Exploring Our Adventurous Side

"He tied his boat off. and started to climb the cliffs. He knew that no one had lived to tell what was behind the cloud, but he still climbed.""On the way to the top i could not help but to think about how far up i was and how much of drop it would be if i made one wrong move. But this was what i wanted the rush of becoming close to death if not actually dying. yes it's crazy but i have my mind made up. If i was going to die anyway why not die in an exotic way in a way that i planned and controlled. I, Jacob Black, Will have climbed to the top of the tallest mountain in Fiji alone and unequipped. But only to jump to my death."

The climb was long and it gave him way too much Time to think about his past and his life. It made him think about how he'd dream about a little boy climbing a moutain alone and slipping with no one to catch him or even care about his death. It made him remember how he used to be in love with how high birds would fly but never fall. Jacob began to wonder if all of those visions and dreams were hints that this, him jumping, was meant to be.

Jacob's mind began to race, "Almost there, are you sure you want to Do this? Keep your head in the game of course you do no one cares if your here today or gone tomorrow. so for this reason you must leave. Your doing the right thing by ending your own life rather than living a life of suffering. Two more steps until you reach the top. Don't bail out now this is what you came for. Nobody wants you alive your own mother told you she wish she had aborted you. You have nothing to loose. Jump, jump, jump now!"

He let his body become weightless and let the wind do all of the work. His body fell gracefully, peacefully, and slowly. The impact alone should have killed him but if it didn't the waves pounding against the rocks did. His limp body floated away. It seemed like his soul had left his body way before he hit the water. Like it had flown away with the birds above. Jacob Black had successfully committed suicide, but no one ever noticed.

Symbolism

A few days ago i had the weirdest dream. It felt so real and it was vivid. That's what confused me it didnt feel like any of my other dreams. I saw myself from a completely different view. So I guess you could say I had an out of body experience.

It started off with me asleep dreaming about my life. But I was watching myself dream. When I woke up I did my daily routines, I went to school, came home, ect. it skipped to me getting into a argument with my mom and I was yelling at her and telling her how much I wished she would leave and how I didn't need her. She told me that she wasn't guaranteed to be here and that I would regret it one day. Sure enough i watched her being buried. I stood outside of my body with a face full of tears and a heart full of sorrow and regret. But my physical body remained emotionless.

I think that my dream was a warning. I think that i take life for-granted and that i believe that people such as: my friends, my family, and people in general are always going to be around and i have time to apologize and make things right. I think this dream allowed me to open my eyes and realize that i need to make things right when i have the chance. it showed me not to put off what i can do today for tomorrow because tomorrow is not guaranteed .

A piece that i read recently that contained a great deal of symbolism is To Kill A Mockingbird by harper lee. The main symbol in this book was the title because it has a deeper meaning behind it. The book is about innocence versus evil. the evil is how money and society starts to change people even though it goes against their beliefs or how they were brought up. The innocence which is the mockingbird, is how the characters are before they get wrapped up in society and money, it's how in the end the characters stand up for their family with dignity. So i do believe that symbolism is important and can bring out the true meaning of something in pictures, or fewer words.

Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

I choose the picture with John F Kennedy's wife Jacqueline Kennedy who remains composed while covered In her husband's blood. She stands next to Lyndon Johnson who is taking the oath to become the new president. In the picture Jacqueline is wearing the same outfit she was when her husband was assassinated but from the way she keeps her posture and face so calm and fixed you would not be able to tell that she is caked in blood. She was rushed to one of the air force one planes. which looked crowded and probably made her feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. The people surrounding her and the vice president look shocked, worried, and unsure of what was to come next. Unsure about what direction the U.S was headed in. They looked like they were feeling so much sorrow for jacqueline and her family.

Jacqueline must have been beyond what words can describe as sad, angry, and disappointed. To watch someone fill your husbands spot after he was just just killed so harshly right next to you has to be by far the hardest moment ever. She had to be feeling so many emotions all at once but she controlled them so well. Which is why i am in such awe of her. She must have been worrying about how she was going to inform her children that their father was just assassinated. And how they were going to grow up without a father figure in their life. How he would never see them play sports, go to college or get married , all of these thoughts must have been flooding her head. She must of also thought about herself , How she was so young to be a widow and what kind of life she would have without him. I'm surprised all of these thoughts did not overwhelm her and bring her much grief.

