I'm From...

I'm from Ann Arbor, Michigan
Where the only thing more important than the car industry are the Red Wings.

I'm from brisk winters that seem to drag for an eternity.
But come in handy for building castles and people in the fluffy snow with my dad.

I'm from large, plush leather couches covering the family room,
While warm, sugary aromas of banana bread waft into the room from the kitchen.

I'm from stone fireplaces and pictures on the mantle with soft fur blankets covering my lap.

I'm from Saturday Night Live rituals with my family every weekend, and photoshopping cast members in our Christmas Cards

I'm from John Lennon and Paul McCartney drifting through the house to mask the sounds of the gush and gore on my brother's video games.

I'm from large, droopy willow trees shrouding the tree house my dad built us in the back yard.


I'm from protective siblings and loving parents who would do anything for me, and I wouldn't change any of these things for the world.

Brainstorming

Lesson #1:
It's not a car, it's a glossy black mustang with a warm leather interior.

It's not food, it's chunky taco meat wrapped in a soft tortilla topped with fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and jalapeño cheese.

It's not simply music, it's a way to escape your body and move.


I'm From Brainstorming:
(Childhood home)

See: big leather sofa, fur blankets, stone fireplace, maroon and burnt orange paint, big backyard, plants on every surface, dog snoozing on the couch, family dinners, willow trees, old tree house, rusty copper sinks, granite countertops, walls painted over my crayola artwork.

Smell/Taste: fresh banana bread in the oven, home cooked meals, lilac's in the kitchen, cacti in my bedroom, mom's wine, pine trees in the backyard, fresh linen coming out of the laundry room,

Hear: the Beatles, Hallmark movies at christmas, barking, laughing, tv on ESPN, the oven beeping, dad on the phone, brother playing video games, garage door opening, pantry door opening, mom's laptop binging when customers interact

Culture: Penn State football, Harry Potter marathons, rooms full of books/pictures, family dinners, trips to hiking spots, picnics in the summer, barbecues in the backyard

Introduction

Introduction:
I was recruited to play for the volleyball team here at Ship as a defensive specialist. This team has brought me some of the closest friends I have met here and taught me a lot about the sport. Besides volleyball, some of my hobbies include going to music festivals, traveling, and being with friends. This past summer I went to the Firefly Music Festival (Delaware), Lollapalooza (Chicago), and Mad Decent (Philadelphia). I also traveled to Michigan twice, as I do every summer, to visit friends from back when I used to live in Ann Arbor. I recently moved from Michigan to Doylestown, Pennsylvania 4 years ago during my sophomore year of high school, which ultimately lead me to this university. In my free time I enjoy reading, watching Netflix or movies, writing, and FaceTiming my friends from back home.


Writing Experiences:
In the past, I have not been able to obtain the best, or strongest, study habits. I can blame it on a lot of things, or I could just be honest with myself and admit that I just simply do not put in enough effort. I think one of my biggest struggles is not perusing through my readings. I will read everything that is assigned to me, but when I finish, I do not feel more educated on the topic that was discussed. This is why I think it should be my goal to develop better active reading skills to enhance my learning experience. I can achieve this by continuing to annotate in the margins, but make it a goal to make stronger points while doing it. Also, I would really benefit from taking the time to summarize the concepts I just learned so that if I do need to go back to the text later on, it will be easier to comprehend the key concepts that were being represented in the chapters. Maybe if this tactic is too challenging, I should read the chapter a second time so that I can teach myself the material twice, making it easier to remember. One final study/reading habit I should benefit from is learning to not just ask the questions that are part of an assignment. I should challenge myself to perpetually ask questions based on curiosity so I will have a better chance at learning the concepts being shown in the text. I truly believe that if I do all of these things, or even just a few of them, I could improve my reading skills drastically.