To Write With Passion

Do you ever wish you could reach out to someone to tell them some good news, but this person is no longer in your life and you have no way of communicating because you deleted all forms of communication long ago? Because at the time, you were so angry and hurt. I'm sure we all go through this at one point or another.                                         *** It's been a little over 9 months. And in the past couple of weeks, the year is slowly shaping out to be a good year. I was able to go on vacation for a week and a half and it was one of my favorite vacations I've been on. The first few days were completely liberating since I went off to Texas completely alone. I met some great people there, saw some amazing sights, and never truly felt alone during my time in both San Antonio and Austin. Then I went off to Orlando with my best friend to celebrate our 13 years of friendship. ...

Tenía 6 meses cuando mis padres trajeron a mí y a mis hermanos a los Estados Unidos. Querían una vida mejor para nosotros. Esperaban que tuviéramos más de lo que ya teníamos en México. Eso es lo que esperaban. I'm sorry, this is America. In America, we speak English. I was brought to the United States as a 6 month old baby with my siblings. My parents, hoping for a better future and more opportunities, uprooted our family here. That's what they hoped. I've been here for about 26 years of my life. 1 and a half of those years were spent in Mexico. One year was spent back in Mexico when I was 4 years old. I still had a visa then so we were able to go back. I was about 5 when I came back with a visa. Still a child and still naive to what our situation would later become. At 27 years old, I am an undocumented immigrant, or illegal alien as some would say. 22 of those years were lived with the uncertainty of what the next day would bring living here undocumented. I could ...

I know life doesn't change one day from the next or one week from the next. But I can at least say that life does change at least in small ways each day. The last week has been relatively better than the past few combined. I'm extremely grateful for the way this year has shaped out to be simply because everything that was thrown my way has impacted my growth moving forward. I can't say that life will be completely better from now on. I don't know that. I just know that I have to take small steps each day towards making that happen. I'm done dwelling on the past. Part of growing up is letting go of everything that's caused pain. And to do so, you need to forgive, forget and move on.  I'm not perfect. I'm not blaming anyone or anything. Shit happens. And this year has been a prime example of how making changes and taking risks can create an impact. Honestly, if someone had told me a year ago that I would have three new ear piercings, a hairstyle ch...

Time drifts away before we know it. Change is inevitable. We learn, we grow, and we find ourselves. Within this lifetime, we will come across people who will impact our lives in one way or another. We will create memories and begin new adventures. As we grow, we have to make difficult decisions. We have to focus on ourselves along the way and not let anyone or anything get in our way of bettering ourselves. Unfortunately, sometimes this means we need to distance ourselves from any sort of negativity that follows us. Whether it be an obstacle or a person that is getting in our way. I've learned a lot about myself over the past years and this year alone. I've learned about strength and perseverance. I'm sure there is still a lot left to learn, not just about myself, but about life itself. We will go through many obstacles that will test our strength. I firmly believe that we are only faced with battles that we can overcome and endure. It's up to us to decide how we wi...

 It's amazing what you'll find when you immerse yourself in nature. I would love to go on more adventures and further explore all the great views. Sometimes a breath of fresh air is all we need. We need to realize that there is so much this world has to offer. One bump in the road can't knock us down. We just have to get back on track and admire the view while we can.

Roberts Regional Recreation Area  There are days where I get the sudden urge to write and all I wish to do is write. Last night I began working on an old story I recently revisited, thinking it would be left aside and never completed. Recently, I've been inspired by many things that made me want to go back and finish the story. All that was missing was something that made myself get hooked into continue writing it, fleshing it out and starting over while only keeping a few details. Sometimes it helps to take a step back from your work if you don't feel satisfied and then going back to it until something clicks. This picture will serve as my model as the story takes place in a forest. I feel like the toughest part about writing stories for me is staying focused on one idea and not getting tired of it or thinking it's too plain. But writing is all about revision and we must write until we feel satisfied with the stories we wish to tell. Storytelling is a never ending...

"It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be." -Mitch Albom. This quote is from a book I recently read, The Time Keeper. It resonates with me more now than before. We live in a time where we worry about time going too fast or too slow. We worry about not having enough time. The truth is that life is short. Rather than worry about how fast or slow something is going, we should focus on the present. Time is constantly ticking. And often we forget that we live once. We shouldn't focus on time itself. If we do, we get lost in it and miss out on many things that life has to offer. People will judge and criticize, but it's up to you to decide when you want to move forward.