I think that once jacqueline's job was over as a first lady she began to grieve as a wife would over her husband and she began her job as a mother. I think that she went home to her family to try to piece together what was left of their lives and to explain to her children that their father was not coming home. I think that is where she may have broke down because having to admit to your YOUNG children that their father is gone had to bring her the most excruciating pain. I think that jacqueline finally felt like she had time to process everything in the comfort of her own home where there was no paparazzi or news reporters.

Although there had to be over a million thoughts in her head Jacqueline showed how strong of a first lady and women she was. And i think that carried over into the country. Not only did the country have concerns about her and her family but about how the country was going to be ran. About if Lyndon Johnson had the same wishes for the country as Kennedy. About if more assassinations were to come. People were worried about the state the united states was in and was headed to. I think People began to wonder if we were still going to be considered a strong country, and if we were going to be able to prevent something like this or worse from happening again in the near furture or to any president in the future.

i think that the country has learned so much from jacqueline and her family. Families have learned how to be strong when they are needed to be for their family and how to keep it together. The country has became so much more prepared since the assassination. The president is so much more protected. from bullet proof windows and glass when they make speeches to the increased amount of secret service agents. Our country has adapted to situations like this and has done everything to try to prevent another tragedy such as this one from occurring again.

Atlanta Georgia

My first time to Atlanta was my last time. What was suppose to be a fun easy trip with my sisters turned out to be a trip to hell! From the arriving day to the departing day the trip was a disaster. It was fun looking back on it but crazy and aggravating when we were experiencing it.

It all started when my sisters jennifer, Krystal, Stephanie, Keysha and I were packing things that we would need."hey Steph uh umm what should I bring,because I know we are only staying for like five days but I need options shoes, heels, sneakers, boots. Like we might want to go out to one of the spelman's parties/ balls and that means I'm going to need some dresses too"

"Well you can bring two pairs of heels and two pairs of boots and then your sneakers but as far as dresses you got some at my dorm down there already and it's more malls down there anyway."

I guess you could say i kind of overpacked because my suit case bursted and was not repairable. I was so so pissed I had to share a suit case with Krystal I could only bring one pair of heels and boots because her suit case was already full! Plus all of my clothes were balled up in her bag.

Okay, then there's the flight problems! Our flight left at 7:45pm on the dot so we figured we'd leave at 3:20 just in case there was traffic on the way to laguardia airport. Also so we could still be there two hours before. Everyone had there boarding pass on there phones and was ready to go. Only thing is, is that by the time we got through traffic and checked in my phone had died completely and my charger was in my bag that we had checked! Panicking I asked everyone I could find if they had an iPhone 5 charger I could use just for ten minutes before the flight so I could board the plane. Exactly fifteen minutes. Before it was time to board a man lent me his charger.

After boarding the plane and flying for about four hours straight we arrived in the heart of ATL. Tired and relieved we decided to just go back to Stephanie's dorm at spelman and relax for the night. For the next few days we partied every night until Krystal got a little to rowdy and was ready to fight some girl who had spilled her drink on her shoes. Long story short we were kicked out of the party by the police and security. Not only were we forced to leave the party we were forced to leave spelman because they said they could not afford that kind of reputation.

Having to go home early to face our parents was the real nightmare. Having to tell them Krystal got wasted and destroyed the hall was never going to be acceptable 22 years old or not. We did not hear the end of it ever! My mom yelled and then my dad and uncle and aunts and well yeah you get the point! They kind of told us that that was our first and LAST time going to Georgia since we didn't know how to act or behave ourselves. I guess you could say we learned our lesson... Never ever bring KRYSTAL along.

Superstorm Sandy

On October 29,2012 My family and I prepared for what was considered the worse storm in the tri-state area. Hurricane Sandy lived up to her reputation she destroyed hundreds of homes, boats, cars, and claimed multiple lives. Luckily my home was not damaged nor was any trees knocked down on our property. Hurricane sandy was indeed stronger than everyone thought she would be, but people were prepared. Or so they thought they were.

Once sandy's winds began to pick up power lines began to fall and power was lost. Not knowing how long we would be without power we connected out generator to as much as we could. We connected two lamps, the fridge, and the projector screen tv. Feeling like The power would come back soon and like we could manage a few days we were pretty calm.

The next few days we got a slap of reality 3-4 hour gas lines, no way to use our phones with no service or Internet, and boredom. We found open gas stations, service, and dunkin donuts in Cranford and Garwood. At night things were a little bit calmer but it was a lot colder. Managing to be in the dark was easy managing to be in the dark and cold with more than 5 people was torture!

