I am...

I am… Loved.

"Guys, guess what I just figured out." "What?' "Birth Certificates are basically baby recites." "Really, Reede, really?" "Rachael did you hear this?" "To be honest, I'm trying to ignore you right now." "But this is an amazing discovery!" "Yea, okay Reede." So this was an actual conversation that I had with my math buddies, Juliana and Rachael. The people I thank G*D for every day after lunch… When you move you may want to reinvent yourself, go right ahead. But keep the parts that makes you, you. I know this sounds cheesy, but I've found that certain moments make me who I am, I'm weird, like the moment I gave you first. So I asked my friends what was the first word that they could think of when they thought of me. I am;
Inspiring,
"We won't be able to do this." "Nina yes we can." "How do you know that." "Because I know if I didn't believe in us this much I wouldn't have ever started, I wouldn't be getting ready to talk about carbon tax or Russia or refugees, I believe that no matter how stressed I get. You're gonna be there, telling me about some contention or framework problem. I wouldn't wake up at 4:30 on a Saturday to drive down to Salt Lake. I would let those days where, we are looked down because we are freshman, get to me. I know we got this." "Thank you... How much coffee did you have this morning?" "Too much Nina too much."
Poetic,
"How would you describe being a human." "You know that moment when you are about to loose or the day finally comes crashing down on you. You keep saying it's going to be okay over and over, even if you don't believe it. Or those moments when you walk down the street and you hear that song, the one your dad used to play in the car and now every memory of it sweeps through you. When time finally stops and sits down to have a conversation, not remembering that there are tests to be taken or papers to write." "Where the hell did that come from?" "I have no idea."
Realistic
"So Utah, you excited?" "Why because I'm leaving what I know and the people who love me. To go to a place where I'll be an outsider for awhile." "Dude be a little more optimistic." "Why there isn't a point of sugar coating it, it's gonna suck but I'm gonna have to do it anyway."

I can be who I want because I don't care. I am who I am for a reason, it doesn't matter what town or who I am with. I am the girl laughing too loudly or the one arguing. I have my head stuck in a book. I bite my nails, I love to write and I refuse to filter myself for anyone. I am who I was supposed to be.

They're in My life For a Reason

:) Thanks to data:image

You're nervous when you're new. Don't know if it's because everything you turn to is new, and you can't turn to anyone because you're so nervous. All you need is that one person to lean on or direct you through the flames. It's crucial when you're new to put your pride on your floor and actually talk to people.  It's not as hard as you would believe. See, I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. People either come into your life because they are a lesson or a chance. So with that the people I've become close with, I've met all for a reason. I'm glad for it, for the late night talks, for the weird conversations, for the shoulders to lean on.  There are a few people in this world that I can trust fully, but each of them give me a reason to. It's funny if you think about it, in your hometown or wherever you came from, the people who you're friends with seem to be the only people you think about spending every weekend with. After moving you realize about the people outside of that small-town of yours. On that note, I never liked the word squad, it always bothered me, until Utah when  I found mine. This sounds this ridiculous I know, its weird just saying it. But hey that's what we call ourselves. Five girls, four boys and all with very interesting thoughts.  My bestie with the pink hair [:0] Sam Petersen always gets us talking about the most deep and intricate stuff. For example; religion, gender, politics (don't get even me started) or anything really important going on at each other's lives. Then good old Bryce Murrin or Annie Sheinburg  (I'm sorry if I spelled that wrong) decides to get us all rabid and laughing about some really interesting, for lack of a better word, topic. Maya Levine then normally says something half of us will be take the wrong way. Which will make us give her crud and laugh even more. Then Olivia Welter will actually make us talk about it, or least explain what goes on in a few of our minds. Then the amazing Sean Lydon will make a sarcastic comment, which will cause Nash Batten to get awkward and Cris Mora to say something that only Cris would say. My favorite part of those moments is to watch how happy each of us is with each other. So there you go a short glimpse of a small amount of squad hangouts. These people might be loud or a little weird to the normal black and white eye but for me, they are so much more. They are the people who I can depend for a shoulder or smile. We might not all understand what each of us go through, but that's the best part is we don't pretend to. We call each other out, say things we don't mean, argue till we're out of breathe but that's us. I wouldn't expect you guys to understand because you aren't there. Some people from school try to, it just doesn't work out. Only because they aren't there for the important parts of our tragically beautiful story. I met them for a reason, each teaching me valuable lessons, each shaping me to be better. So I thank you lucky few I call a squad. Thank You... 

