A Year in Review: I Cannot Wait for 2013

Hello everyone!
   This is my first time posting on a blog and I am really excited to do so. In the past, I feel like I have been able to express myself better.
    What a year it has been.....there has been change both in my personal life as well as in the real world. One of the highlights of my year was being invited to join a group of 25 other students and faculty on ASB to Mississippi. I have had many friends that went on the Joplin trip and based on their stories and testimonies, I knew this was something that I wanted to do. I have always loved helping people and wanted to have the chance to make a difference to those who were deeply affected by the BP Oil Spill and past hurricanes. I have seen the photos and the damage that has been done by this community and feel horrible for them. The efforts being made in this instance show who the heroes are in this country; they take time from thier lives and dedicate it towards helping fix the area and make it a better place. It is because of thier continued dedication that I also want to have the chance to make an impact and gain a sense of confidence. I want to challenge myself and do something that I have never done before, and I know that doing this will definetly guide me in becoming the person I want to be.
    Seeing everything that has occured in the past year has taught me to be grateful for everything I have.Since becoming a member of ASB, I have begun to see things in a new light that I have never seen before. I have learn to gain a better understanding of what people go through and how much one simple thing really does change everything. These events have shown me how important volunteering is and that doing this does make an impact. I think that by finding photos, it will help me express my true opinions.

    The one thing I want to talk about is Hurricane Sandy. Although I was not directly impacted, the devastation was heartbreaking:

 

This photo was particularly devastating to me. This roller coaster was a part of a boardwalk in which 1000s of people would walk on every summer. It was a part of a culutre that many people looked forward to every year. To many families, the boardwalk symbolizes fun and many family memories. With one storm, everything changed. The rollercoaster is now under water and broken. The places surrounding it are gone and only pieces of it remain. It was so devastating to see this because families did not know what to do. The emotion that came from these pictures are unspeakable; I can only imagine what they are going through. I wish that I could have gone on the boardwalk in order to understand how much this meant to the people that went there. It is through times like these that we truly come together and support one another. I am so lucky to be a part of a nation that is there for one another. I am looking forward to helping/ seeing what happens next.

It was through Hurricane Sandy that I strongly encourage every person to do something towards the cause. It gave me no greater feeling then when I was able to participate in FSU's Kiss a Pig Fundraiser. The event was so much fun and knowing that my money was going to those deeply affected made me feel so good about myself. I could not stop smiling whenever I talked about it because it was so much fun! I cannot wait to do the same when in Mississippi!! I know that going there and helping out CCI will be a grateful experience that will help me understand the serious damage that occured to one of the states in our great nation!

Love
Carly :)