We went days without hearing the news and it began to feel like the dark ages and like power was never coming back. When we heard that the movies was open we just had to go and get out of the house. Other days we went to the mall and relatives houses that had power. We began to run out of food and we needed to find a shoprite soon! Luckily the shoprite in Garwood was open and fully functional so we got food there. Repeating the same routines over and over everyday for 12 days we finally got power Saturday.

The Joy of Life

In the selection Chris is talking about how so many people give up there adventerous side in order to "fit" into society hoping that this will give them peace and joy. When in reality it's taking away there freedom to be able to explore life in completely different ways each day. Alex supertramp is talking about how people do not realize how conforming to society's demands affect them in negative ways rather than help them. I agree with Chris partially because Trying to fit in with everyone In society Will not bring you happiness or joy. I agree that it is indeed the adventure of life and not knowing what's coming tomorrow that brings people joy, happiness and Peace of mind. But sometimes you have to go with the flow and try to be somewhat civil And conservative to get to certain things in life.

Chris embraced and exemplified his beliefs by Being free and outgoing and not conforming to what society see's as right and wrong. He did this by being himself and speaking his mind. He also did not lose his sense of adventure, fun, and freedom. Alex took life day by day with a new start and different attitude everyday. Chris was carefree and it showed because he did what he wanted, went where he wanted, and this made him feel happy, free, and joyful.

My life has been conditioned to conformity and conservatism because I can't say or do whatever I want whenever I want without worrying about who's watching and judging me. I'm unable to do a lot of the things that make me who I am because of the consequences or having to think about what people think of me. Chris would most likely ask me do I enjoy living like this and is this my definition of being free and happy. He would ask me to name three things that I've done recently that I've absolutely enjoyed without worrying. Chris would probably tell me to do something exotic and fun without looking back and questioning myself. He would tell me to be 100% me for once.

Poems for Chris

"You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heath of life? The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light. If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. For life and death are one, even as the river and sea are one." - Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet  
I think that alex would have enjoyed this poem because he read a lot of books, quotes and poems about life. This poem is talking about the mysteries of life and death and how you have to understand them as a pair before you can try to break them down separately. This reminds me of how alex doesn't have a fear of dying and how he is so brave.

Memories

Delicate things,

Like butterfly wings,

Stir memories of my youth,

And sweet perfume,

From each fragrant bloom,

Carefree days and that’s the truth.

The sound of a bird,

Could always be heard,

Beneath the big old gum trees,

On the bank I lie,

The river nearby,

Feeling the gently blowing breeze.

Lazy days pass,

Lying in the grass,

When there’s no one else around,

Beauty fills my heart,

All nature is art,

Every day it could be found…

{©2008 Jan Brooks}

I think that chris would enjoy this poem because he really liked nature. This poem describes the things that you see, feel, hear, and smell outside and the beauty of it. This reminds me of how chris was constantly in the forests and how he liked nature more than he liked people.

Disasters in heaven

As I pack up what seems like my entire life it feels as If I've fallen short of things that I need. "Clothes, water, weapons, airline ticket check." Four suit cases lie all over my room waiting to be shipped to Victoria falls. Around three o'clock I left For the airport expecting to arrive in Africa at 4 o'clock in the morning the next day. Forgetting all about the guns and knives in my carry on I went through security, only to be locked up for 24 hours and being questioned delaying my flight til the next morning at a completely different airport.

After arriving in Zimbabwe weaponless i picked up my rental car and took a trip to the grocery store picking up all non perishable food items i saw. By this time it was dark and i was completely unprepared to stake out in the forests surrounding victoria falls. Hot, tired, aggravated and already ready to return home i decided to check into a hotel for the night. The next morning was a lot better i was ready to take on the biggest challenge of living in the wild (or so i thought i was).

In Victoria Falls i faced bites from bugs unidentified and sickness on the first day. My body became swollen from unknown reasons. But i knew that this was what i wanted, that this was what was going to either make me or brake me and i came prepared to fight until the end. Night after night i recorded my experiences hoping that i could look back on them one day and smile saying i did it. I began to understand the natural beauties of the world and the way life worked. the way the flowers and trees complemented each other and the way the way the animals depended on these beauties to survive every day.

