Sometimes you just want to lie down and take a break for a while. Or simply stop and walk away. It can be something as little as finishing your homework or as large as finishing a lifelong project that you have been working on forever. But you carry on and don’t give up. There have been many times in everybody’s life that feel like this. This is a time when all I wanted to do was quit.

       My friend Maddie and I were out snowboarding. It was only about our third time snowboarding at all, and it was our first time this season. We were both pretty nervous. After a few runs on the bunny hill, we decided to conquer something bigger. So we took the main chair lift up the mountain. “Maddie, if there are no greens open at the top, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.” 

       She responded confidently, “There will be.” So she and I enjoyed the rest of our ride. 

       My brother, Ian, was waiting for us at the top of the lift. 

       “Why did you come up here?” he asked. It turned out that he had texted me not to come up, that there was only an icy, steep blue at the top. But I had left my phone at the lodge. 

       “I guess you were right, Camille,” Maddie sighed. 

       First we had to endure one of the most annoying things in skiing or snowboarding, the flat start, which is as endless as the universe. We undid one foot and scooted along until the ground started to drop away. Then we sat down and buckled in. 

       The first part wasn’t so bad; it was more of a green than a blue. I was beginning to think this trail would be alright, and we would arrive at the bottom unscathed. We emerged out of the trees into a wider part of the trail. Here it got a lot steeper, and I glanced at my brother with dread. 

       “Don’t worry, it gets worse,” he said. I frowned. It was a lot easier for him since he was skiing and was used to going down blues and blacks. So I slowly skidded down. Maddie was behind me for most of this part, so at some points I waited for her. Ian slid over to me. “The trail branches into two later on, make sure to stay on the left. There is a black on the right.” 

       “We will,” I responded. Then he turned and whizzed down the mountain. I glanced over my shoulder. Maddie was close behind me. I started back down, going slow and zigzagging a little. I watched as experienced snowboarders and skiers, speeding and shredding, flew down the mountain around me. I turned a slight corner, and bam, there it was. My eyes widened, witnessing the monstrosity in front of me. To my inexperienced snowboarding eyes, the trail seemed to drop away in front of me. The other black route connected with ours at this point. I looked at the snow. It was a grayish-blue. Ice. 

       I had the sudden urge to unclip my snowboard and walk down. But that would be way too embarrassing. I sighed. Eyes wide and fearful, I tipped the edge of my snowboard downhill. I was barely moving, but I still fell quickly. I continued, going bit by bit. After one particularly bad fall, I had to sit for a second. I really wished I had stayed on the friendly bunny hill.

       Just then, a skier sped by me. At the last second they braced against the edge of their skis, spraying snow in my direction. I stared in shock as they raced down the mountain. They threw a malicious look back at me. I groaned and got back up, now showered with snow. I edged along a little, but it seemed I couldn’t stay up for more than a few seconds. Maddie passed me, going way faster. I was on the side of the trail where it would make sense for there to be more powder, but it was all icy. The ice seemed to stretch on forever. The bottom of the board grated along the rigid ground. My muscles ached from constantly pushing myself up. People kept on rushing past me, people who actually belonged on a blue/black trail.

       I was almost at the bottom now. Taking over the ice were hard clumps of snow. My board bumped over them, shuddering and quaking. I reached Maddie and Ian, feeling like I could collapse. 

       “Let’s go and get lunch in the lodge,” Maddie said. I nodded, and we walked back to the lodge, put our snowboards away, and entered. We got soda, chicken, and fries. Then we sat back down and dug in. 

       “That was something,” I said. Maddie agreed. It had been a long and incredibly challenging trip. I was so glad the perilous journey was over, and I could relax for a bit. I was also glad that I had not given up and stuck it through.

       That difficult day was a prime example of not giving up. I hated the whole ride down, but I kept going, even when other people tried to slow me down or discourage me. And no matter how slow I was moving, I didn’t stop. I powered through, as many other people do every day. So no matter what other people say or do, keep moving forward. 

