Success! (Extra Credit Blog)

I’m proud to say, that I haven’t drove to school since I wrote the footprints blog. At first finding the strength to reject the mode of transportation sitting right outside my dorm building was more than difficult, but once I realized how much it would help the environment I put my laziness aside and decided to just go and do it. I’m actually really glad that I did it because I feel more active and productive. It usually takes me 15 minutes to walk from my dorm to the actual classroom (yes, I timed myself). That’s not even that bad! I get a nice little exercise and I get to help the environment. Win win, right? In the fall I see myself proceeding with walking to school instead of driving. I used to be in the environment club back in high school, and I loved the activities we did throughout the year that seemed to help out everyone around us. I see myself possibly joining a club similar to that in the fall, for sure.

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TAP Document

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=253GSlBtifE

THESIS: P90X is a serious of workout videos that will allegedly get you in the best shape of your life after completing the 90 day program. The overall message of P90X is a workout method that gets you results if you commit yourself. With these workout videos, you will push yourself to exceed your limits both physically and mentally. The workout videos work because they alter the routines so your body doesn’t get used to it, therefore you gain more muscle by surprising your body with a different method every day.

AUDIENCE: The audience for P90X is intended towards people who are out of shape or who just want to get fit in general.

PURPOSE: The purpose of P90X is to get your body into the best shape it could possibly be. It sculpts your body into its best form, and after the program is done you yourself begin to make changes in your life to better your body and to keep it from going back to the way it was.

Footprint

Doing this assignment opened my eyes as to how much one person can really affect the earth. My lifestyle would need 4.6 Planet Earths to provide enough resources, and 20.6 global acres of the Earth’s productive area. I think the reason why my footprint count wasn’t lower is because of the amount of transportation I seem to contribute to not to mention my eating habits which could use a little room for improvement.  When I think of a footprint I think of a newborn child and their birth certificate. Another thought that comes to mind is the fact that every footprint is unique in its own way. The area I plan to reduce on would most likely be my mobility. With gas prices going on a bipolar rage, it might not be so bad to take a step back and save the world more problems by either waking or carpooling. This could be a good time to think about investing in that longboard that I’ve been wanting for the past year… I swear there’s always a bright side to everything.

The Beauty of Nature

I walk out of my dorm and seek a place where I can gather my thoughts and altogether just unwind. Walking down the stairs I catch a glimpse of what seems to be a sturdy old bridge. Its simplicity welcomes me, and it didn’t take me long to know that’s the place I needed to be. Walking onto the bridge I feel as if I’ve entered another place completely. This bridge is surrounded with bright trees, calm animals, and peace. I close my eyes and let my ears do the seeing. I hear quiet chirps from the birds on the far lamppost, then the loud obnoxious sound of none other than crickets. I slowly open my eyes and look at the sky. At around 7 pm, it looks as if it’s almost night time but still morning. The suns nowhere to be found yet it’s mysteriously shinning. Astonished by my surroundings, I catch myself gazing at everything the bridge seems to have. The buildings that just barely peak over the scattering trees, the rusty lamps, the light blue sky sprinkled with fading clouds that move gracefully with every gust of wind. The wind fulfilling its multiple jobs with the trees, bushes and plants swaying back and forth; the light breeze I feel standing as I find myself mesmerized by the true beauty of nature.  As I’m looking around at everything surrounding me, I see a small withered plant near the edge of the bridge. Somehow intrigued, I make my way towards it. Almost immediately I find myself analyzing it, trying to figure out what lured me in so easily. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just another dying plant. Why did it seem so interesting a minute ago? Shaking my head I turn away and start to walk elsewhere, when my lingering thoughts and curiosity as to why I was somehow attracted to that plant came back. All I could tell from looking at the plant was that it was surrounded by bright green plants, all at the peak of their youth. The withering plant seemed like the mother, maybe even the grandmother of these newly sprouted plants. I turn around slowly as I come to the realization as to why the withering plant caught my attention. Aging. It was slowly giving up, letting Father Time take it to wherever he decides it needs to be. This dying plant somehow made me realize how time will still pass, whether you’re ready for it or not. To live knowing that someday, when you’re old, you’ll look back at the memories you’re making now. It made me question my goals, my aspirations, my way of living. This one plant, made me open my eyes as to what I’m doing in life, what I want to do. Taking in my new outlook of life, I slowly walk back towards my dorm and get a cup of water. I bring it outside and carefully pour it into the roots of the withering plant, in hopes that maybe it could survive just another day.

About Me

My names Daniella Flores and I was born in Queens, New York on July 20^th 1993. My genes did a terrible job at portraying the fact that I’m Peruvian, since they decided to make me the palest in my family. I have 2 sisters, Isabella who is ten years younger than me, and Fiorella who is one and a half years older than me. Yes. Our names rhyme. To this day I still have no idea why my mother did that. I have an amazing step dad who has been in my life for about 12 years, and 2 not so amazing dogs that get overly excited every time someone comes to visit. I’m from Coconut Creek, Florida, and I graduated from Monarch High School. I was an early graduate so I thankfully got to spend at least 3 weeks enjoying summer before I had to leave for college. Both my parents were born in Peru, and I speak and write fluent Spanish. I played tennis growing up, but I was also in the soccer team, cross country, and the swimming team throughout high school. Although I lived in Florida for most my childhood, the atmosphere I grew up in was pure Hispanic. So instead of listening to NSYNC or Britney Spears, I grew up listening to mostly Shakira and Marc Anthony. I’ve only been to a couple of concerts in my life, and they consisted of Mariah Carey, Fergie, and of course, Shakira. Don’t judge me. I love MGMT and you will most definitely catch me at the next Dave Matthews concert. The reason why that concert isn’t with the wonderful list of concerts I just mentioned is because my dad wouldn’t let me go until I turned 18, since he didn’t want to “expose” me to all the hectic things that go on there…  so apparently Dave Matthews gets pretty live. I have three people in my life that mean the world to me other than the usual mom and dad scenario. First there’s my best friend Lauren who I met when I first moved to Florida. I met her when I was walking my dog, the oldest one named Aphrodite. Yes that’s the goddess of love and no, I did not name her that. As I was walking her around my neighborhood, Lauren came out of her house, glimpsed at my dog, and simply said “That is the ugliest dog I have ever seen.” Ever since then we have been inseparable. Then it’s my cousin Connie who lives in New York but frequently visits because she loves me very much, and last but not least my older sister Fiorella who has been there for me through everything and anything. Although I’m extremely excited for college, they were the hardest part about leaving. The only thing keeping me from going nuts about not seeing them are my phone, my computer, and of course their promises to visit me all the time. Music makes me happy just like everyone else, and I believe that everyone deserves a chance no matter how corny that may sound. I love guitars, even though I barely seem to play mine, and I won the senior superlative for most accident prone. I love animals, but not bugs, and I look forward to every obstacle and adventure college has to offer.