on bullying

Bullying sucks. There's so much more I could say about it, but really, when it comes down to it, it just sucks. A few years back, sometime in November of 2011, a few friends and I started a group chat after seeing this video floating around the internet. We wanted to make a difference, and we didn't know how. We went to one of our school counselors about it and asked her if she had any ideas of what we could do to help, and after discussing it for awhile, we came up with the idea of creating an anti-bullying group in our school, so that's exactly what we did. Nearly two years later, our group has grown to over 40 participants trying to decrease bullying in and around our community. We've gone to elementary schools all over our city to do anti-bullying presentations, mentored in a suicide prevention program called GRASP, and have even started a peer counselling program in our school. Basically, we're just trying to get the message out that bullying is not okay, because really, it's not.

Last week, a few of my friends and I finally finished filming and editing a video that we've been working on for the past 8 weeks or so. It's reached over 400 views in less than a week and we're really happy with how it turned out, so I just thought I'd share it here. Please feel free to share the video around and show your friends. Like most things, raising awareness plays a big part in trying to diminish, or even possibly end, bullying.

All I really ask of you is to think before you speak and treat others how you'd like to be treated. How much better of a place would our world be if it were bully free? 

the time me and my germans (and the austrian) went for coffee

My Germans leave for home in just over a month, and I'm already heartbroken just thinking about it. These girls have taught me so much in these past few months and I feel so grateful to have grown so close to them all. We went for coffee on a chilly spring day and played volleyball down in the park. Every single day is a blast with these girls, and this day was no exception.

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She was an average girl from an average family in an average town. She wasn't ugly and she wasn't pretty. She wasn't stupid and she wasn't smart. She wasn't unordinary and she wasn't extraordinary. She was just average. Just ordinary. She was one of many. Going through the same rhythmic pattern of life -- sleep, eat, study, sleep, eat, study -- until one day, she decided that ordinary wasn't good enough. She decided that she wanted her life to be different, that she didn't want to settle for average. She wanted to be different. She wanted to be happy, with lots of wonderful friends and adventures. She wanted to live a life that was nice to look back on. One with memories, stories, and good times. And average wasn't doing that for her. So she said yes. To hanging out with friends, to hikes with family, to trips, to adventures, and to opportunities. She said yes after spending her entire life saying no. And how good that yes felt on her average lips.

quiet waves and laughing friends

I went to the beach this weekend. We got there late, just as the sun was setting, and admired the beauty. We blasted the Spice Girls and danced in the sand, the bottoms of our socks getting soaked. We laughed and talked, and really just enjoyed life. There's nothing quite like the ocean at night, and quiet waves and laughing friends are the two sounds that I'd like to hear for the rest of my life. 

to the fair

  

From left to right: Mauwa, Maggie, Raphaela, Amelie, Maren, Johanna, Tanner, and Me.

The spring fair came to town last weekend, so since we're limited to about two fun things to do in this town (eating being one of them), a bunch of us decided to go. The night before I almost backed out because fairs are pretty dang expensive around here and I really didn't want to waste so much money on one day, but I am so, so glad I went. These people make my heart so happy, and we had such a good time that it was well worth the money. It always is in the end, isn't it?

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PS- I didn't want to bring my big camera because, well, ya know, rides and all, so all of these were shot with my iPhone. What a handy little thing!