Blogging

Blogging was a new experience to me.  I did not dread blogging at all.  I found it interesting.  I could read about people I didn’t even know.  It was interesting to see other people’s point of views on things.  However, people could read the same things about me.  At first it seemed hard for me to open up and let people I didn’t know read things that I wrote.  But after the first couple blogs it became easier, almost fun.  I liked reading other people’s stories.  I became regulars to some peoples blogs.  I would go to several people’s pages weekly to read their new blogs because the style of their writing interested me.

This semester went by very fast for me.  With the classes being short, I still feel like I got to know others in the class very well.  It was nice being in a small class.  The environment was invited and friendly.  I most likely won’t continue blogging, but I still hope to see the familiar faces from class around campus :)

Three People

My mom is very important to me.  She is the type of lady this is always looking to find ways to help others.  I rarely see her sitting down just relaxing.  If she’s not at work, she cleaning, if she’s not cleaning, if she’s cooking.  She is always trying to make life better for me and my family.  I look up to her and hope one day I can be as good of a mother as she is.  When you look at her you see a kind, natural woman.  She is naturally beautiful.  I have never seen her wear eyeliner of mascara in my entire life.  And she doesn’t need it.  If everyone was like my mom, the world would be a better place.  I wish more people could be selfless.

Addison :) Addison is someone that I love to write about.  He is the one person that is always in the back of my mind no matter what I am doing.  He is the love of my life.  I have always been into athletic guys.  He plays water polo and surfs all the time.  That’s one of the main reasons he moved to Hawaii... But the distance doesn’t bother me.  I love knowing that I still have a connection with him.  It is very strong.  It makes me feel like I have a reason to be living.  When I wake up in the morning I want to better myself.  Because he makes me feel like this, he is very important to me.  He will be in my life for the rest of my life hopefully.  

Nicole is one of my best friends.  I have known Nicole for about 15 years.  We have been neighbors for all my life.  I grew up going to school with her.  I know we shouldn’t get into races, but obviously I’m.  She is mexican.  I love it.  I feel like we are opposites and attract each other.  She is the only friend that I have that I can say i have never gotten into a fight with.  We have never argued.  She is the best friend that I could ever ask for.  Our friendship is something that I cherish.  We will always be close and after we are both done with college, hopefully we will be living close to each other.  

Topper's. Nom nom nom.

     I have been going to Toppers ever since I was a little kid.  When I was younger, I enjoyed the pizza there.  There is something very unique about it.  The crust on the pizza is perfect.  The end of the crust is crunchy and flavorful.  Also I think that the pizza sauce is amazing.  I’m not a big fan of sauce on other pizza’s because I don’t really like tomatoes, but I think that the sauce at Topper’s is sweet in a way and has a little zap.  Now that I’m older, my favorite thing to get at Topper’s is salad.  The salad bar at Topper’s is AMAZING!  They have all different kinds of topping and dressings.  When I get a salad I always get the darker green lettuce.  This is because it is greener and for some reason I think that it is better for you, but I don’t really know if that is true.  After I fill up half of my bowl with lettuce, I put a good amount of kidney beans, hard boiled eggs, and cheese.  Then I put the croutons on, followed by ranch.  Finally, I go back to the lettuce and much more on top.  I find it easier to eat the salad that way so the toppings can be in the middle.  Although this salad only has a couple toppings, it is extremely flavorful.  

     I recommend Topper’s to everyone.  I have never had a problem with any of my food there.  I go there with my family, my friends, and my teammates.  The environment there is nice.  There are tons of TV’s everywhere with all the games on.  When I go there, I always end up staying there for an hour or two.  It is a nice place to relax, catch up with family and friends, and enjoy a great meal all at the same time.

I forgot to reveal my truth!

I have been skydiving!!!

Freshman Year

This is my first semester as a college student.  At first everything seemed pretty easy.  I thought that only having class a couple times a week was chill.  I thought that not having a lot of homework was nice.  But then i had my first math test.  I didn’t do too great.  I did better thanmost of my peers, but that didn’t really mean much considering the grade I got.   What I have learned is that I need to study and teach myself everything from chapters because the teachers can’t teach us everything in class.  

I really like this English class.  Even though this teacher said that this kind of class, half online half in class, was the hardest, I find it very convenient.  I think it is nice being in class for a short amount of time and learning the little things that will help us write better.  All of the online stuff we can do on our own time which is nice.  No ones likes homework, but I would rather have all of these little assignments that add up, than having two midterms that determine our entire grade! 

