Penang

In 2000, I went on my first foreign vacation to Penang. Penang is a small state in Malaysia. I spent my 8th birthday there too.
One day we went for a drive and saw monkeys hanging from power lines and other things around. I also remember the temples, we were constantly taking off our shoes to look in these gorgeous colorful Buddhist temples with huge statues, it was amazing! Most nights we would walk down the main street and there were markets filled with so many things, near the end of the street was a restaurant we visited most nights because the food was to die for. By the end of the trip, the restaurant gave us a gift because we visited so much and we like friends to them. In the picture is a bridge in Penang, it is 8.4 miles long!

Summer

Summer is sooo close. We have 7 days left of school until break. I am so excited. Where are you all spending your time off school? In just 21 days I will be flying to Paris!!! =DDDD

I would love...

Ireland has been a country I have wanted to visit for a while. In Australia we had family friends from Ireland. In one family, both parents were born in Ireland, but their daughters were both born and raised in Australia. The other family had an Irish dad, but the whole family lived in Ireland for a year.

After looking through their pictures and hearing stories of things they had seen and done I just had to go there.

In the movie P.S. I Love You, Hilary Swank's character visits her dead husband's home in Ireland and remembers when she met him there, the landscape was gorgeous!!!

Hopefully one day I'll go there.

Amsterdam

On Saturday, my mom came into my room when she got home from work with a question. "When we go to Paris do you want to go to Amsterdam for a couple of days?"

Of course I said yes, I love visiting new places, and I heard Amsterdam is beautiful. My parents went to Amsterdam like 18 years ago and have plenty of stories from their visit.

I can't wait for the 17th of June. I have exactly four weeks till I go =D. YAY

5 weeks...

This time in five weeks, I will be sitting on a plane on my way to Zurich, then I'll be catching a connecting flight to Paris!!! I am so excited. For the first time, I get to go to Europe and I'll see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and I'll get to walk down the Champs Elysses and shop!
I'm only going for a week, so I'm kind of worried that I'll be tired the whole time because of the time difference and the plane ride, but I'll get over it.
When we are there we might go out to the French countryside and spend a few days there as well as in Paris. In the country are all of the old castles once lived in by French royalty.

Facebook...

When I first joined Facebook, I found an application that allows you to tag all of the cities you have visited. I have been to hundreds of cities within eight countries. http://apps.facebook.com/tripadvisortravelmap/?session=true&fbsrc=leftNav
Try it out for yourself.

=D

This morning my mom told me that rather than going to Italy, we will probably go to France!!! I was excited about going to Italy, but finding out it's France instead makes me so much happier. I have wanted to go there for such a long time! We will either stay in Paris or Nice. YAY! This is going to be such an amazing experience, which ever country I visit will be amazing!

Italy

My dad has been in Italy for close to two months now. Yesterday, my mom told us that we might go to visit him! She said only for five or so days, but I know it will be great! He is in San Remo, which is right near the French border, it is also on the Mediterranean coastline. From what I have read and the pictures I have seen it is gorgeous there. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

France

A country I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember is France. In movies, this country always appears so glamorous. It has the Mediteranean Sea, mountains, country side, and the very famous city, Paris. I also learned French in 9th and 10th grade.

A good amount of the world's fashion is from France, which is often inspiring. So many things interest me, visiting the old castles and famous attractions would be so fascinating. Hopefully soon I can go there.

Where do you want to visit?

The beach

One of my favorite past times is going to the beach. Everywhere I have lived, the beach has never been far. Weston is the furthest I have ever lived from the beach actually.

The other day I went to the beach with a group of friends. We had an amazing time just relaxing under the sun with no worries. It's a great bonding experience for any people that don't really know eachother.

It was the first time I had been to the beach in a while, now I just want to go back and stay there for days. I might go again this weekend =P

Safety

While travelling we all want to relax and take in the new part of the world that surrounds us. Just enjoy things many of the locals do. But in doing this we have to remember to be safe and alert. My dad is currently working in Italy. Earlier this week he was in a bar with a few people he works with. He woke up the next morning back in his room with all of his credit cards stuffed into his pockets along with his expensive sunglasses, something he never does.
My mom and him later realized that Bank of America had frozen their accounts because of unusual activity. My dad (a man in his forties) went to a bar in Italy for a few drinks, got drugged and had almost $1000 stolen.
This whole event is so scary. I’m just glad he is ok. In the world we live in today, people need to be so wary of their surroundings.

