Monthly Archives: March 2020

What I have learned from the Corona Virus

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Airband, Senior Celebration, Prom, and Graduation. All are luxuries that have either been taken from us or could potentially be taken from us. When District 203 announced that school would be canceled, I was shocked. I knew that the Coronavirus was growing at a rapid rate, but I never thought that it would become a worldwide pandemic. This is something that I will tell my kids 20, maybe 30 years from now.  But as an 18-year-old senior, 2 months away from graduating, I am completely and utterly heartbroken. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the people who matter most, my friends. It saddens me to know that our time together has been limited. However, over the past couple of days, I’ve gained more insight into the world and how people are and this whole experience caused me to become extremely humble. Let me explain why.

Despite my initial sadness and frustration, I came to realize that many people out there don’t have anything in this world. When I look at the news, Its disturbing seeing people hoard supplies when they don’t need too. What they fail to understand is that this causes an even greater divide within our community. There are people who don’t have access to health insurance, making it hard for them to get tested for the virus. There are those who live paycheck-to-paycheck, who have to go to work despite everything that’s going on. There are also those who have weak immune systems. They are the ones who are really suffering from this outbreak. Not us.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to be sad. Our plans were altered so quickly, we didn’t even get a chance to fully process the situation at hand. Everything happened so fast. Time doesn’t stop for anyone and that’s something that we all had to learn. I’m so sorry that our senior year will forever be changed by this event. Trust me, I know that brighter days are ahead. I’m a sucker for motivational quotes, so here’s one. “The way I see it, If you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.” I know that I personally can’t want to go grab a cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake with my friends once things go back to normal. Remember to have something to look forward too after this quarantine ends 

Hopefully, we will grow as a nation after this all blows over. Hopefully, we will learn to cherish each other and the things around us. We are now restricted from basic things such as hanging out with friends, going to concerts, movies, restaurants. Hell, it’s even a risk going to the grocery store. As the old saying goes “You don’t know what you have until its gone.” and that saying will always remain true. So instead of wallowing in self-pity for the next couple of weeks, here are some things that I recommend:

Read, meditate, journal, walk outside, spend time with your family. Enjoy what’s right in front of you because in an instant they could be taken away from you. 

We got this. We will get through this.

 

 

What is the best fast food restaurant on Ogden?

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I’m a big fan of off-campus lunch. Now, do I usually have the money for it all the time?… noooooo. Will I jump at any opportunity to go off campus with my friends?  Absolutely. My friends and I have recently had this ongoing debate about which restaurant is the best restaurant on Ogden. I’ve decided that I’m going to settle this debate via blog post.” Why?” You may ask, because I was stuck and didn’t know what to write about. So without further ado, here are the four restaurants that I ranked from 1-5. Enjoy

Culver’s

Culvers is a restaurant that opened up a few months ago. Every senior at Naperville North was excited about its grand opening. Soon after it opened, everybody was going there during their lunch period. (me included) The customer service is literally fantastic. Everyone is really friendly and approachable, which is nice to see because it is a rarity these days. The food is pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary. The burgers are mediocre-at-best, the fries have no seasoning, and the shakes are too thick. The cheese curds are the only thing that is out of this world. The food, in my opinion, is not worth the price. It’s super expensive for a cheeseburger, fries, and drink. (around 10-12 dollars) Overall, it’s a nice place to eat at once in a while but certainly not every day because it can get expensive Rating: 3.5/5 

Portillo’s

I’m not gonna lie, at first, I absolutely hated Portillo’s. Not because I had a bad experience with it or because I hated the food. I hated it because my mom and dad hated it. They both grew up on the south side of Chicago and thought Portillo’s was terrible compared to some of the other restaurants they’ve been too. It wasn’t until I actually tried it for myself that I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. The Italian beef combo dipped with hot peppers at Portillo’s is my favorite thing to order. (along with fries and a cherry coke) 10/10 would recommend. Portillo’s is just as expensive as Culver’s ( a little cheaper depending on what you order) but the food is a little bit better. The customer service isn’t like culvers but I still always get a smile from the workers and engage in friendly, short conversations with them. Rating: 4/5 

Chipotle

You can’t go wrong with Chipotle. I will admit, I don’t eat at Chipotle as much as I eat at Culvers or Portillo’s. However, I do enjoy the service and I really like the food that they serve at Chipotle. Their burritos are to-die-for and the chicken bowls are so good. I also enjoy their chips and guacamole! Their customer service is decent, not the best but not terrible either. Out of all the places that I ranked so far, Chipotle has the best tasting food. Rating 4.2/5 

Panda Express 

Lastly, we have Panda Express. A lot of people don’t like Panda Express for two reasons. 1) It’s not real Chinese food. 2) Some of their items are dry af and I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. The chow mein is so dry I can’t even explain it. I do like the orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp but besides that, the food is not the best. Also, the Fortune cookies are dry too and make my stomach hurt. Rating 2.9/5

Ding ding ding, we have a winner and its name is Chipotle. Thank you so much for reading my blog guys, I really hope you enjoyed it. Also, if you guys have any restaurants recommendations that I haven’t mentioned in this list please mention it in the comments:)

How to not compare yourself to others

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I stand there. Silent. Not knowing what to say or how to respond. I feel a tight knot in my chest; an inevitable feeling of despair surfacing inside of me. Paper in hand, my thoughts race a mile a minute. What did I do wrong? Why does this always happen to me? Am I not good enough? I stare in agony at the object that consumed my thoughts. I’ve always been told that I was smart, but am I? Did this confirm everything that I’ve been feeling throughout my life? I look at the paper one more time; tears start to form as I look at the D written across the top of the page. I fall apart inside and feel my body slowly fall into the dark abyss…

What you just read was an excerpt of mine that I wrote in AP Lang last year. To me, this was one of the best pieces I’ve ever written. It was very therapeutic. Junior year was extremely stressful, so putting my thoughts on paper really helped me become more in-tune with my emotions. It was like journaling or meditating, I found comfort in telling my story. Looking at my paper now, all of the feelings that I had started rushing back. The feeling of feeling interior. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always felt the need to compare myself to other people. It’s an underlining habit that I just can’t seem to crack. It’s ever so consuming and can really shatter someone’s self-esteem if they’re not careful. However, I recently started to realize that a lot of other people go through the same thing I do, they’re just better at hiding it. 