Being successful is what motivates me.  I want to be the best.  I want to be better than everyone else.  This competitiveness I have motivates me in everything in life.  Just like I want to win soccer games, I want to beat everyone in class.  Even though I can’t beat everyone in everything, the drive to be the best keeps me going.  I try to do my best and so far things have worked out for me.  I do not look forward to taking lots of classes and being busy with work, but I know that if I want a better life for myself, then that is what I need to do.  

Guess the truth ;)

1. I once went to Italy and fist pumped with Pauly D.
2. I got married the day I turned 18 in Las Vegas.
3. I have been skydiving.
4. I ran away for a week when I was 15.
5. I have been bitten by a shark.
6. In mexico I was kidnapped, drugged, and sold for sex.

Paranormal Activity 3

I have been waiting to see Paranormal Activity 3 ever since I heard it was coming out.  I am going to see if at 12:00 on Thursday night.  I am very excited.  I hope that it is as good as I am expecting it to be. :)

Friendship

My opinion on friendship has changed over the course of my high school career.  I used to think that the more friends you had, the more cool and happy you would be.  I have found out through experience that this is not true.  I have four extremely close friend that I have close with for the majority of my life.  Everyone else I have come across paths with, either created drama with me or didn’t affect my life in any positive way.  That said, my perspective of people has changed.  I am friendly with most people, but try not to expect the best out of them so when or if they hurt me, I won’t be as disappointed.  

My perspective on people is kind of confusing.  I try not to judge people, but when I see people negative actions, I will remember them.  I try to remember the things that they have done so i can protect myself to stay safe.  For example, I had a friend that talked to my other friends boyfriend.  She was shady.  Because of her actions I was aware and did not trust her alone with my boyfriend.  Same thing goes with people that talk behind peoples back.  If someone is talking badly about someone else to me, then I begin to think that maybe they are talking badly about me to other people!  Trust is a big issue for me. Because I trust so few people, this makes me very close with the people that I actually trust.  My friendships are wonderful and mean the world to me.  I am not an anti-social person.  I am extremely friendly, I just have learned from experience not to always trust people with your secrets.  After my perspective changed, I noticed that I began to separate myself from the “popular crowd” and every since then my life has mostly been drama free. :)

Family

Family is the most important thing to me in the world.  I have two amazing parents, two brothers, and one sister.  Growing up I had some of the best memories of them.  Although siblings always fight and argue, they also are always there for each other.  Now that I am older I realize how precious that time I had with them was.  My sister and older brother are both away at college.  It sucks not being able to see them every day.  After they went away, me and my younger brother became very close.  We love to do things with each other and because he is younger we still like to tease each other.  Over the summer my older brother and sister move back home.  This is the best time.  We all can hang out and it reminds me of when we were younger.  

After my parents divorced things changed a lot.  Although the divorce hit be hard, I found positive thing that came out of it.  My mom was happier.  She found a new guy and got married. Even though this upset me I still do realize that she is a happier person now.  Also, I became very close to my dad.  I found out how similar we are.  Before my parents divorced I was extremely attached to my mom. It was hard going days without seeing her, but I managed.  Things are finally back to normal and I love that I can be close with both of my parents.  The only sad part is that my dad still loves me mom and he refuses to find another woman because nobody can compare. :(

In the near future I will begin to start me own family.  I hope to be married by the time I am 25 and start having kids before I turn 30.  The idea of having my own family and raising kids gets me really excited.  I love family so much and I hope that my kids will all be close with each other.  Another important thing to me is being athletic.  I want my kids to be into sports.  If not sports, I would like them to have a hobby so they can stay busy.

All in all, family is very important to me and I would do anything for any of my family members.  I love knowing that I will always have someone there for me.  Family is something I cherish and I hope that everybody feels the same way as me.

Not A Goodbye, But An I’ll See You Soon

I remember the day so clearly.  Rays of sunlight lit up my face.  Rolling over, I saw him.  He laid so peacefully.  His name was Addison.  Addison was a long time family friend.  We grew up going to church together.  There was something between us for as long as I could remember.  We just always had that connection.  It was the summer going into our senior year in high school.  We were both 17.  The best year of my life came and went like a lightning bolt.  Our relationship was something very special.  The chemistry we had was unbelievable.  

As he laid there, I couldn’t help but stare.  His golden brown body glistened as the sun peaked in through the window.  His lips we so luscious and soft.  I leaned in and kissed him.  Addison smiled and opened his eyes.  We gazed into each others eyes with complete happiness.  This was all about to end.

Addison lived in San Diego and I lived in Camarillo.  I went down to visit Addison for a week in San Diego but it was time for me to take the train back to Camarillo. Although having a long distance relationship was already hard, things were about to get worse.  That weekend Addison was moving to Hawaii for college.