I stayed in Victoria Falls for 11 months and 3 days having to leave because of a really bad infection i caught. Once i was cleared to go home and doctors told me i would be fine i became sad and depressed that the time had finally come for me to return home. Home in Plainfield i knew that i had to change the way i treated earth and i had to appreciate everything so much more. No more littering and pulling up flowers or leaves off bushes because i wanted to. After Victoria falls there was a new and better me.

Guilty or Innocent?

Audrey's death was indeed a mistake, although it was 100% preventable. Audrey's death was caused by two main factors, her love for Pipin and her Ego. Audrey was determined to find out what her husband was in love with that kept him in the ocean and how the experience was for him. Driven by love and the urge to be there with him 24/7 she became a free diver, falling in love with the sport herself. Audrey soon became a better diver than Pipin and a lot more competitive.

Knowing that she would be able to break her husbands record or come close to it made her feel the need to dive deeper and deeper. Urged on by Pipin but also by her wanting to keep him safe she decided to dive a depth deeper than 500ft. Audrey was what people may considered unprepared or unsafe. she wore no inflatable wet suit and did not take any of the other safety precautions. But still while Audrey was under water she had the option to take air from the tank but SHE decided not to. Which may have saved her life in the end had she chose to use it.

A Trip Into the Wild

Where are you going?

I plan on going to one of Africa's most beautiful places to visit, Known as Victoria Falls. This waterfall is not only surrounded by other great parks, and safari's it is located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. I choose this place because it's something that i've never done or seen before that i have a great interest in. Being in Victoria Falls would take away all of my stress, problems and pain. Being there would show me one of the beauties of the world that you do not get to see in America or in a crowded city. This landmark is not only peaceful but it's filled with life and different types of adventures and challenges all of which i enjoy.

How long are you traveling?

I wouldn't set a specific time frame on how long i would stay. I would stay until i felt like there was something else i needed to see or something better. I would stay until i've seen everything Victoria Falls has to offer Physically, and mentally. I wouldn't give myself a time frame because i have a very bad habit of falling in love with something or somewhere and wanting to stay forever, which would be the case here.

How do you plan to travel?

I plan on traveling by Plane and by car. I would travel by plane because it is the quickest way of getting to Africa. Once in africa i would rent a car to travel in because along the way to Victoria falls i would stop at many other places. Having a car would allow me to Roam freely where ever i wanted to go or felt like i needed to be at that moment.

What will you need for your trip?

I would bring a month's worth of clothes,  and about 20,000.00 or more. This money would go toward non perishable food items that i could heat up using a pan and a fire. I would also use this money to fill up the gas tank on my car and whatever other expenses i ran into. I would also bring Blankets, a first aid kit, tylenol, benadryl,matches, and a weapon of some type. The blankets, medicine, and first aid kit would help me if i ran into any type of injury, or harsh weather. The weapon would be used for protection if needed or hunting if food supplies became scarce.

What do you want to accomplish on your trip?

I would like to accomplish inner peace on my trip. I would like to be able to look at the world differently and with more respect for nature and its living things. This trip would help me recognize how much i have already and how much i don't realize that not everyone has the luxuries that i do. Which would make me appreciate everything way more than i do now.

How will you record this experience?

I would keep a diary of my day to day emotions, experiences, and feelings. i would also take photos to go along with what i've been seeing. I would create a blog or a website about my experience once i made it back to America. Once in America again i would do everything in my power to show people there was way more to the world than what we've seen or heard about.

Games, Clothes, And more!

This blog is about all of the new video games out and ratings and reviews on them. I found the blog interesting because i really love playing new games on different game systems and challenging others. The blog authors are all graduates and they have or have had a career in game design or computer programs, so i trust their judgement on games. http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/our-team/?doing_wp_cron

The next blog that i fell in love with is about fashion..! because every girl loves a nice outfit and a matching pair of shoes! (especially me!) this blog has amazing outfits put together for all times of year and different occasions! http://stylorectic.blogspot.com/

The author of this blog is just as excited and in love with reading as me (if not a little more!) She is very detailed about the books she likes. Which is great because now i know what they are about and if they're worth reading. (which so far they have been.)  http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

Think Different

Yes i agree with the Video Think Different. I think that this is important because so many people get caught up in stereotypes about how we should be, or what society wants us to be rather than who we really are. If everyone had the mindset of being "normal" or fitting in a lot of things would not have been accomplished to this day. Such as inventions, the civil rights movement, ect. all of which affect the world today and make it a little bit better. I think that if a lot more people were who they really are rather than what society tells them to be we would not have a lot of the problems we do now.