Winona State University, located in Winona, MN, is seriously the best school I have visited/been to in the years I have been on earth. This college is not only perfect for my major of Nursing, it is also located in a convenient place within the town. With a population of approximately only 30,000 people, WSU is located in almost the direct middle of the riverside town. Downtown is within walking distance, and there are always transportation, such as bike/car rentals, shuttles, and trains to get you where you need to go. On top of all that, the scenery at WSU is absolutely amazing! Though it is surrounded by buildings, in the springtime, the courtyard and town itself becomes very much so alive and bright, not to mention there is a gorgeous gazebo located in the geographical center of the campus. Our tour guide even said that it is so beautiful outside in the spring and summer, that most of the time, the courtyard and various parts of campus are filled with people sunbathing, playing catch, playing music, or even just studying. Campus is compact enough that if you live on the main campus, you could literally walk to every one of your classes, arriving at them within 5 minutes. WSU offers many clubs, tutors, and even intramural sports, so you can always find something to fill up your time when not studying, or catching up on some missed sleep! They told me that once I visited, I would see why 4 out of 5 people who toured at WSU decide to apply/attend. Judging by my amazing experience on a three-hour tour alone, I'd say that their prediction was 100% right.
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This of course, is a lot of girls' dreams: to be a queen. Ever since I was little, I have always admired queens. I can't tell you how many times I dressed up as a princess or some form of a queen for Halloween. And, of course, today the equivalents of queens would be beauty queens. These girls and women have the guts to go up on stage and do the best they can, facing judgments and rejections from A LOT of people. They are revered by teenage girls, and they are role models who have big hearts, and who spend a lot of time outside modeling doing charities and events. So, back when I was about 15, I had always dreamed of becoming a beauty queen. Unfortunately, I found out rather quickly that it was easier said than done. I have tried countless times to send my portfolios to local modeling studios, as well as to get a hold of some well-known beauty queens to get their advice to get my modeling career started. I can't afford to hire an agent to help me get this thing started. Until then, I would say that no dreams are unreachable, and maybe one day, I can in fact get my shot at being like the inspiring women you see on today. What's meant to be, will be. I've always loved blogs, especially the idea of them. I loved the idea of finding a place for common ground, a place where everyone could go to talk about anything and everything they want. No matter what it was, you could find a blog about it. It's nice seeing people talk about their emotions, fears, struggles, and feelings. In English this year, we had to do a blog for a project. After that unit, it came to me. I thought, why not make my own blog? So, I did. I created Viv Rie Ama earlier this month, and so far it is going well. I like blogging a lot, because it allows me to express myself and my emotions freely and openly, without feeling judged or restricted to what I say and post. If any of you have any ideas for blog posts, please please please let me know!
I've always been fascinated with history, especially when it came to the centuries of kings and queens. Queen Mary of Scots, Queen Elizabeth 1, and Queen Anne Boleyn were always my favorite queens to learn about, and I find the way they ruled their kingdoms very interesting. That is why, in a past life, I was a queen, or rather, I would want to be a queen. Queens to me have always been very influential. Many of them were strong, fair rulers. They cared for their subjects in a way that their husbands, the kings, could never do. I myself see similar traits with queens. I love diamonds, vintage dresses, elegance, art, and music. I have a certain appreciation for world leaders, and I often think of others as more important that myself. On the downside, however, I do tend to have a champagne taste in clothes and accessories, a trait my parents tease me endlessly about. Though most of the countries that used to have monarchies as rulers have banished, the queens of the European history still managed to transcend time and history as some of the greatest rulers in the history of the world, as well as role models to many. Such women will never be forgotten. Over the last few centuries, lace has always been a common fabric in clothes, especially shirts, dresses, and skirts. But now in the 21st century and in the last decade, I have noticed that the old fashioned fabric has in fact come back. Not only is lace vintage, sexy and cute, it is also very flattering to your body, and very trendy. Lace is appropriate on literally any special occasion, from a school dance to a wedding. When I went into the local Pacsun store in the mall (which I would recommend-their clothes are amazing), I was not at all expecting to choose a lace dress for my uncle's wedding. But, once I saw that LA Hearts seashell, cream-colored, lace dress, I knew it was the one for me. Not only did it flatter my skin tone and really showed off my figure, it was perfect for the summer season! It set me aside from everyone else at the wedding, and in a good way. I think I was the only one really wearing much lace, but I felt absolutely gorgeous in lace, and that dress is probably my favorite dress in my WHOLE closet. No wonder the stars are moving more into the lace craze! So, for your next party or event, I would suggest choosing a lace dress, blouse, or skirt. You will have everyone's heads turning, in a good way! "And these few precious days, I'll spend with you..." A quote from September Song by Walter Huston.