-Camille W. 

       Have you ever made plans just to have them fail? When these types of things happen, you need flexibility.  It’s entirely true when it comes to vacations, as even the best-laid plans can often be derailed by weather, road construction, or any other number of unforeseen circumstances. Your vacation is pretty much at the whims of the winds of change.

       Over summer vacation, our family has a one-week-long holiday every year, except for the Covid years 2019 and 2020. In 2022 we decided to go to New York City. To save money and get a shift of scenery from the typical hotels, we decided to camp instead of getting a hotel. It worked out well, and we had a joyously good time in New York City. However, on the last night of our vacation, calamity struck.

       On the final day, after happily playing on Jones Beach, we finally headed for the final long ride back to our campsite. It was pretty uneventful, with nothing much to note, especially the part where we spent at least an hour driving around in circles. Our GPS continuously wailed at us to take a closed ramp to our campsite. Like a child or sibling that keeps begging for a toy, it was firmly set in us to follow its woefully inaccurate instructions until we got fed up and it got turned off. Among these faults, I attempted to help navigate using detour signs, but they were sparsely placed and confusing. By the time we finally took a look at our location on the map and found a detour parallel to our original route, we were exhausted.

       Finally, after much repetitive debate, we arranged to revise our plans and rent a hotel room rather than return to our campsite. Consider the following points: First, my sister had salt on her skin from swimming, and second, she was in no state to wash herself being that it was way past her usual bedtime. After coming to a nearly unanimous agreement as my sister was now soundly asleep, my dad got on his phone and started to find a hotel. After yet another lengthy decision, my eyes drooping, we settled on the Garden Inn by Hilton. We ordered a room with breakfast as we drove to our hotel. After washing off we all agreed that we had made the right choice.

       Think back to when you’ve made plans. Did they work out as intended? If not, then did you use flexibility, and what was the result? You can learn valuable lessons from the flexibility and maybe even find a better way to do things.

-Brian J. 

       Do or don’t? One of the hardest questions to ask yourself, especially when playing with your friends. You should think about the consequences before you try to do anything and restrain yourself if you think you shouldn’t. In other words, have self-control.

       The restaurant’s doorbell chimed as we walked out into the magnificent sunset. The sky was a calm pink and orange. As I used my scooter to ride on the sidewalk, I distantly noticed a person waving. He yelled, “Wanna have a race?!” 

       I was about to reply when my mom whispered, “Don’t! He has an electric scooter! He’s going to be way faster than you! And you’re going to fall. Look at how many holes are in the road!” I debated whether or not to do it. 

       Without answering, I rode over to my friend. “Sure!” I yelled back, although a bit anxious.

       “Alright!” he announced, “Start here.”

       When he said ‘Go,’ he suddenly halted.

       “Why’d you stop?” I asked, secretly glad that he stopped.

       “My scooter ran out of charge,” he replied, “Be right back.”

       He went in for a couple of minutes to plug it in. Then he came back out and said, “It’ll take a while, sooo… what do you want to do?”

       We played around for about an hour when… his mom came out. “It’s fully charged,” she reported, “Have fun!”

       “Alrighty! Let’s do this race!” my friend exclaimed. 

       I was ready. I had my scooter positioned away from the nearby bumps and cracks in the road. 

       “3, 2, 1, GO!” my friend yelled. 

       I didn’t make a sound. I instantly slammed down my feet on the broken road. My friend instantly sped ahead of me. Dodging and weaving, I rode in between the rocks, trying not to fall.

       I saw a hole in the road. I started to turn the handle to avoid the hole as much as possible.

       My foot went in the hole.

       I felt my ankle turn to an odd angle. The front of my foot hit the rock that had come free of the hole. I fell down and caught myself.  I felt an empty feeling in my ankle. I looked down. I saw blood streaming down like a waterfall. I saw my friend stop. He turned and ran towards me. So did my parents.