Packing my bags for the last time, I began to cry.  Knowing I wasn’t going to see him for months killed me inside.  Of course I didn’t want to go home but I had to.  Finally  the time came.  The car ride for the shortest car ride of my life.  We arrived at the train station.  We sat together holding hands, trying to make jokes.  We both knew that within minutes we would say our final goodbyes.  He joked, “Did I give you enough to hold you off for a couple months?”  Laughed back, I said, “Of course you did.”  

I could hear the train in the distance.  We made eye contact and our smiles faded.  The scene is instilled in my head.  We walked hand in hand.  His warmth overwhelmed my entire body with happiness.  He was my happiness.  Without him I felt incomplete.  Within moments he would be gone and my struggle would begin.  We looked into each others eyes.  I said, “I’ll miss you babe.”  He replied, “I’ll miss you more.  But we will see each soon.”  Right then the train stopped.  I could hear its breaks squeaking.  People rushed out of the train and others quickly boarded.  So much was going on around me but I felt like I was frozen in time with him. I could not get in the train.  It was physically the hardest thing I could ever do.  He leaned in for the kiss.  I can still imagine the feeling of his lips touching mine.  A man shouted out, “Last call for boarding!”  We made one last eye contact and then I turned towards the train.  

Tears began to form.  My vision became blurry and I tried to brush away my tears.  I sat in the first seat I saw.  I just sat there.  Like a robot.  My face was blank.  I can imagine myself looking like someone who was drugged out on zanex; a blank stare, in their own world, checked out of reality.  All of the emotions overpowered.  This was too hard for me to handle.  So many thoughts went through my head.  It was like some one hit my upside the head and I got a reality check.  The guy I spent the last year with, the best year of my entire life, was gone.  I was not going to be able to see him, touch him, kiss him, hug him.  I couldn’t do any of it.  Sitting there, I felt lost and confused. 

Days passed.  The longest days of my life.  I was out of routine.  I felt like a lost child in a park.  It took me days to realize what I realized.  This was one of the best things to ever happen to me.  I had become so reliant on him for my happiness.  The realization was that it was time for me to focus on myself.  I needed to be happy by myself in order to have complete happiness with him.  Next thing you know I was back in school and playing soccer everyday.  For once I felt powerful and confident.  I felt like I could do anything in the entire world.  I needed to be without him to find myself again and I did.

Being at school, there were guys every where.  The other day I was walking to soccer practice and this guy stopped me.  He walked up with all smiles and said, “Sorry, I couldn’t walk by you and not stop and introduce myself.”  We conversed back and forth a couple times and then I continued on my way.  After this incident I concluded with myself that no one could ever compare to Addison.  Addison was perfect for me!  Some people say you just know when you find the one.  And I found that.   

I had found the one I was meant to be with for the rest of my life.  My feelings for him grew the farther he was away from me.  But I didn’t need him to be with my physically for me to be happy.  We could still love each other and be there for each other.  He could help me with my struggles and I could help him with his.  The power of our love showed me that there really is true love.  Him being away from me only made me stronger and more independent.  Pretty soon he will be back in California and we can be together and all the waiting and distance will be in the past and we can both move forward.  His leaving was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever gone through.  But it was for the best and my future can only get better from here.  

Oxnard Student

Jose Munoz, the first person I interviewed was one of my classmates.  Jose was born in Oxnard and is 19 years old.  The idea of expanding his knowledge and getting a career motivated him to become a full time student.  Because of his heavy homework load, he finds time to hang out with his family on the weekend.  When asked what his motto for succeeding in school was, Jose responded, “Don’t do drugs.”  Hearing this from a teenager is unique.  It is hard to find a teenager in 2011 that is drug free.  Jose went into college expecting strict professors, but was surprised when all of his teachers were “chill”.  He was also surprised that the students were friendly and very diverse.  In five to ten years Jose sees himself having a steady job.  He is still shakey on the idea of getting married and starting a family. Jose described himself in three words, “Odd, smart, and happy.” 

Attorney

Attorneys, or lawyers work in private practice.  They can work in law forms or be solo practitioners.  Attorneys practice in many areas.  This areas include criminal appellate, real estate, family, elder, tort, bankruptcy, health care, and much more.  Lawyers jobs are to advise clients with legal transactions, to conduct alternative dispute resolution sessions, to represent clients before administrative bodies of government agencies, and to research what laws apply to their clients’ cases.  