Africa

Just a year before I was born, my parents backpacked all over Africa. They went to Kenya, Uganda, Zaire, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana over the four months they were there. This was a once in a life time experience for them, and it is something that I would absolutely adore to do! In Zaire, they went to a national park called Goma. There they climbed a mountain, and wound up in an area filled with mountain gorillas. My mom even had a baby gorilla on her head! A man that was with their group was playfully hit on the back by a medium sized gorilla. I find that experience so amazing!!!

The pictures are actually of my parents in Goma.

Tulum, Mexico

After commenting Mrs Stoklosa's blog about Arizona, I decided to write some more about Tulum, Mexico. Tulum is a small city about two hours from Cancun. Along the beach in Tulum is a strip of cabanas powered by the sun and other natural sources. The power goes out at about 11 at night, so sitting out on the beach in the dark is so calm and natural. At first the heat due to the lack of ac bothered me, but after a little time I embraced this new experience. Tulum was an ancient Mayan city, I was able to visit the ruins which are on top of a limestone cliff that overlooks the ocean which is the most amazing turquoise. Anybody who needs to escape from the fast paced world should definitely visit this secluded area.

Perth, Australia

I can honestly say I love this city. After moving from Perth I truly began to appreciate how great it was. It was paradise. Just a short walk away from my old house was an amazing beach, and about 15 minutes drive from my house was the beach in the photo. Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world but it seems far from that. People from all over the world relocate to Perth because of its beauty and diversity. Locals are always so laidback and happy, it’s so refreshing!
I would recommend a trip to Perth to anyone!

New Zealand

I figured for my first blog about travelling, I would write about the place I was born, New Zealand. I love New Zealand for many reasons. One is the natural beauty. New Zealand is surrounded completely by ocean and has gorgeous mountains and hills all over. The natives of New Zealand are called Maoris, much of the country is covered in things devoted to these people. Before rugby matches (New Zealand's number one sport) players do the Haka, which is a Maori war dance to scare competition. I love that New Zealand is proud of its history and embraces the cultures of Maoris.

New subject...

So I've decided to change the subject. Rather than writing about friendship, I'm going to write about travelling. I absolutely love experiencing new places and cultures because every place has its own special things to offer. A place I would absolutely adore to visit is France because it has so must history and beauty.

And I'll swim the ocean for you

This is a really cute song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKKmUgu96Ek
This song always makes me think "Wow this guy makes a great boyfriend!" My friends and I all love this song, its kind of like one of the theme songs for our little group. It promises so much care and love and at the same time it is so catchy.
Sure this song is a guy singing to his girlfriend, but it can definitely be related to best friends.

Sick...

For the past few days I have been in bed feeling absolutely terrible, being sick really isn't fun. I rarely ever miss school, some people have even texted me asking if I am dead because I haven't been in school for the past few days. I'm really dreading all of the makeup work I'm going to have =/

Fame

Sometimes I think about the perks of being famous. Free clothes, dinner in fine resturants around the world, and vacations wherever the heart desires. It all seems so perfect and trouble free. However, finding a true friend would be such a difficult task. How are you supposed to know if someone truly likes you as a person or if they just want some of your fame and fortune to rub off on them and would go to extremes like blabbing all of your secrets to fill their wallets. This fact alone would make all of the positives seem pointless.

FCAT

I got to spend yesterday and today off school. I loved it. My time was spent relaxing with friends. So good. But tomorrow my parents are making me go to take the science FCAT. I want to sleep in again. All school weeks should be broken up by a few days off in the middle. Who agrees?

=[

Yogi got put to sleep today instead of last week. I had no idea it was going to happen, so I didn't get to say goodbye to him.
My other dog, Riley, has completely changed today. He isn't happy and full of energy like he was when Yogi was here. Now he wanders around looking for Yogi. My brother gave Riley his dinner tonight, when the food was in Riley's bowl, he put the lid back on the box the food is kept in. He turned to see Riley staring at him, waiting for Yogi's bowl to be filled. Hearing about this broke my heart.

R.I.P Yogi

We need...