       You should always have self-control. It helps you make better decisions, not stupid ones like mine. Just remember what happens when you refuse to make the unsensible decisions over the sensible ones. Just remember what happens when you don’t have self-control.

-Atharva N.

       Have you ever gotten stressed about something? Sometimes we work ourselves up over nothing. We can get so worked up. Usually, it starts with something small like at the doctor's, a test, a tryout for a sport, going on the stage, or having to go to the dentist. This reminds me of one time I had to go to the dentist.

       I couldn't sit still. I was yearning to leave. The nurse stepped in and inquired, ¨Could Joe come back with me?¨ I was ready to screech. He isn't going, we are both leaving. I was astonished that I was able to keep myself in my seat. I waited in my seat, fiddling with my fingers, so I tried to think about what I was going to do to get out of this situation!

       It seemed to get even worse the longer I slouched unconformably in the chair. I tried to think of a reason to leave. Nothing came into my head; it was a void of nothingness. Then the most inferior thing happened. My dad strolled out of the hallway, and behind him was the nurse. “Can Amelia come back with me?¨ she summoned. 

       I wasn’t ready. I tried to procrastinate, but I said nothing. I stood in front of the seat. I wobbled nervously to the nurse. “Okay, follow me.¨ She joyfully swiveled around and started the hike into my room. I wanted to say, you have the wrong person, but I couldn’t lie. I followed her even though it was against what I wanted. The hallway was somber, and it felt like the hallway was endless. It was like someone was messing with me. We finally got to our destination. My stomach groaned, not like I was hungry but like it was whining to go home. 

       We strolled into the room. I threw myself into the pale chair. The nurse clipped the gray paper sheet around my neck. I was ready to leave. My hand shook vigorously out of nervousness. Questions filled my head: What is going to happen? Are they going to know? Did I forget to brush my teeth last night, or floss? I heard the snap of the gloves hitting the nurse's palms. They got shiny tools out of a bag. I could hear drills around me. The light antagonized me as the nurse moved it.  

       “Open wide,” they announced. I opened my mouth as wide as possible. I heard metal clinging like they were trying to make music. They'd said something, but I didn’t hear; it was like I had escaped reality.  “What flavor would you like? There's strawberry shortcake, chocolate cake, and mint.” I stared mysteriously at her. I had no idea which one I wanted. I only wanted to go home.

       “Mint,” I blurted out. Why did I say that? I thought. They scraped out the mint toothpaste from the container and wiped it all over the electric brush. They spread it all over my teeth. After that I just sat there looking off at space.

       I finally strolled out of the hallway that used to be frightening, but now it was an ordinary hallway. “ So how did it go?” my father asked.

       ¨It went well I think. No cavities,¨ I answered.

       ¨See, you got worked up for nothing,¨ he replied. 

       That day, I learned a lot about not working myself up. I had wasted so much time on nothing. It didn't change my fate in any case. Now, I can take this lesson and apply it to other things in my life. For example, I used to also get worked up and anxious before performing in pageants, but after this experience I was able to keep my cool during a speech in front of a lot of people. Getting yourself worked up over small things wastes your time, and if you focus too much on the small stuff you´ll miss out on all the big stuff in life.

-Amelia K.

       Have you ever done something that you never thought you could do? You probably have, and it’s important to remember that it’s never a bad thing to not be afraid to do something. For if you had not committed such acts of dauntlessness, something dreadfully atrocious could have happened. And although there is probably a very slim chance of something happening to you where you need to step out of your comfort zone and be brave, it is still very crucial to have the ability to be brave.

