Video: When I Grow Up

"Life is an adventure filled with amazing possibilities." - Colin Hesterly 

This video is definitely something to admire. Watching it makes me relish on my past and present dreams. It makes me remember all those insane adventures my kid-self dreamed and imagined going on.

This cute production makes you automatically have a blast from the past, whether you are a kid or a teen or an adult. It makes you smile when you think about those silly but amazing adventures your imagination once lead you.

I love how the creator went in depth into the little boy's adventures and dreams. The typical dream is to be a cowboy, be an astronaut, or be a firefighter. The creator went above and beyond that too; but I think he realistically presented a little boy's perspective on his dreams in life. He can be an explorer, an underwater adventurer  a brave warrior, travel with the circus and even more!

The creator leaves a strong message for his viewers. Have courage, be open to the world and its mysteries, keep persevering no matter what, and let go of fear. It is not crazy to shoot for what you want, if your heart wants it and believes you can do it; nothing can possibly stop you. "Not matter where life takes you, good stories are sure to follow. So chase down those dreams and take hold. Because a story that lives is a story that's told." Do not be afraid to create a story for yourself, be creative and fearless and come back with an amazing story that you can tell for years on end.

Life is full of possibilities; you should not limit your life and make sure to have an adventure every once in a while. Some of us need a reminder everyday to chase the dreams that we want. Even if it is a non-reasonable dream, some point in your life you wanted it. So do not be afraid to go for what you want, you never know where life's adventure will take you next.

Writing Prompt: A Generation of Idiots

Dear Albert Einstein,

You would be so disappointed with our society today. Unfortunately, what you feared came true: technology has surpassed our human interaction; our world has been filled up with idiots and oblivious people.

There are pictures, attached above, that prove your greatest fear. Instead of interacting with our friends while having coffee, we all stare at our phones and text other people. Instead of playing volleyball or surfing at the beautiful sunny beach, we again stare at our devices to suffice for entertainment. Instead of eating during dinner or interacting while out on a date, we YET AGAIN place all of our attention on our small, little technological robots. It is not necessary to have our worlds revolving around every little piece of technology for little things. What has the world come to? 

Day by day at least one individual is loosing him or herself to technology. It is essentially like a vacuum, it sucks up our time, our attention, and now our minds. There is not one time where I don't see someone texting on their phone, not one time I don't hear an excuse for homework that involves technology failing. 

What's even better is that everyday there's always something new.
Today: NEW IPHONE UPDATE!
Tomorrow: IPHONE 6 RELEASE!
Twenty years from now: THE DO EVERYTHING, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, ROBOT!

What's the technological world going to come up with next? One never knows. But, they do have their sneaky ways of getting you to buy their new, shiny products just to replace your perfectly, fine old one. How much does one spend on electronics? Studies show that the average family spends at least $100 per month on electronics. That fact is crazy on its own. 

I can not deny that I love technology, I mean I use it basically every single day. But I would hope that I could  survive without technology if I had to. As much as I love my laptop, my cellphone and my TV, those things can not compare with the love I have for my friends and family. I would rather be dependent on the simple things than the electronics at my fingertips. 

I just thought I would share my thoughts with you Mr. Einstein. It is sad to think that you, one of the world's smartest people, feared something and now that something came true. Maybe in future years things will change. However, that change being better or worse is the big question. 

Sincerely,
Lauren

Video: TimeLAX

What do you think about when you hear Los Angeles? Your mind probably automatically thought about an image of beautiful beaches, a-list celebrities, swaying palm trees and the long Hollywood strip. Push those thoughts aside and you have this huge city, better known as the city of dreams. 

LA leaves me awestruck, it is a dream of mine to move out there sometime in the future. There are many things I love about LA that I can rant on and on about. Beginning with the gorgeous weather to the amazing beaches to the city lights ending with Hollywood Boulevard. 

With LA's amazing weather, what better place to be than a  beach? There are many beaches in Los Angeles; Santa Monica State Beach, Venice Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach, and more. Each beach has a purpose and each have an amazing sunset view. Santa Monica is one of the more popular beaches. It is the typical beach you would go to, to have a great time. You can suntan, play volleyball, surf, go for a run or simply relax. Venice Beach is where you would go to walk along the amazing boardwalk. This is more accurately labeled an entertainment beach, you can see performers, listen to music, and visit various shops. Malibu Surfrider Beach is obviously for surfing, it's literally in the name. This beach has a surfer's dream waves. I am a girl that loves the beach and I honestly wish Vancouver had more.

Los Angeles' skyline is something that is very picturesque  It's radiating lights will leave you mesmerized. Who needs stars when you have twinkling lights? I can always find amazing pictures of LA's skyline and it is usually what you would see as my desktop background. The video above does the skyline justice, it's cool to see LA time-lapsed and to see all the different lights and changes throughout the day. 