The Moral of the Story

Image thanks to Pintrest.com

Lets go back to elementary school when you had to learn the moral of the story. Trying to figure out what the author was trying to tell you. Here's the my moral you guys or lesson of you will. Life doesn't owe you anything, you have to work for what you get. I'm honestly done with people complaining about how they have too much or too little. There are approximately 7.3 billion people on this world, do you really think your problem is the biggest one. People are dying for worst causes then a broken nail. Stop making things to nonsense on purpose. If you are going to scream remember what happened when the boy cried wolf, or how curiosity killed the cat. Maybe you'll remember that tricks aren't supposed to be played constantly and that some news just aren't for you to know. Start paying attention to the morals of the stories that we learned as kids. A rapper once said "I write 'till my fingers look like a bouquet of roses  you got to bring yourself your flowers now in show biz' focus it's quiet coyote come on let's go, kids Everybody get together with a study buddy And I'll talk about the **** that I don't give." Yes I just quoted Watsky. But he has a very valid point, you work hard to achieve, I will repeat this again, life doesn't owe you a thing.  You may save a life and get fired from your job and you may cry a hundred days and never smile. Life doesn't play by any rules, no point in believing that it does. I'm turning fifteen this year and I've already grasped this idea of not knowing what comes next. Maybe my moral of life is wrong but so is the fact that no one believed the boy when he needed help or how the rabbit lost it's race. Life is realistic, our lessons we were taught as kids weren't. Maybe that's why so many people believe that they deserve something. We aren't going to be children forever, I'm not saying to stop teaching blind optimism. But at some age we should realize that there isn't a point in still believing that our prince or princess will come. If we were taught to dream don't you think most nights would less dark. Maybe the girl who said she's just little tired means something more. Or the boy who has the math answers would like to talk about anything but. We were taught that the boy lied every time and rabbit got a little cocky. Maybe the boy had anxiety and got a little scared. Maybe the rabbit got sick of being the winner and wanted to learn something. So yes please complain, please not read the whole story. Maybe you will actually learn a few things about the true moral of life. Life doesn't owe you anything. So if you bring up elementary school stories, just know that fairytales aren't gonna come true. If you read into more then just the surface you'd see terrors of living in terrorless happiness. Because the moral of the story is?....

Was it Worth it?

After a day of yelling and screaming, trying to prove them wrong. After a day of sweat and a little tears. After a day of stress and frustration. After a day of  tough results.. Was it really worth it...

I woke up at five thirty, Tightrope by Walk the Moon, blasting through my phone's speakers, waking me up. See it was Saturday and it was cold, the last thing I wanted to do was get up at five thirty in the morning and have people yell at me all day. Yes, it  was my first debate tournament in a long time.  I love my debate I do but if I had to choose I don't think it would be riding a bus with them in the cold morning. In the back of the bus you heard the congress kids talking about the most recent GOP debate. In the front you had the upper class men sleeping or laughing. In the middle were most the kids who were going to their first tournament. Aka like three people plus two others. The ride consisted of screaming, laughing, terrible singing (!!!!!!!), sleeping and debate memories. 

Everyone while waiting
picture thanks to pintrest.com

When the team entered we were the last to get there.  It was a smaller tournament but somehow it looked as if hundreds and hundreds of people were there. I'm not a person who typically gets nervous, in that moments though, I started to shake. Seeing all the policy kids spewing (speaking very fast), others screaming at their teammates, talking about evidence and case writing. My type of debate is public forum, luckily not as crazy as policy or congress. Those are terrifying... Our first round started roughly ten minutes after came it was our first round. My partner and I were hoping to get the affirmation side of the topic. Actually luckily we got negatory, after a full forty five minutes of yelling and fighting, along with a few snippy comments and questions from both sides it was over.. After another three rounds and a bye round. Which means it's an automatic win but we get no speaker points. 

While the judges we calculating the scores it was about hour and half break. My debate team is one dysfunctional family.. I was adopted into it during this time. I can't even try to explain what the whole thing is it would take an entire blogpost to describe what it is. But the best part of that entire time was that I felt welcomed to the stress...  After an hour and half of waiting it was the award ceremony. They announced the I.E. aka speech events first. Then it was time for debate. Novice P.F. was announced third. They announce the top five first. So after fifth was announced, we were nervous. After fourth was announced, we thought ok maybe third. And after third was announced, did we even place? Well that's when second was called. First tournament and we got second!! I don't know who was even more excited for us my team or Nina and I.  I am glad for debate it helped me fit in even more here in Park City. They make us feellike on big family

After a day of yelling and screaming, trying to prove them wrong. After a day of sweat and a little tears. After a day of stress and frustration. After a day of  tough results.. After a day of laughing and welcoming.. After a day of smiling and kidding Was it really worth it... Well yes it was.

Change of Pace

To those two people actually read my blog, I'm changing my blog type. There so many things other then places to talk about so from now on this is a rant blog. So yea change of pace guys. The metaphor of the pilot seat still works, trust me. But it's slightly changed, this time it means to take all our nothing. You're gonna fly the plane or you aren't. SO here goes everything. 