On MTV shows like The Hills are supposed to show friendships and things relating to them. Its so obvious that shows like this are scripted. These shows just get so annoying and the same things seem to keep happening over and over. My friends and I came to the decision that we really need our own reality tv show, lol. We always have so much fun on the randomest of days. We don't need to find fun, it finds us. In my opinion, the things that happen to us on a daily basis are more exciting than a season of a show on MTV.

relax

Finally tomorrow is Friday, this week seems to have gone so slowly. I wish it was a long weekend, or a week or two off would be amazing right now. I just want time to relax and spend mass amounts of time with my friends because they're amazing. lol. Spring break can't come soon enough =D

Man's Best Friend

I have two dogs, Riley and Yogi, I love them both soo much. But on Thursday, we have to put Yogi to sleep. In 2006 we rescued Yogi from a farm in Tennessee that a friend of my parents bought. Yogi had been abandoned there by his "loving" family. We brought him into our home a few weeks after we got Riley.
We have no idea how old Yogi really is, the vet guessed around eight or nine years old, so now he is probably around eleven. When he was living in Tennessee alone, he lived off lard and other things he found in the trash, so when we got him he was very overweight and had terrible arthritis. Moving is such a hard task for him now, its really sad to watch him struggle.
My family has decided its best for Yogi to be put out of his pain and misery. Its going to be sad to see him go, but its going to be for the best. =[.
What are some stories about your pets?

International

I recently got into contact with a friend from Australia that I haven't talked to in around two years. Being able to hear whats happening with her life back where I used to live makes me feel happy but also miss life there. Do you have old friends from other countries you still talk to?

=/

I really hate drifting apart from people I was once great friends with. But sometimes I guess its for the better. A friend who I was really close with only a month ago is not really avoiding me, but she rarely talks to me anymore and this weekend I was supposed to hang out with her and she ditched me and hung out with someone else. Also when I'm talking to her on msn or something, I'll tell her something and she replys with some bitchy comment that basically translates to her saying "I really don't care". UGHHH . Any advice?

True friend

Everyone has at least one friend. Sometimes friends can really get on your nerves and you just want space from them, and other times (most of the time) they make your day a thousand times better. A lot of the time we are picking on each other, but that’s just what we do, and its always as a joke. When I know I need some advice, to have a great amount of fun or simply a shoulder to cry on, I know I can look to my side and count on my friends, they're always only a phone call away.

Freedom

Finally this weekend I was allowed to leave my house!!!

During the weekend, I met some new people, and made connections with people I never thought I would. One of my good friends that I haven't seen since June of last year also came to my friends house, so I got to see her and catch up which was amazing.

Being grounded for two weeks made me appreciate my freedom and that I really shouldn't abuse the privileges my parents give me.

Poem

My Friend
by Sammy Lane Sharp

We all need someone

To talk to in our life,

A friend to whom we run

In times of stress or strife

A friend who's always there

Throughout the years,

A friend we know will care

And take away our fears.

A friend who's always near,

Waiting for our call,

To wipe away our tears,

And lift us when we fall.

A loving friend indeed,

On whom we can depend

To fulfill our every need

-Thank you, precious friend

Grounded

I really hate being grounded. I spent this friday and saturday night at home for the first time in who knows how long because I'm grounded.

One good thing came out of it though I guess, I had plenty of time to think about a lot of things happening in my life! I apologized to a really good friend that I stopped talking to, and began avoiding in December. Now were are talking again and have been talking for most of today. I'm so happy that I didn't lose my friendship with her over something stupid.

typical weekday

Everyone looks forward to that last bell of the day. Why? Because it means a nice long nap and plenty relaxation at home. But for me, going home is crazy. Anytime I walk through my front door, some of my best friends are always only a few steps behind. Any food found gets eaten and thrown everywhere, while my dog follows behind in hopes to get any scraps from the floor. Everyone is so loud, its surprising we get any conversation in. Sure its hectic, but thats my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
These friends are like family to me. We spend almost everyday together and we manage to make even the most boring day amazing. Whatever the problem is, they have absolutely no problem cheering me up. I love them!
Tell me about some of your friends!

First post

I love my friends, so I figured why not write about friendship?
After this weekend, I have realized how much my friends mean to me. One was willing to get into a lot of trouble to protect me. This, among other things, showed me just how amazing my friends really are.
On this blog I will be writing stories and other things about my friends, and people can write about theirs and any problems they are having with relationships with people close to them.
♥ Lucy