       It was a tropical, halcyon, magnificent, and exciting summer day at the lake. The water was gleaming immensely like a gem under the stars, and the packed parking lot was the size of a stadium. My delighted family and I were unpacking the bulging trunk of our truck. I was gazing at the boats cruising by indifferently while the boats getting dropped off and getting pulled out took forever. Eventually we started packing the boat with everything that we needed. And as we got more and more prepared the more my exciting day started to feel more and more heart racing. Slowly the line of boats coming in and out started to get shorter and shorter, like a snail getting closer and closer to its destination. Finally it was our turn to back our boat into the water. My dad was finishing the final touches on preparing the boat while I was up on top, taking my sister's place, making sure we had everything before we left. Meanwhile, she went to the bathroom. We were ready to launch our boat, but when I turned around from getting the front of the boat ready, I discovered that the engine had gone into a big pile of  smoke, and that smoke was quickly turning into flames.

       I immediately alerted my father of what was happening. It took him a second to hear what I was saying due to the noise of the lake in the background. But once he heard me he instantly jumped into action, grabbing a fire extinguisher and fighting the raging inferno. And instead of jumping off the boat and running to safety, I decided to stay and try and put out the fire with my father. With my father using my visuals of the fire, he was able to disconnect the battery and use the fire extinguisher to put out the infuriated blaze.

       After we had put out the fire, my sister had finally come out from the bathroom, bewildered. I explained what had happened to her while my dad got the boat all ready again to inspect the damages. My father pulled into the parking lot with our withered boat. He took the cover off of the engine and analyzed the damage that the fire had done to the interior of the engine. He calculated the damages and concluded that we couldn’t fix them at the lake, and that we’d have to go back home and fix them.  So we left the lake disappointed to go repair the breakage of the engine.

       When all is said and done, it is important to have the ability to be brave at all times. That way, you can ensure the safety of not only yourself, but possibly dozens of others as well. You can most importantly make sure that everybody can be inspired by you to be brave as well so that they can also ensure the safety of others.    

-Aiden P. 

       Have you ever thought something was easy until you tried it? You may have looked down on the people who did that certain thing for a living or not appreciated them to the fullest. Well, I know I did, and it was all about perspective.

       It all started when my dad and I were having a friendly debate on which jobs were harder, a farmer’s or office worker’s. I pointed out that many people who worked in offices were usually overworked and mentally strained, also with their paychecks not equal to the stress they go under. My dad argued that farmers need to have a certain degree of physical skill and vast intellectual capacity. 

       How would farming be harder than doing something such as programming? Well, for starters, standing upright, brows furrowed, my father argued they need to figure out the cost of doing their job and the cost of living usually based solely on predictions for that year. They would have strong problem-solving skills as farming is a trial-and-error profession. They must have exceptional interpersonal skills, as a farmer would need to communicate with others related to their profession. A farmer would need to be able to adapt to their surroundings to grow crops; since adaptability is part of a mindset that requires immense intelligence, it would only make sense that a farmer would have this skill. Farmers must be able to organize their systems and crops properly or else it would affect their paychecks. There were many more points as to why a farmer must have exceptional intellectual ability and or capacity.

       I was baffled by this speech my dad gave to me, as I had not even thought about these skills that were nearly required to be a successful farmer. I couldn’t even impugn, but I still wanted to stand firm on what little of an argument I had even though I knew I was progressively shifting over to his side; because of what he had stated and the fact that he and his family were farmers in Albania and now he worked in an office, he had the chance to see the world through different perspectives, and he stands firm that being a farmer is a harder job than working in an office.

       Jaws clenched, speech rushed, we were obviously disgruntled, and we needed to calm down through an agreement. With that we decided to agree on a bet; I would stay in Albania for two weeks and work as a farmer with his parents, his siblings, and their children, who had been farmers all their lives. I could quit anytime I wanted if it got to be too hard for me, and my father would win the bet proving that he was correct, or I would stay and work while gaining new knowledge and altering my viewpoint on this debate. If I won it wouldn’t have meant I was right, but it would let me decide on which side I would take in this debate.

       I packed my bags and headed on a plane to Albania; the second I arrived there I could feel the sweltering heat and the bright, blazing sunshine admitting towards the open airport doors. The sun seemed like it was laughing in my face, taunting me. I knew that this was going to be backbreaking…

       As I walked out with my uncle to his motorcycle I could feel my skin blistering in the immense heat already. Although I was remarkably lucky to have a breeze provided by the vehicle cutting through the wind, I could still feel the sun rays coming down on me.