I have made many mistakes in my life, and of course that is expected, all of us are humans. Mistakes are what make us who we are. The other day, I visited my grandmother's grave. It was right before the 15-year anniversary of her death. I was just three (about to turn four) when she died after a very long battle and fight with colon cancer. Though it was barely my fault for her death, nor the fact that I barely saw her all that often, I have always felt that I could have done something better one way or the other. I could have been there for her more. I could have visited her more often, and pushed my parents until they caved. I could have been a good granddaughter, and instead of selfishly focused on myself, as any other three-year-old does, I could have just taken a few minutes out of my day to say, "Gramma, how are you doing today?" Although I do regret not doing that, the one thing I regret most is never saying goodbye to her. I wasn't there when she died. I didn't understand that after I left, after sitting on her lap and entertaining her for hours in her hospital bed, that she would be dead before I had a chance to see her one more time. In my three-year-old mind, it was never goodbye to me, it was more of an "Until next time". My parents had never allowed me to attend the funeral, which is the ultimate thing that sealed the worst regret of my life. My goodbye to my grandma, who was basically like a best friend to me, was taken away in the blink of an eye. When, at the funeral, I could have given at least one goodbye to her before she was forever buried in the ground, I wasn't there. I wasn't there to say my goodbye. The unfinished nature of my goodbye to my grandmother scares me to death, and saddens me, even to this day. Now, whenever I hear "the Old Rugged Cross", or dream of the funeral and goodbye I never got to experience, I only have that to remind me of her, along with the few memories I have. If only I could have that goodbye I've always wanted, but the words of September Song best describes how I feel about my time with my grandmother. Until we meet again, grandma Lorraine... "What is your worst fear?" You hear that question all too much. You hear it from family members, therapists, and even friends. I have come to find out that there are a lot of fears in my personal fear arsenal, but one sticks out more than any fear I've had, even more than heights or spiders. And that one fear is: change. I fear change the most, because that is how I've always grown up to fear. When I was younger, my grandmother, Lorraine, died of colon cancer. From then on, I have always been wary of what might be the repercussions that change brings. Though most change brings good things, such as college and new births in the family, but there is always something that comes along -a bad change- that changes everything and makes me think again that change is bad.
Change is scary to me. I enjoy my life the way it is right now, at this current moment. The fear of the unknown really drives my fear of change, they go hand-in-hand. I'd much rather know what would happen in the future if I had a choice between two possible changes, but obviously that just isn't possible. Life brings change, and with change, comes hope for a new and perhaps better beginning. Maybe someday, I can think of change as a good thing, but for now, it is yet another mountain I have to climb. One step at a time... The movie Eat, Pray, Love, as some of you may know, is about a woman who leaves her life in order to do more things that would make her more happy with life. One of the things that she does is travelling. If I were ever like the character from Eat, Pray, Love, I would know exactly what I would do: I would travel to Venice, Italy. Since I was a girl, I have always been fascinated by Venice, and Italy itself. Their culture down there is amazing to me, and not to mention the city is just plain beautiful. I would go there right now if I could. I want to explore, I want to go on a ride on an infamous Gondola, I want to see a part of the world I've never seen before. I would end the day by having a nice big slice of Italian pizza, extra cheese please! I would love it there, it is the perfect mix of romance, and beauty. Sometimes it's better just to leave your inhibitions behind, and have some fun in life! Take chances that may change your life, because in the end, your time is limited to do such things!
Now that I have shared what I would do, if you had a chance to go anywhere in the world, where would you go? And once you got there, what would you do? They say, "New Year, New Changes", and I would say that such a statement is true. So far, 2014 has shown my family a lot of change. I got admitted to my school of choice, Winona State. My niece is now six months of age, and that fact blows my mind! I will be graduating this June 10th, and moving out for my new college life on August 19th. Though all that has happened, some bad things have come my family's way. My brother got really ill back a month or so ago, so much so that the complications from his diabetes could have killed him. My grandfather's 6th anniversary of his death was March 2nd. But, with all sadness, comes new hope. Tyler has now taken his diabetes more serious, and better yet, my brother and his girlfriend of over 5 years are now engaged!
That's right, after 5 long years of putting up with waiting, Steph finally got to hear the question from Josh that she has been wanting to hear for years: "Will you marry me?" And of course, she said yes! Anyway, as I said, though life has its trials, there is always new light to shed on your world. New hope will come, just don't give up. With every new day, you get a chance to change your life and world for the better, so take that chance! Vive Rie Ama is latin for "live, laugh, love." As a daughter of a woman with MS and having a history of cancer in the family, I have learned that life is short, in every term of the word. You never know when your time will come. Along with that, you never know where every day will take you. So, I adopted "live, laugh, love" as my life motto. When I realized that I wanted to create a blog, I just knew I wanted the topic to be about my life, struggles, triumps, fashion, dreams, aspirations, and goals. Thenceforth, Vive Rie Ama was created.
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AuthorI'm just an 18-year-old girl, making a blog to express my love for fashion and beauty. "Hold fast to dreams, Archives
February 2015
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