So here are some tips for when you feel down and can’t help but compare yourself to others. P.S: You are all beautiful and deserve everything. I know this school differentiates the top elite students from the quote on quote “average” kids, but none of you are average. None of you are less than. Please know that. 

 

  1. Give yourself positive affirmations every day

 

I know, I know, it may sound extremely silly, but this actually helps a lot. When I wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom to get ready for school, I stare in the mirror and say 

 

“You’re beautiful”

 

“You can do anything you want to do in life”

 

“Today is a good day. You’re going to be happy” 

 

Keeping this positive mindset throughout the day will have you searching for things that make you happy so you can stay happy. However, If you think talking to yourself is weird, try going online and listening to meditation videos (it’s basically the same thing). Hearing someone (or yourself) say that you’re beautiful and important will cause you to believe it over time. Remember, you have to be your biggest cheerleader. 

 

2. Surround yourself with people who uplift you

It’s so easy to get into a negative mindset, especially when you’re around those who are negative themselves. It hinders your growth being around people who don’t appreciate you, who don’t support you, and who don’t respect you. Be around people who love you and show you how much you mean to them. Surrounding yourself with positive energy is the first step towards healing the demon’s inside. 

3. Turn failure into lessons 

This is something that I struggle with. I always have this mindset of “Why me?” or “I did everything right, what happened? I deserve to get what I want and I got the complete opposite, why is that?” What I fail to realize though, is that pain doesn’t discriminate. Neither does failure. You could have a plan laid out for yourself, you could have goals and dreams and aspirations, but sometimes they don’t come true. It has nothing to do with you in particular, it’s simply not the path that you were destined to take. It’s a hard pill to swallow, coming to terms with failure. Once you come to terms with it though, don’t give up, know that things can only get better for you. It’ll just take time, all good things take time. 

Thanks for reading:)

5 T.V shows I’m obsessed with

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Here are a few shows that I’ve been watching over the past couple of months that I think you’ll like. I hope you enjoy!

 

  •  Euphoria

 

Now just a fair warning, Euphoria is not for everyone. It contains graphic scenes such as nudity and drug use. Viewer discretion is advised!!!! One of the things I love about the show is that it’s completely authentic. Even though it may be considered raunchy, it’s real. It perfectly encapsulates what a drug user goes through, how they affect the people around them, why they continue to use and what causes them to use. Euphoria handles a vase majority of topics such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, family issues, sexual orientation, and toxic masculinity. The main character Rue, who is played by Zendaya (A QUEEN) tries to find her place in the world after OD-ing and being sent to rehab. She faces a multitude of adversities during the show and we get to see insight into not only her story, but other character’s stories through her narration. The cinematography is amazing and the character development is a 10/10… which is also what I rate this show!

Rating: 10/10

 

  • YOU

 

YOU is a tv show on Netflix that has grown immensely popular within the past two years. The story is based on a man named Joe who lives in New York City. He comes across a woman named Guinevere ‘Beck’ who he falls head over heels in love with. However, this is not your average love story. He ends up stalking her to get to know her and win her over. This show is so creepy and will make you question your morality. The main character, Joe, is a villain who we shouldn’t root for, yet we continue to portray him as an “Anti-hero” simply because he does good deeds. Overall, the plot is enjoyable even though the characters may not be as likable as you hope they’d be. P.S! Some scenes may contain nudity and/or graphic imagery. Viewer discretion is advised.

Rating: 9/10

 

  • On My Block

 

This coming-of-age TV show is set in central Los Angeles. The main characters are four young teenagers who are starting their freshman year of high school. Their Community is full of drugs, violence, and gang activity. Throughout the story, They are learning how to stay together despite the obstacles that they face in their everyday lives. This show provides humorous elements as well as incorporating realistic examples of how kids in inner cities deal with crime and violence. It takes a couple of episodes to become fully invested in the show, but once you start, I promise, you won’t wanna stop watching. 

Rating: 8.5/10

 

  • The End Of The F***ing World

 

Alyssa and James are high school students who hate their life. Their home life causes them to connect and they then decide to run away together. On their journey, they do something that will change the course of their life forever. The characters have inner monologues in every episode, which I like because it helps you understand why they are the way they are and it further enhances their character development. This show is on the darker side, but still has that layer of Comedy that softens it up a bit.

Rating: 9/10

 

  • 90 Day Fiance 

 

This reality TV show is so light and fluffy compared to the rest of the shows on this list. 90 Day Fiance follows couples who have applied for the K1 Visa and have 90 days to get married to their partner or else their partner will have to move back to their country. This show is heavily scripted and unbelievably dramatic, but I live for it!! it’s interesting following different couples and their stories. Some of the storylines are goofy asf so if you need a laugh, watch the show.

Rating: 8/10