       Arriving at the gates of the house of my father I could tell my family was euphoric that I had come. The smiles on their faces were wider than the golden gate bridge. The feeling was mutual even though I had a looming sense that my dad was 100% correct. Then it dawned on me that I had forgotten how to speak Albanian; while I could understand everything, I knew I had to relearn how to speak it. Although this has happened to me on multiple occasions, for some reason, I felt this would only take a short amount of time, unlike the others…

       The next day started with me waking up to a roaring crow of a rooster; as I glanced over to the clock my eyes widened, realizing that it was six in the morning, yet the sun was already beaming through the curtains. Suddenly, my cousin burst into the room I was staying in and dragged me out of the bed, handing me a list of chores.

       As I quickly scanned through the list, I wondered, This is just for the day? As my cousin continued to speak I soon figured out that it was just for the day. I got dressed and headed out the door, dreading what I had to do next.

       I started to walk down the grimy dirt road, knowing that I would be exhausted by the time I got to the well as it was nearly four miles away.  As I walked down the road with fields of crops on each side, my hunger only growing, I started to think that this was a colossal mistake and that I should have stopped debating as soon as I heard that speech of my father’s. Suddenly, I saw the well, and as I ran to it I began to question why I had even taken my stance on the debate without seeing life through different perspectives. As I continued to run the fields never seemed to end, until I was there, my hands trembling slightly, my grip on the buckets loosening.

       I set the buckets down and replenished them. I was carrying the crisp, glimmering water and started on my journey back through the fields. The water seemed to sparkle as if there was glitter inside. My feet dragged against the ground, feeling heavier with each step I took. I arrived at the house, and I set down the buckets with an exasperated sigh, picking up the list and doing what it told me to do next. I reluctantly picked up the metal buckets and walked the short distance to the stables and poured the water into the sheep’s abreuvoir (where their drinking water is stored). I abhorred that I had many more things I still needed to do.

       I set out to the fields to turn on the sprinklers to water the crops; I was grateful that this was an easy task. Ankle throbbing, knees trembling, I looked down and saw that my ankle was cut, and that's when I realized I probably cut it on the metal wiring surrounding the switch to the sprinklers. I quickly ripped a part of my sleeve from an already torn shirt and wrapped it around my ankle. I knew I had to compress the cut and keep particles and bacteria from getting into it. Although it healed very well, I still have a small scar on my leg to this day. 

       As I limped back to the house I kept repeatedly checking my ankle to make sure that I didn’t bleed through the cloth. As soon as I entered through the door I sat down on the couch and unwrapped my ankle; I checked the wound, making sure I did not need stitches, and I thankfully did not need anything besides proper bandaging. After I wrapped gauze around my ankle and headed on my way to feed the livestock.

       I grabbed a bucket full of a mixture of seeds and corn and headed towards the chicken pen; I walked into the pen and started to throw the mixture toward the chickens. As they were fighting for their food I went through a small door and entered their coup; as I picked a basket and started to gather the eggs that had no chicks inside I heard a loud clucking noise coming from the outside of the coup. Two female chickens were fighting over food, so I quickly put the basket full of eggs down next to me and picked up the rest of the chicken feed and threw a little more towards them, then quickly grabbed both containers and left the pen placing both where they belong. 

       I had to feed the cattle after this; I brought hay into their part of the stable and set it down in a corner. As I did the same for the horses, donkeys, and sheep, I realized that it was midday already, so I headed back to the house, and I started to help with making stew and baklava for lunch. After we ate I immediately got back to the list of chores.

