Some Random Photography

 Hey! I have had quite a busy week; what about all of you? My cousin was in town, so we were visiting some local places. I was going to take pictures, but my camera literally died. LITERALLY. 

The battery is officially drained. Which sucks because we were going to go a lot of really cool places, most of which June and I had never visited before. Anyway, I've been trying to decide if I want to pay for the $25 battery it needs, or just start saving up for a new camera. Hmm...too many decisions.

Anyway, I went to a camp a few weeks ago, and my friend and I took at tram up to 11000 feet above sea level. I took some pictures of the scenery, and I thought I would post some of them for fun. ;)

 These silhouettes of the mountains are my absolute favorites. <3

I hope you all enjoyed. :)

Thoughts On My Childhood

The more I think about it, the more I realize that when I was younger, I was much too concerned with those around me.

I worried too much about what other people thought of me.

I responded negatively to peer pressure. For this reason, I lost a dear friend who I was lucky enough to reconnect with after elementary school. 

I was too influenced by what those around me said. 

I never wanted to be popular. Never was. And never will be.

I still wanted to fit in though. I conformed to those around me. My friends were fans of Taylor Swift, so I insisted on being a fan as well. They all were in dance, so I wanted to be, too. My friends were all a different religion than me. Every single one of them. They all shared something that I couldn't connect with. I wanted to feel like I fit in with them. Wanted to feel apart of those meetings they were constantly talking about. 

However, once I left elementary school, I realized that that was not who I really was. 

I was, and am, a girl who loves reading. A girl who loves playing an instrument. A girl who doesn't want to fit in with the "popular kids." A girl who doesn't care what others think of her.  A girl who doesn't mind being an orchestra nerd. A girl who has two left feet and was never destined to dance gracefully. A girl who doesn't mind being the quietest in the class. The girl who hates group projects because she's not the most sociable person with those she doesn't know well. A girl who likes One Direction. A girl who surrounds herself with those she truly can be herself with. A girl who doesn't care who sees her writing creatively. A girl who doesn't like watching T.V. all day long. A girl who tries to think about the world around her. A girl who hates conflict among people. A girl who wants equality, whether throughout the world, or just within her school. A girl who strives to be confident in who she is. 

It hasn't always been this way. It's taken years for me to come out of my shell. To feel confident. 

And the people around me are constantly trying to change me. 

My school has a focus on sports. If you aren't apart of a sport, it's like you don't exist. It's not that I want that recognition for myself, I want it for the people and groups that I know deserve recognition. For instance, several members of the Chamber Orchestra got to go to regional solo and ensemble. Several even made it to state after that. But when the school recognized those who made it to state, there was no mention of them. Later on, Chamber was recognized for making it to state as a group. I was so proud of them when I found out about that. But it made me wonder, why weren't the individuals recognized?

I have been told that I should try out for the volleyball team on several occasions. While I have considered it, I ultimately ruled it out. The competition is not apart of who I am. I love the game, but not the competition.

I guess that's what growing up has taught me. 

I don't have to conform to the standards that my peers and society sets for me. I can have my own values, my own interests, my own frame of mind. 

I can be my own person. We all can. 

Just because we are expected to conform to the beliefs and values of everyone else, doesn't mean we have to.

I want all of you to try to work toward this goal with me. Be an individual. Don't allow society to decide who you are. Choose it for yourself. 

Book Review: The Testing Series by Joelle Charbonneau

So I recently finished reading a *fabulous* series of books.

'Cuz you know. It's summer and I don't have anything else to do except work on summer HW which equals EWW!!

Source

Anyway, on with the review. And you all know how I feel about spoilers, so no spoilers, I promise!!

The story is about sixteen year old Malencia Vale and her friend (ahem, ahem, more than just a friend) Tomas Endress. It's a dystopian series of novels about "The United Commonwealth." Basically the United Commonwealth is the U.S. after a war called the "Seven Stages War." It's broken into a series of colonies with the capital in Tosu City (aka Wichita, Kansas).

Source

The University in Tosu City is a highly selective institution of higher education. Once the students from the colonies graduate from high school, they have to be accepted for the Testing, or they won't be able to continue their education. Also, if one does not pass the Testing, they will not be allowed to study at the University. 

Source

The whole point of the University is to revitalize the land that the citizens of the United Commonwealth live on. During the Seven Stages War, the land was destroyed by chemical warfare, and biological warfare. Therefore, the students who graduate from the University work to revitalize the land around them.

Source
Once Malencia begins the Testing, she realizes that the leaders of her country are very corrupt. This eventually evolves into her deciding to try to make a difference, etc. etc. 

Now, I know what you all are thinking at this point: it sounds like a copy of THG.

Well, to clarify, it is a bit like the Hunger Games. Malencia goes to Tosu to be Tested. She lives in an outlying colony. It is a bit of a love story as well. 

While it has many aspects in common with THG, it is a very unique story. I mean, the idea of being tested to get into a University isn't a new concept (think the ACT's and SAT's), but the different tasks this test entails makes it a high-stakes test.

Anyway, I found this series extremely enjoyable. I literally finished the first book in four days. The other two took my about six days each. They are easy reads because of the gripping storyline and Joelle's writing style, not so much the vocabulary. The books do use a lot of advanced language, but don't swear or become vulgar.
The titles of the three books are:
The Testing
Independent Study
Graduation Day

It is a bit violent, so if that makes you uncomfortable, be aware.

I embedded the book trailer, but in my opinion, the trailer is lacking and kind of pointless. I watched it the other day and was like, "Why am I still watching this? This doesn't even portray the story well." I did not imagine Cia that way, so I guess that's what bothered me the most. :P

So, if any of you need a summer read, I suggest this one for sure!! I've had a couple friends who have read it and loved it as well. 

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Welcome!

Hey, I'm Ginny!

Some of you may know me from Small Town American Girlz, but for those of you who don't, I'll take a moment to introduce myself and my blog. 

I'm absolutely obsessed with reading, writing, photography, and playing the violin. Usually you can find me doing one of these things. :D

I love The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Testing, The Maze Runner, and To Kill a Mockingbird. 

I have unusually curly hair. 

That about sums me up, but if your hearts so desire, you can find out more about me on the "Who is the Blogger?" page.

On this blog I am *hoping* to be able to review various books, take pictures of various things, and rant (but not too much) about various things. There will be a lot of variation. 

Thanks for visiting!