It’s been a while since I wrote for this blog, but wow what a different time it is since the last time I wrote. Last time I wrote, I was sitting in class with my Yearbook classmates. Now, I’m in bed (A.K.A. my new classroom), on lockdown. Ah, how times have changed. There have been many adjustments I’ve needed to make since this pandemic hit us, from online school to new sleep schedules to new hobbies. Here, I’m going to update you what I’ve been doing to keep myself busy.

Like the majority of the teenager population, the first week I spent a lot of time distressing by watching Netflix and eating 25/8. After that, I realized I needed to have a more structured life style if this pandemic was going to go on for a while. I decided to start incorporating new chores for myself the second week, like painting my room, cleaning, washing my dogs and organizing my room. I also picked up some new hobbies such as painting and working out.

Still, I needed some serious needed structure to my life. I was sleeping until 3 am like it was 10 pm and woke up at 1 pm like it was 9 am. So, once online schooling started, I began sleeping early and waking up by 9 am. Now, I had time to finish my assignments and squeeze in some “me-time” too. As for the future, I might pick up some new hobbies such as sewing and reading more. For now, I’m going to take a weekend long vacation from school work!

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I have been challenged to use one of EduBlogger’s Blog Post prompts. Out of much deliberation, I’ve decided on the 37th prompt: “If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?”

Now, that’s a tough one. Especially tough because I’m still young, not really knowing what I want from life. But an easy first wish that comes to my mind is to bring my grandma, Concepcion, back. I’ve never met her, but I know she was an amazing person. She wasn’t an amazing person because of all the things she accomplished, or all the money she made. She was an amazing person because she was kind. Simple, but the most powerful thing a person can be. Despite her tough and poor circumstances, she provided unconditional love to all her children and grandchildren. So, like I said before, this is an easy first wish because I never thought I could miss someone I’ve never met.

My second wish would be to find my life purpose and happiness. Currently, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. It frustrates me, because there is an overwhelmingly large list of things I could do in life, but I am still clueless. I hope that in twenty years, I could say I am doing something I love and am passionate about.

Finally, my final wish would be health and happiness for my loved ones. Health and happiness for my family and friends is health and happiness for me. They are my backbone and support system, and without them I would have no motivation and purpose in life. I do everything for them and after a long day of life, I would like to think they’ll be the ones I come home to.

Two months into 2020, I definitely see the areas where I have improved on myself and areas I still need to work on. So, I’ve decided to set 3 new goals for myself based on this. They include:

1. Less Phone: I find my phone to be a great distraction to my everyday life. Hours could pass by and I won’t notice because of social media and texting my friends. So, I’ve decided I want to limit my screen time to two hours a day. I think this will positively affect my life by allowing myself to live more in the moment, procrastinate less, and pick up other hobbies
2. New Hobbies: Speaking of new hobbies, I have had quite a few in mind recently. The first would be sewing. I’ve been really into thrifting my clothes lately, and I would love to rework some cheaper clothes and make them my own. Secondly, I would love to learn how to weld. My dad is a welder and for years he’s been wanting to pass it down to me. In my free time, I want to have some father-daughter time and finally pick up this trade. Finally, I want to learn how to cook more meals. Sometimes, I want to eat ten times a day. But, I rely on my parents too much to make them for me. Plus, I think it’s time I start learning before college comes around.
3. Stressing Less: Although this is a difficult goal to achieve since it’s not directly controllable, I definitely want to learn how to prevent the things that stress me. These mainly include school and sleeping late. I could probably start taking more naps, meditating and hanging out with my family and friends more to get my mind off of school.

Do you remember the creative writings in elementary school were they made you pick an adjective to describe yourself based on the letters in your first name? Well, here’s my full name version of it:

• L– Lover of dogs. Fat, short, furry, bald, tall, you name them, I love them all.
• I– Inspired by people who make a difference in other people’s lives, not just theirs.
• A– Aspiring advocate for minorities in America through pursuing law.
• N– Nationality: First generation Mexican-American.
• N– Napping is an avid hobby of mine.
• A– Always eating snacks, probably 5 times a day!
• N– Nobody is a better procrastinator than I am, unfortunately!
• O– Olives are the only food I won’t eat!
• E– Eager to go to college in the fall of 2021, whether that be at UH, Rice or UT.
• L– Loud laughter, even when the joke isn’t funny.
• L– Leadership is a quality I’ve came in touch with in my recent years of high school.
• E– Easily entertained by watching The Office or Friends.
• G– Great at giving advice and listening.
• A– Awkward at times.
• R– Really wished I was born in 1980s.
• C–Cooking, sewing and welding are some skills I want to pick up!
• I– Involved in student council, volleyball, National Honor Society & many other clubs!
• A– A.M. is not my favorite time of day, I’m always tired!

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”

— Henry Ford.

Volleyball is a sport that takes my mind off of everyday stresses and responsibilities. I let go and put out my frustrations on the court, allowing me to perform my best. Of course, I do not just play for myself but my entire team. Without this motivation, I would not be interested in playing volleyball.

The entire game, both teams had the audience at the edge of their seats. Close match points, referee calls and hustle plays made the audience quiver with excitement. However, Austin clutched the tight match and brought home win.