       Not even two days had passed since I arrived, and my entire perspective on not only my stance on the debate but also life itself had altered completely. I realized that I was extremely lucky to be able to have so many resources provided for me while people such as my cousin Stellá were not as lucky to have as much technology as I did. Even though previously I thought I was using my resources such as the kind of school I am enrolled in, technology in general, and nearly all the things people have provided for me to the best of my ability, I soon realized that I was completely wrong, and I made a promise to myself that next year (this year currently) I would try my best to make the most out of my education and take advantage of whatever tools that would be available and help further pursue my education, not just focusing on the grades I earned, such as last year. 

       As I snapped out of the trance-like state I was in while thinking about this, I noticed my name being shouted. My uncle was calling me to come to help him mend the tractor. I rushed over to the back of the stables where he was and handed him his toolbox; looking over to where he was, I noticed that the place he was working around was immensely rusted, so I told him to be careful. I stood there for over an hour, handing him tools and shifting things around in order to help. While this set me back on my chores I was glad I was there; even though nothing had happened, something easily could have.

       Running and dodging the herd of goats coming my way, I was taking the goats to graze in the fields. After that, I learned how to milk a cow. Soon the day was over, and the next two weeks involved the same routine.

       This experience altered my perspective; I realized that I shouldn’t have taken that stance on the debate without seeing what it was like to be a farmer. Perspective is a powerful thing; it can change the way people view the world, themselves, everyone around them, and everything in between. We should always try looking at the world from different points of view; it will always benefit us.

-Alba H.  

       As I stepped onto the court, the familiar sound of my shoes squeaking against the shiny surface filled my ears. The cool air hit my skin, sending shivers down my spine as I looked across the net at my opponent. He had always been better than me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't good enough to be playing on the same court as him.

       I had always been interested in tennis, but I never took it seriously until a few years ago. I would hit the ball around with friends and family, but I never thought I had the potential to be good. That all changed when I joined a local tennis club and started taking lessons. My coach saw something in me that I didn't see in myself - a natural talent for the sport. I remember his famous line, you won't get better until you think you can get better. With hours upon hours of rigorous practicing, even as I began to improve, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I wasn't good enough.

       I had to confront my self-doubt head-on when I found myself playing in an important match. It was the finals of a local tournament, and I was playing against my rival. The match was intense, the sweat dripping down. As I began to lose, my doubts crept in. I could hear my own thoughts jeering, telling me that I wasn't good enough. I felt like I was about to give up.

       But then something shifted. I thought about all the hard work I had put in, all the hours spent practicing and training. I remembered the words of my coach, who had always told me that I had the potential to be great. And I thought about what winning this match would mean - not just for me, but for all the people who had supported me. With that, I found the determination and grit I needed. I started to play with more purpose and conviction. I made every shot count and fought for every point. The sound of the ball being hit back and forth across the court was like a symphony to my ears; every point felt like a victory.

       As I lifted my trophy high in the air, I realized that I had done something that I had never thought I could do. I overcame my self-doubt and proved to myself that I was capable of doing things I never thought I could; from that day forward, my belief in myself never faltered again. I approached every match from that point onward with the same self-belief, and I never let self doubt get the better of me ever again. From then on, I approached every match with self-belief and never let self-doubt get the better of me. I knew that the road ahead would be full of obstacles, but I was ready to face them head-on. And with each match I won, my confidence grew stronger. Tennis became not just a hobby but a passion, and I never stopped thinking that I could do it. I became a better player and person, and I knew that was just the beginning of my journey to becoming the best player I could be. The feeling of the sun on my skin, the sound of my family and friends cheering, and my opponent's racket smacking the ball against the ground all blended together to make me realize that the moment was worth all the effort and hard work.

       Reflecting back on that pivotal match, I realized that it was the turning point in my tennis career, and in my life. It taught me that with hard work and determination, I could achieve anything I set my mind to. It also showed me the importance of believing in oneself and never giving up. The feeling of the cool air on my skin, the sound of the ball being hit and the thrill of victory all blended together to make me realize that the journey to becoming good at something is as much mental as it is physical.

-Aditshiva Y.