Hopefully this one is true..
Image thanks to Idulgy.com 

They said it I had it easy moving here was easy for me. Have you ever seen your best friend break, have you ever seen the girl who was your shoulder start to cry? Well then don't tell me it was easy because it was the exact opposite of easy. I left a part of me there something I can't get back. It's funny, when I moved to Park City I thought I would be screwed. I mean my parents chose the one city that seemed to be on a different planet compared to my hometown. Most of the kids in my old school hadn't even seen snow before. That would come across to about half of my current school as crazy. Park City thinks they are over crowed at thirty kids per class. My English Class had forty seven kids in the class and we were the smallest out of all seven that he had. Listen I'm not complaining, its just funny that we ended up here. Two very different states, two very different  cultures and two very different homes.  It reminds me to my first day in AP geography. My teacher was talking about what we were gonna learn when he says something on the lines of,"you'll find that a lot of states here seem like an entire planet away." then a kid someone who I will not name (but it does start with an A, you know who you are).... Yelled out California like it was the most logical answer in the world. I wanted yell back and say no but, I stopped and realized maybe he isn't wrong. Like how people haven't seen snow there, some people haven't been to the beach here. I understand I kinda restated what I said before. It's an important concept that I have just now come across. 

Back to what I was saying before, I thought I was screwed. Why wouldn't I be, I had different hobbies, I 'talked differently', and I grew up in the same small town my entire life. Can I just explain San Elijo Hills for a second, I know San Diego is a pretty big city. But the place where I grew up was a very very very very very very small town. Everyone knows everyone, in my entire life there, maybe only two new kids moved there. I had everything planned out for me. The schools, the friends and everything an eighth grade girl could dream of, (with in reason because nothing is certain.) But you what you don't expect is that you will be moving, that you have to tell the girl who was a sister to you that you've been keeping something from her for six months.  When you move you are only thinking about you in that moment not the others around. Until it's the last week and you realize you aren't gonna see these people ever again. You aren't gonna see the kids who grew up with you. The oy who stood up for you when no one else would. The girl you would talk to everyday. In a few years they might be the last thing form your mind.....

I didn't adjust well either. This place wasn't home for such a longtime for me. It wasn't until I accepted the fact that this was my very different home and  I wasn't gonna move back. That I really started to fit in here. Not that I do now, I'm not a ski kid, this is my first time ever having an all day locker etc. My life has been very different then kids here. Hopefully one day I'll start getting used to this place.  You could say that moving was easy for me but it wasn't. Leaving is a two way street. I had to experience both sides of it. 

Introduction

Taking The Pilot Seat 

Introduction 

Post 1 

ME

Hi guys this is Reede Nasser and this is my travel blog. I got lucky to grow up with a family who loves to travel. For example my Aunt travels around the world taking photos and experiencing cultures. She has lived in places such as Madrid and Paris, hearing her stories growing up was one of my favorite things to do. (If you are looking for photographer  my aunt Jodi Nasser is your girl.) You will probably see her works in this blog. My Dad has a job that lets him go to extravagant places such as Singapore and Hong Kong. I myself have loved traveling and experiencing new things since I was young. I loved finding out the culture of each place we went to. Each culture had different story behind it that I loved to find. I learned that the people in other countries strive ad thrive on their culture. 

WHY I STARTED THIS BLOG

To be honest I never had an interest in blogging before. But in my english class we were assigned these blog to practice writing skills, while using technological resources. We were allowed to write about any topic we chose. So I picked travel, something I love to talk about as well as, something I knew about. 

WHAT THIS BLOG IS ABOUT

In this blog I will be talking about places that I've been  to or other places that I know people that have been there. No I won’t be reviewing hotels or restaurants, or anything like that. Just options based on experiences. I call my blog 'Taking the Pilot Seat' because of an experience that has defined traveling for me in so many ways. 

THE NAME EXPLANATION

This is why I call it Taking the Pilot Seat. The story is, my family and I were traveling to Placencia, Belize. Which is in the southern part of Central America. To get there we had to take a twelve person plane from Belize City. My family of six people took up half the plane. There were only five seats left on the plane, so my dad was asked to ride in the copilot seat, and after we got off my two brothers, older  sister and I rushed to him eagerly asking him all these questions. Each of us trying to tell over the other one. He just replied saying to each one of them that “any seat is like the pilot seat.” I know it isn’t a very descriptive or wise answer but for my innocent ten year old eyes it was enough. So ever since then when I enter the plane, instead of just seeing the controls and panels like any other person would. I would just think how I can travel like I am in the pilot seat. I have other stories just as important to me as this one, but that will be for another time. So for right now thanks for staying with me. 

http://www.leeabbamonte.com/travel-tips/5-tips-for-traveling-to-every-country-in-the-world.html