For the first month or two I was in Australia, I felt like a silhouette but then, I used music to turn my life around and that is not being fake, either. 

Back in America, my best friend played guitar and she was so passionate about it and it was her dream to be a singer/songwriter/guitarist. I admired her passion for it and I decided to surprise her when I got home and learn how to play the guitar. So, I did. I got a guitar at a yard sale (terrible idea) and started guitar lessons. 
  
I'm going to be honest, I sucked.  It was awful, but it was only because the guitar wasn't as good as it could have been. So, I got a new one and I got more confidant with it. The more I learned, the happier I was. Then, my guitar teacher offered me private lessons because he was leaving the company he was with and the possibilities became endless. 
  
Then, quite by accident, my best friend learned that I was learning to play guitar. I'd Skyped with her multiple times over the course of my learning, but I managed to keep it a secret until I gave in one day. I sat out of the range of the camera, propped River (my guitar) on my knee and strummed. Her reaction was priceless. 
   
At the same time, I was taking an advanced acting class and it was changing me, too. Slowly but surely, I was changing. I remember who I was only twelve months ago and I see how dramatically I've changed, and not just my age. I've become a better person. 
   
The acting class showed me the real complexity of theater. I'd always seen it as two dimensional, but it showed me that there were so many different ways to attack a scene and so many ways interpret it. I met interesting people over the course of the class as well, and they each changed me in their own special way. 
   
Two of them showed me that being the new kid isn't always that bad. Two others taught me to have fun while I was here. One special boy taught me that love at first sight isn't always what it seems, that falling in love with him was the right thing to do, even if the feelings weren't reciprocated, and to appreciate my family and everyone around me, and never take them for granted because I never know when they'll be taken from me.     
   

Another boy taught me that I have to be conscious of my actions so I don't make people think things of me that aren't true. Pink Glasses and Scarf Stealer taught me that school kids don't all have the same agendas and don't all think the same way. There were more people in that class and each one of them taught me something different and I wouldn't have it any other way.
  
Along the way, I've discovered new bands and singers that have changed my outlook on life and they made me see all that life has to offer. They made me see that most of the time, taking risks can result in good things and to not be scared when approached with something new. 
   
Then, I found a singer who inspired me more than anyone else had to write a song! I didn't write the song about this inspiring singer, though. I wrote it about a boy I met while I was here and the complex relationship I had with him (and another boy at a previous time who had left his mark.) I just finished writing my song the other day. Well, I finished writing the words, but I still need to edit those and finish writing the music. So, it's not done, it's just one step closer to being completed. 
  
Recently, I showed the song to my guitar teacher and he said that before I left the country to go home for good, he wanted to record it - and he sounded dead serious. This was my big break and everything I wanted was going to happen. For the rest of the day and even now, I was glowing with the information and he told me that he would help me any way he could to help me perfect this song. 
  

While I was in the process of writing the song, I kept thinking about my personality and my view on life.  I thought about how I didn't really appreciate all that life had to offer and how I never really felt happy, save a few select times, and I realized I wanted to change myself and to help myself be a better person.  I wanted to change my views and, above all, I wanted to love and appreciate life.  
   
I've never really found myself appreciating anything. I mean, I appreciated my family and my best friends, but nothing else. I've never truly taken that step. I brought my concerns to my mother and she suggested, among other things, that if I really wanted to change my view on life and to appreciate life, I should start a gratitude journal and not only would I notice things more, I'd appreciate all the little things I didn't notice before. 
   
Twelve months ago, I hated everything. I didn't hate a few select people in my life, or my bed, but I hated everything. I hated my hair, body, voice, house, room, book choices, music, city, state, country, other people. I hated almost everybody whether I knew them or not. I hated everything whether it was mine or not. I hated my life, but in all honestly, I was barely living it. 
  
Now, I'm the complete opposite. I love everybody I know, meet, see, everything I own, all my music, and, well you get the idea. I care for myself now. I take careful note of what I put in my body and how I dress and how I act and everything. Maybe I'm not 100% confidant about my voice (singing) but I don't know (personally) too many people who are. 
  

There is one more person who had helped me mold myself into who I am today and we've never even spoken. Well, we have, but the maximum amount of words in the conversation was maybe... fifteen. We do have an unspoken bond, simply because we're both Whovians, but that's not the point. 
  
Every Thursday, I take my younger brother to his class and the guy who has had a strong effect on me is always there as well; let's call him George. George has a class as soon as my brother's lets out.  I can't get the courage to talk to him. We both just sit there in the lobby for two hours, exchanging glances and everything, but I forget how to speak whenever I see him. I know about George more than I should because he often talks to his classmates who show up very early as well. After several months of sitting opposite each other for two hours each week, I've developed a bit of a crush on him. 
  
After ages of trying to get the courage to talk to him, I thought about it and I realized that I had to talk to him and the only way to do that was the Four Cs:  Cool, Calm, Collected, and Confidant. 
  
Even though I ended up not going to talk to him because of the miraculous cold I got, I still felt armed with the Four C's and that fire hasn't gone out yet. I'm working on that social anxiety.
  

This boy helped me realize that to get anything done, I have to be happy, appreciative, and I have to have the Four C's. Unfortunately, I won't get the chance to speak to him for eight or nine weeks, but that gives me eight or nine weeks to be thankful for him, despite our lack of conversation. 
  
In short, I thought that coming to Australia would change my life, but not in a good way. I couldn't have been more wrong. I will leave Australia new, happy, cool, calm, collected, confidant, and appreciating the the world around me with no regrets. All the risks and all the new things have all been worth it and I'll never regret a single moment. 
  
Thank you, Australia, for turning me into the person I am today, and will be for the rest of my life. 

GREETINGS to readers in Latvia!

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