Salaries of Attorneys vary a lot depending on their experience, job duties, employer, and geographical location.  The attorneys that work in large law firms in urban areas usually earn the highest wages.  For most attorneys, their annual salary ranges between $49,180 and $145,600 according to the Occupation Employment Statistics survey in May 2005.  And according to the 2005 Associate Salary Survey by NALP, the average salaries for attorneys ranges between $67,500 and $125,000.  The more experienced lawyers that have worked more than eight years salaries ranged from $109,000 to $181,500. 

After time, attorneys look to find a higher paying or more prestigious job.  Some attorneys try to pursue completely different careers. For example, law professors, law librarians, judges, FBI special agents, politicians, and corporate executives.  

There is a lot of education and training to become an Attorney.  You must earn a juris doctor degree.  Also, in most states you have to graduate from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association.  A special requirement to practice law in a state is that the lawyer must get admission to the state’s bar association.  Also, to practice in a federal court, Attorneys must be registered with that court.

Some skills and personality traits that are key to being a good Attorney are being able to work well with colleagues, clients, and judges.  Experience is also good.  Law firms look for students freshly out of law school that have completed law clerkships in law firms, court systems, government agencies, or corporate legal departments.

Echaore-McDavid, Susan. "Attorney (Private Practice)." Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. <http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.aspItemID=WE34&SID=5&iPin=COLLI0001&SingleRecord=True>.

Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is a problem that has grown enormously since the advances in technology these past 10 years.  Now that the use of cell phones while driving has increased, the government is trying to get states to ban the use of cell phones while driving.  The results of using cell phones while driving can be deadly.  In September 2009, results from the NHTSA came back that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 people were injured because of distracted driving.  

In November 2009, 21 states banned cell phone use by all new drivers.  Also, in October of 2009, a Senator introduced a new bill that had a financial incentive to the states that chose to ban the cell phone use.  The is a lot of controversy about these new laws.  This is especially because the new drivers can’t even talk with a bluetooth while driving.  One teen stated, “Teens don’t really have any political power in society.”  

There was a fatal accident in September of 2008.  A train crashed and 25 people died.  The accident was caused by an engineer who was texting just before the crash.  This is just one example the deaths caused by cell phone distraction.  

Other distractions that concern people are women putting on makeup while driving.  Men also admitted to checking out other drivers being a major distraction.  Messing around with the radio and navigation systems are also distractions that lead to accidents.

In the future, Obama is working on new laws to help prevent cell phone use while driving.  Also he is looking for new ways to help enforce the laws that already exist.

"Texting While Driving." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Sep. 2011.

I mean we all text, but do we all sext?!

Texting, texting, texting.  We all do it.  Some more often than others.  But what is interesting about texting... is sexting.  I think that sexting can be a variety of things; talking about having actual sex, talking about sexually things you would want to do (fantasizing), and sending sexual videos or pictures.  While all these things are frowned upon and may be illegal depending on your age, a lot of teens and adults do this.  And this is what I’m curious about.  I think it would be cool to do an anonymous survey to see how many teens do this and how often they do.  I think its interesting that as technology gets better, people find more ways to do sexual things electronically.   

Another topic I think is important to talk about is texting and driving.  Because it is illegal to talk on the phone and drive; I find that it is more common to see people texting and driving.  I feel like this is even more dangerous.  Now I’m not saying that I don’t text and drive, because I do occasionally.  But I think that people should cut down on it because it is very dangerous and distracting.  People should be more aware of their surroundings while driving. 

T-SHIRT TIMEEE! ;)

I enjoy watching reality television.  I hate watching some other television shows because a criticize on bad acting a lot.  But, since reality television is all real and real life drama, I love it.  My favorite reality television show is Jersey Shore.  I’m guessing that is not too big of a surprise.  Although most of the show is dumb drama, it is quite amusing.  I don’t think that these shows are really harming our society.  If anything, I feel like it just shows people what going out and partying is like.  And if they see the people on television looking dumb and doing stupid things, then maybe it will prevent people from partying, not encourage them.  These reality shows do not really benefit our society either.  I believe that reality television is purely for entertainment.  People just enjoy watching other peoples lives to get out of their own lives.  It can make people feel better about their own lives.  Also, reality television, just like other forms of entertainment, are watched as an escape.  When people watching television, it helps them escape from their problems in their lives.  

Another reality television show that I like to watch is Keeping up with the Kardashians.  This television show has been one of my favorites since it ever came out.  I believe that this show is benefiting to our society.  This is because it shows how much fun a family can have; even through ups and downs.  It focuses on family unity.  I am really big about having a close family.  People should always have family and friends to turn to when there are in a bad place.  Although some of the material in this show is inappropriate, I feel like the overall message from this show is good.  

