Interests:This xanga is really just like a diary for me, except that anyone can read it, because sometimes it's nice to read something that you can relate to or that can help you in life. :)Ask me anything, any time at http://formspring.me/infinityplus8
I just wanted to share a video of Lindsay Sterling. She is so amazing! Whenever I watch this video I feel happy and inspired. I hope her music will inspire you too. :)
I haven't been on xanga in a long while because of some family problems and because I have been really busy. But now I feel like I have worked a lot of my problems out of the way, and I am planning on going to Europe for grad school sometime in January to start a new chapter in life! :)
I've been away for quite a long time! Sorry! I've been so busy with finals, and then with family! So this will be a quick update about my trip to the mosque.
I really enjoyed my trip! It was very interesting to see a place of worship other than the one I'm used to. The interior kind of surprised me- I am used to churches being very decorated while the mosque was pretty plain inside. This makes perfect sense though! Everything was made to help you focus on Allah, rather than on your surroundings. This included the way people dressed as well, and the fact that the women were separated from the men.
It all had a very simple feel to it, and that's what I liked about it. After learning more about the major monotheistic religions, I realized that Islam is the most simple! I really love that about it. It's all about being one with God and being on with each other. I really like this idea, and I feel like Islam is misunderstood by a lot of western society... But that's another story!
I also wore a Hijab for the first time! Haha it definitely doesn't suite me... But here's a picture:
I made some friends while I was there too! Two from Ethiopia and one from Somalia. I only have a picture of the girls from Ethiopia:
How come they make the Hijab look so good?! haha
They were so cute and so sweet! I enjoyed talking with them.
And now to end with my favorite quote from the Somalian girl: "There are so many different religions and so many different sects... Everyone fights over what's right and sometimes we forget that we are all the same people in the end."
I'm doing this because of my class (last class I need to finish before officially graduating!). I'm really excited because I've only ever been to Catholic churches since my family and relatives are ALL Catholic, so this will be a new experience for me!
Can any of you give me some advice? What should I wear, what should I do, and what should I avoid doing? But I don't want to make a fool of myself or do anything disrespectful! Please let me know! I would appreciate it. :)
I went on a trip to the children's hospital with my Miss America group today, and it was a really inspirational experience. I didn't know that just showing up and talking to these children would make such a difference! They were so adorable and so sweet.
This little girl had the cutest little voice ever! <3
It was a really bittersweet experience for me. Because, in the back of my mind I knew I was in a cancer ward... I didn't want to know how many of those children would survive to be as old as I am. Somehow even now, thinking of that now squeezes my heart. Why is it that such sweet and innocent people have to suffer?I really can't forget those smiles... I will always remember one of the girls that had so many different tubes and machines hooked up to her, try to sit up, and smile and wave to us even though we weren't allowed to enter her room. Maybe I'm too emotional, but that little girl really touched my heart. I don't know how pediatricians do this. I don't think I could ever work at a hospital. But the trip was definitely worth it, and I'll definitely do this again. Every once in a while I get these experiences in life that kind of change my perspective on everything. Not only did I meet some adorable little kids, but I was also reminded that I'm really blessed and I should appreciate my health and I should be happy with what I have.
Sometimes I look at the sky and remember just how small I am... It's a good feeling, knowing that there are so many amazing mysteries out there still waiting to be found. :)
(You don't have to watch the whole video because it repeats a lot. But it is really amazing!)
