Everything seemed to fall into place this year. As a result, I can honestly say that 2014 has been my best year of highschool and maybe even one of the best years of my life. Within the year I was able to find out who I am, who I want to be, and who I want to surround myself with. Everyday brought new highs, new lows, but more importantly new adventures in my last year without "adult responsibilities" as my dad would say. Beautiful beginnings and bittersweet ends were experienced during this year. I can only hope and dream that 2015 would bring equal (hopefully more!) happiness and good vibes. But if not hey....Life is Good.
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In a college football season there is that one week. That one week where all odds get thrown out the window and craziness takes over. Yes, I'm talking about upset week and my friends...we just witnessed the awesomeness last weekend.
If you don't know what an upset is, it's basically when the underdog beats their opponent against all odds. Upset week, however, is when many upsets happen within the games set out for that specific week and just gets people (like me) all wound up and excited. Teams like Alabama and Oregon win every week, that's normal. But when teams that good loose all in one week, well I guess it just shows everyone that nothing is ever set in stone in college football. 11 ranked teams lost this past Saturday, ELEVEN. #2 Oregon, #3 Alabama, #4 Oklahoma, #6 Texas A&M, #8 UCLA, #14 Stanford, #15 LSU, #16 USC, #17 Wisconsin, #18 BYU, and #19 Nebraska all fell. And most of these were MAJOR upsets (my favorite of course). Arizona State prevailed against USC within the last seconds with a beautiful "Hail Mary", Utah sealed their fate with a field goal against UCLA who couldn't seem to get one themselves as the last seconds ticked off the clock, and of course Ole Miss shocked the world by beating Alabama in the last minutes of the game sending spectators to rush the field and even confiscate the goal post. Though these upsets may be terrible for certain universities and the polls (in some peoples eyes), upsets are a main part of why I have such a love for college football, maybe even college sports in general. Why? Well it proves that nothing is EVER certain...sometimes little brother can teach big brother an unexpected lesson. *All rankings previous to those released this past Sunday So I don't even know what happened here...and I was at the game. Last Saturday at the Miami vs. Arkansas State game, during a fake punt (which fooled no one considering it was intercepted by Raphael Kirby), Booker Mays did...well...he basically played dead. At the moment, no one noticed the bizarre act, not even the players...or the game callers...or the coaches...or any living person inside Sunlife Stadium. But a few days after the game, a Canes fan brought it to the world's attention by posting a video on twitter and it went viral in about .5 seconds. Was this a planned Red Wolves play or did Mays take it upon himself to jus "die"? Was it an act of distraction, an act of desperation? Who knows. But hey, it's an entertaining video. Here is the clip below, watch the randomness: It is Thusday and we can officially say that the first week of college football “the play off era” is in the books. Here are my 3 stand out points of the week:
1. Kenny Football One of the most anticipated debuts for the start of this season was the debut of the new Aggie quarterback, Kenny Hill. And boy did he come out slinging. The poised red-shirt sophomore led the Aggies to an outstanding 52-28 victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks. He had 3 touchdowns and completed 44 passes for a total of 511 yds., breaking Johnny Manziel’s single-game passing school record...he broke a school record, the record of a Texas A&M LEGEND, in his debut night as starting quarterback. Wow. If you don’t think this guy is going to rise up in the CFB world…you’re just wrong. 2. National Champions? The Florida State Seminoles, winners of the very last BCS National Championship, were expected to put on quite a show against Oklahoma State but didn’t exactly succeed. The Noles did prevail in the end with a 37-31 win but did six points seriously separate the reining national champs and the unranked Cowboys? We get it, it’s hard to live up to the standards after winning a national title, there’s a lot of pressure and I’ll give them that. But Jimbo, Jameis, and the rest of the Seminoles up in Tally better get it together, especially when they have teams like Clemson, Louisville (an away game), and Notre Dame coming their way. 3. Can’t Live Up to Labor Day Of course, being from Miami and a huge Canes fan, I have to address the performance they gave Monday night, a 31-13 loss against the Louisville Cardinals. I could blame the true freshman starting quarterback, Brad Kaaya but I personally don't think he he holds ALL the fault. Kaaya went 17 for 29, throwing for 174 yds. and had one touchdown pass. He did threw two picks and a lateral but hey, he's a true freshman...he can practically still taste his high school lunch. What surprised me was the lack of help he got from the offensive line. They totally failed in giving Kayya protection, he was under pressure way too much and did not have enough time to make good, smart plays. The o-line also needed to open up lanes for the running backs, such as Duke Johnson, who didn't have too much of an effect on the game since he was basically running into linemen the whole game. If the offensive line doesn't do their job this season, it's going to be a long painful one. Home (n.): The physical structure within which one lives, such as a house or apartment. Technically speaking, my home is in the city Miami within the state of Florida, which is apart of the United States of America. But home doesn’t necessarily have to be the place where you live. To me home is not the place where your possessions lie, but where your soul lies. A place where all slows down and a person can just be. My home is 133 miles off the coast of Florida, a little island within the cluster named Berry Islands. I may not own even the slightest piece of property or know every single native on the island but what I do know is that that island is where I feel the most at peace and simultaneously alive. Crystal clear waters and beautiful beaches are what first made me fall in love with this island. I step outside my house to the gorgeous Sugar Beach and goose