Like I said before, I do enjoy watching reality television shows.  I don’t like them all though.  For example, that Toddlers in Tiaras show.  I’ve seen that show a couple times, I almost feel bad when I watch it.  I feel like when the girls are super young, like three years old, they don’t know if they even like performing yet.  When I see the little toddlers crying and pouting, I feel bad for them and feel like their parents (moms mostly) are pushing them to do things that they do not want to do.  Because of this, I don’t encourage watching these sorts of reality television shows.  They don’t harm or benefit the society.  Maybe some people see this as entertainment; but not me.  

To conclude this reality television blog, I’d like to talk about my reality star crush.  I would have to say that Pauly D has the perfect mixture of personality and hottness.  If I got to spend a day with him I’d be beyond happy.  <3 Im kind of kidding and kind of serious. haha.

sometimes tasty isn't always good for you..

When I was growing up, fast food was never really in my life.  My mother was a stay at home mom so she cooked us breakfast every morning, made our school lunches, and cooked a nice family dinner every night.  On occasion my family would eat it.  For example, every year we take road trips and we would be driving in the middle of no where and randomly see a McDonald’s and stop to eat there.  Also, when I was younger my grandma lived with us for a couple years and we used to go to the beach together on the weekends and afterwards we would stop and eat Wendy’s together.  It was kind of a tradition we had together.  I would always get their kid’s meals because it came with a little frosty and toy.  At that time I really enjoyed fast food and whenever I got it  I looked at it as a treat. I have this one memory of being in middle school.  One of my best friends would get McDonald’s brought to her to school at least once a week.  I was so jealous and always bugged my mom and asked her why she wouldn’t bring me fast food.  My mother always responded with, “I take my time to make you a nice healthy lunch.  I could easily go buy you fast food, but its not healthy and one day you will thank me for it.”  And I do thank her for it today.

Today my food habits are pretty regular.  I usually make myself eggs and bacon in the mornings before school.  But if I don’t have time I will just grab a granola bar.  Because I have soccer everyday at lunch time, I usually miss lunch so I’ll eat a Cliff Bar before my practice and then by the time practice ends I’m starving.  This is where fast food becomes an issue.  After my practice my teammates will always invite me out to eat.  Somedays we will go to In-n-out, other days it’ll be the Habit, it is just random food every day.  I would not say that I rely on fast food at all.  I always could come home and make a sandwich or something, it’s just the convenience of fast food that is tempting.  With that said, I probably eat fast food about three or four times a week.  I don’t see this as an issue because I am so active, but ultimately fast food is not good for you.  I never really stopped and thought about it but now I want to make an effort to not eat it.  Maybe I’ll start reading some cooking books so I can make a fresh tasty meal at home. 

Past, Present, Future

My name is Megan Williams.  I was born in Ventura on August 17th, 1993.  I have lived in the same house my entire life in Camarillo.  Growing up I had a stable life.  My father has owned his own business for over 20 years and we have always been well off.  This all changed in 2006.  My parents divorced.  It wasn’t hard on any of my three siblings.  I felt like I carried the pain for all of them.  My mom moved out and into a smaller house a couple miles away.  She quickly remarried.  I was not accepting of her decisions and made it clear to my step-dad.  I kind of feel bad for the way I’ve been treating him for the past four years, but I can’t be fake.  Thankfully, soccer has always been there for me.  It is the only thing in the entire world that will always be there to make me happy.  I played AYSO for two years and competitive club for eight years.  After graduating this year from  Camarillo High School, decisions had to be made.  I had a full ride to play soccer in Colorado but turned it down because I was afraid to leave California. 

Towards the end of the school year, the Oxnard College Women’s Soccer coaches contacted me.  I thought about it for a couple months and then decided I wanted to play soccer here.  I started my summer conditioning class in July and loved it.  I made a lot of friends and my decision to play here was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.  Deciding to take my classes here was a difficult decision for me because none of my friends go here.  The majority of them go to Moorpark.  But I actually like it a lot.  I am meeting new people and making new friends.  I don’t have a job and right now.  I decided that focusing on my school work and soccer was the best thing for me right now.

My plan as of right now is to get my general ed done in two years and then transfer to a University.  I haven’t looked into where I want to transfer yet; but I still have another year before I need to start worrying about that.  In the long run, I want to eventually go to law school and become a lawyer.  This has been a dream of mine for the past three years.  It really interests me and after having government class last year, I realized that I love learning about the law.  But who knows what will happen.  I am a very family oriented person so when I start my own family I will want to be at home raising the kids.  So maybe law school isn’t a realistic option for me.  I just want to have goals and in the next four years I am sure they will change.