The last thing I have to express my love about is Hollywood Boulevard. It is a dream of mine to become a singer or actor or even both. To be able to live in LA and have my dreams come true is something I honestly wish for every single day. Los Angeles is the city of dreams, it is the city where every amateur performer wants to be. Many big named celebrities and my role models are there. Picturing myself there with them is obviously crazy but who knows what the future can hold? 

Writing Prompt: Quote

This quote is one of my personal mission statements. It is the kind of quote that sticks in your head and never leaves once you have heard it. This is meaningful to me because I feel it reflects me a lot. 

My main goal in life is to do something that I know will bring me joy and happiness in my life. I want to be able to reflect on my life when retired and know that I was happy instead of annoyed or sad each past day. My parents always told me that not everything in life revolves around money or success; as long as you have peace, love and prosperity you will be just fine. 

I have many dreams for things I want to do in the future. Whether it is something, like singing, in the entertainment industry or something, like health, in the science field. I know I am going to have to work really hard for what I want and stay focused as well. Starting in my Grade 10 year, I tried my hardest in school. I worked really hard in classes and did my best to get the marks and grades that I wanted. Moving on to Grade 11, I am working even harder. I decided to take many science courses and I really want my report cards to reflect how much dedication and hard work I put towards school. I still continue to practice guitar and sing whenever I have time available; but for now, school has been one of my main focuses. 

The future honestly scares me. Having to think about universities, going out into the "real world", and having to essentially fend for myself and be independent. All of those things are seriously nerve racking. I do not know where I am going or where I will end up, I just hope that I will always keep this motto in mind and remember to do something that I love. As well as to always keep trying and persevering no matter how many times I fail.

Video: The Scared is Scared

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

"The scared is scared of what you like." - Asa Baker-Rouse

Firstly, this video is awesome. I personally really enjoyed watching it, it had a cool way of presenting itself. I liked the execution of the presentation with the different techniques and quirks that were in this video. Starting with the typography for parts of the story, near the beginning, that really drew me in. Next, the little bits of animation that added a cuteness to it. Then the parts of realism when the characters were acted out, brought a comedic atmosphere. It was definitely a funny, clever and imaginative project. The production crew did an amazing job bringing this six-year old's story to life. 

I think that's the main thing that is magical about the video, the fact that this little boy's story was able to come to life in a really awesome production. It definitely has a double meaning as well, besides it just being a cute, little production. It shows a different perspective of the world in a young kids eyes. When we get older, we do not typically think that "the scared is scared of what we like." But for little kids it is a different story. They do not have a face the 'real' world on their own at this point of their life, therefore they are still very inexperienced and innocent. They haven't been exposed to some of the harmful, negative things in our world. That is why I just love the fact that Asa and young kids like him have a positive energy and are always happy. This philosophy is one you can take to heart and think of in life. Taking any situation and saying, "I can do this. Nothing can bring me down."

Definitely a great production piece, I absolutely loved it. 

Writing Prompt: Designing My Own Lair

This writing prompt got me really excited. I already had a whirlwind of ideas starting to form in my head.

If I was to have my own secret lair, I would put a huge chunk of time into designing it. First, it would have to be big - I mean big enough to fit all the things I want in there of course. I would want to be able to fit a flat screen TV with a decked out entertainment system, a huge king size bed, a walk-in closet and a bathroom. Oh and of course a fridge and microwave, I can not forget about a food source. I would paint the whole room a monochromatic purple only changing the shades and then adding in some intricate designs afterwards. Around the whole perimeter I would hang up a bunch of sparkling star lights, to make it look like the night sky. I would place a set of black and white couches in the center of the room, in front of the flat screen TV. Along with a nice dark brown coffee table, some beanbag chairs and a ton of extra fluffy pillows. On one wall, it would have a humongous window, that shines sunlight throughout the day. Along with that would be a comfy window seat where I can play my guitar and write songs. The entertainment system would have high definition speakers, a gaming center with a Wii, a PlayStation and a Xbox, and a huge library with all the movies I can imagine. Along one of the walls, I would have a personal collage with a bunch of photos, frames and little trinkets. On another wall, I would have a row of different guitars all on display. In one section of the room I would have a pool table, an air hockey table and some old, classic arcade systems. I would make sure that this special lair would be decked out with a bunch of things I like and enjoy doing. Things that would make this room amazing beyond belief. 

I typically would use this secret lair as a hangout spot. It would defeat the purpose of it being a secret but it still could be considered my secret lair when I go there to have alone time. I would definitely want a place like this. One where I could make the decisions on how it would look like, one where I can spend private time or spend hangout time, and one that is perfected to my liking.