bumps fill my body every time as the thoughts roll through my mind, “am I really in paradise right now?” But as I got to know the island and its people, the most beautiful characteristic it obtains is simplicity. The people seem to always be so friendly and full of joy even if they don’t have a nice car or a big house. It’s quite inspirational actually; it gets you to think that there is more to life than the latest car or new iPhone or what picture you post on Instagram. And ever since my first trip to this glimpse of perfection in the summer of 2013, that attitude has been with me everyday. When I’m there I am most happy and when I’m not I miss it terribly. My home may not be the most advanced in the world, it may only be 7 miles long and 2.5 miles at the widest point and may seem broken to many people but in my eyes, it is complete bliss. My home is Great Harbour Cay. I played soccer as a kid and let's just say we did not have the best relationship (it's kind of hard to enjoy soccer when you hate running). So, you can pretty much assume I'm not one to watch soccer on the reg. But there is something different about the FIFA. I'm not in the stadium, but I can feel the energy through my TV during a match. I get chills when the crowd erupts as their national anthem is played. I find myself waking up and immediately turning to ESPN to organize my day around the games. How can a month-long tournament do that to a girl who liked soccer as much as she liked watching paint dry. How can this tournament make a country believe. Well let me tell you, it's the passion for the game and the pride of their nation that these players from 32-countries hold within. I guess that's why the FIFA is so special, it holds some of the most amazing games you will ever witness fueled not only by the love the players have for the game but the love they have for their country. The one chance every four years you'll get to see soccer gods like Neymar, Messi, and Ronaldo in one place, giving their absolute best performance to make their country proud. This tournament is a chance to hold the position of fútbol royalty for four years and each player is willing to give everything they have for that. There are no assumptions, underdogs prevail, and the unexpected is a regular. FIFA doesn't just bring out something special in the teams though, it brings out something special in the people. Some nations live and breathe futbol 365 days a year, countries like Argentina and of course the host country this year, Brazil (as my dad says, "when God made soccer, he made Brazil!"). And then there are the countries, like the USA, where soccer doesn't play a big part in daily life compared to others. But once every four years, the people find themselves getting into the game and cheering for their nation. The fans of those counties hold the same pride that the people from soccer obsessed counties hold. The same cheers, the same heart break. Each country comes together as one on game day. What a sight it is to see strangers hug each other, share some face-paint, and wave flags as they cheer on their home nation! Although the World Cup is a fierce competition, if it does anything, it brings the world together. It puts issues and problems aside for one month in the summer and let's us all come together in the spirit of fútbol. For one month, we all seem to have a little something in common, something to be passionate for. The FIFA simply gives hope and makes countries believe. **Here are a few videos that show the spirit of the game, goosebumps guaranteed :) Dear fellow reader,
Summer has begun…exhale! As I get into the groove of my favorite time of year, I reflect on what summer holds for all of us. Obviously, these 75 days (sounds too short, right?) are a time for relaxation and relief from the stresses school holds. A time to get more than 6 hours of sleep a night and to let your books gather dust in a corner until that horror filled day towards the third week of August. But, that’s not what summer should be ALL about. Maybe it’s the “it's my last summer as a high school student” attitude getting to me but I believe summer is about opportunity and adventure and breaking the rules. If there is anything I regret about my summers throughout the years, it’s that I've had way too many reality show filled pajama days. Summer is something we long for practically the whole school year, so why is it that once it comes, we don't take advantage of it? Well my friends, I am here to motivate you out of your lazy ways! Make this summer the best yet. Get a job or internship, stay out late, make new friends, be open to crazy ideas, study abroad, and most importantly enjoy every moment you have of this break because you really have a limited amount of “real summers” in your life time. I hope I am able to share my summer adventures with all of you over the break but, if i must leave you with a few words, they most definitely would be: YOLO the hell out of this summer…you only have 67 days left. I'm not totally sure exactly what my "taste" in music is. I seem to have a wide palate from Zedd to American Authors to The Cure, basically anything that gets my adrenaline pumping. The music that genuinely makes me happy are those songs that just give me the urge to dance from within. Like I can feel my heart burst with happy endorphins when "my jam" comes on. So I guess my ideal summer playlist, although totally random and without theme, basically calls to the kids who love summer more than anything in the world, the people who are happiest when I am happiest. I can just imagine this playlist blasting in my car, around mid-July, with the windows rolled down and a few of my friends with me headed where ever the sun leads us. Most songs are ones that the typical teenager (aka me) dances to in her room just for kicks. Consisting of EDM, a hint of indie, and of course a little 80s flare, you can say it's quite a mix of genres.
This post may be 3 weeks too late but as I listen to the beats of house music this afternoon the thought dawns on me, "why have I not written about my Ultra experience?!" If you haven't heard of the Ultra Music Festival, sorry to break it to you, but you may have been living under a rock your whole life. Ultra is the world's premier electronic music festival...period. Nothing better than a nap under a palm tree! Just wanted to share a couple of pictures of pure paradise…Happy Saturday!
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