What Living Louder Means To Me

I started this blog January 2, 2015, but i never really explained to everyone what living louder really meant to me. I started this blog at 18 years old, and I am now 20 years old so I have time to think and explore new things with this blog. This is something I really love doing, and has been an outlet for me. I created this blog, so I can express whatever I felt that needed to be said, so with that being said this is what living louder means to me...

Living Louder to me means exploring things that makes you wonder. 

Living Louder means doing things that seem impossible, but you know you can do them.

Living Louder means experiencing things you would never though of doing.

Living Louder means meeting new people, and making new friends from all walks of life.

Living Louder means taking risks that you never though of doing.

Living Louder means stepping out of your confront zone to pursue something.

But most importantly...

Living Louder is not just the action it's about being able to share your experience, thoughts, and feelings with other people around the world.

I started this blog because I wanted to share every part of my life with people. I do not want people to live in a little bubble for the rest of their lives. I want people to go out, and explore life and be able to share it with their love ones, friends, and anyone that comes there way. 

I vowed to myself on January 2, 2015 that I would live louder and I intend to keep that promise!

I hope I can encourage everyone to live louder, and step out of your comfort-zone today!

Taking On Singapore

As most of you may know my family and I have moved to Singapore. Here are some pictures and things that I have seen and visited since I have been here. Singapore is such a pretty country, very different from a place that I have lived. 

Clark Quay Riverwalk

 
This is at the Clarke Quay Riverwalk in Singapore it has several restaurants that are located near the river. I ate at the Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar, and it was very good!

Then on the picture to the right, this is the center of the riverwalk, this is where all the bars are and other restaurants. It also has a pretty fountain, that changes colors. My favorite part about this place was the color of the houses.

This is what the Riverwalk looked like at night. In the picture on the left is the bridge that lights up in different colors each night. There is also a great view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

The picture on the right is the view from the Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar. There are also boats that can take you along the river.

Haw Par Villa

 This is in Haw Par Villa, this is a park that has beautiful statues of Chinese folklore and mythology. They are famous for their Chinese folklore’s 10 Courts of Hell.

One of my favorite pieces is the one above, it is so very detailed, and I feel as if every little detail tells a story. This one had an underground tunnel that you could go under and explore as well.





I loved the archways that they made. It was so very detailed and so beautiful. The park was fairly big, and had ponds where there were turtles relaxing. There was also a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty which was surprised me.

Marina Bay 

This is the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This is the hotel where they have the infinite pool that looks out of all of Singapore. The day I went it was very cloudy, because in Singapore if it's not sunny it's raining.

There are boats that go out and sail, on the other side there is a mall, which has restaurants that look out to the Merlion.

This is the famous Merlion. The Merlion has a face of a lion but a body of fish.


The Merlion symbolizes humble beginnings for Singapore as a fishing village. The Merlion is the mascot of Singapore, and there are several located around Singapore.

People's Association Youth Chinese Orchestra 

I was walking around Marina Bay, and they have this event known as In Youthful Company where students show off their talents. This show was for free and the one I got to see was People's Association Youth Chinese Orchestra. This performance was directed by Ng Seng Hong. I enjoyed the variety of music they played. They played popular Singapore songs, famous Chinese music, Japanese pop, Korean pop, plus a mash up of Bruno Mars songs. 

I hope you enjoyed some photos from the places in Singapore I have been. There will definitely going to be more to come, because i'm not done exploring this beautiful place.

A Wedding Toast To My Best Friend

Ladies and gentleman, friends, family, relatives, everyone who came out to witness this beautiful ceremony among these two wonderful people. For those who do not know me my name is Maria and I am the maid of honor. We are so happy to be here for this joyous occasion celebrating Tehya and Zach’s wedding.

I met Tehya my first year of college at the University of Arkansas. As a first year student not knowing many people I decided to do potluck and have a randomly assigned roommate. I honestly glad I did because then I would not have been able to meet one of my best friends. Tehya and I shared so many similar qualities it kind of scared me at first but then I loved it! Now Tehya has grown into an amazing woman. It is an honor to know the person she has become, and to have stood beside her on her special day as her bridesmaid and best friend. Tehya has always had a kind heart, brilliant mind, and always knows the right thing to say and do.

For as long as I have known her, the most important thing in her life has always been her family and her friends. She is an amazing friend - loyal, patient, generous, and kind. Tehya and Zach have an amazing bond together. I won’t go on too much about when they met, mostly because I wasn’t actually there, but I witnessed it through the eyes of Tehya when she told me the story. I could see it in her eyes she really loves Zach and that she was crazy about him. For a while Zach, I was a little jealous of you stealing my best friend, but as you become her husband I would like to pass on the best friend role to you. Because I know I won’t always be there for her when she needs me but you always will, and I know you will do you’re very best to protect her as I have. I cannot think of a better fit for my best friend then you. I hope you know you are a very lucky man to be able to have Tehya as your wife for the rest of your life. You look as happy today, as you did when I first meet you two in college.

Anyways, Tehya looks stunning tonight and Zach you look a little stunned. Therefore, here is some advice for you. Number one, she is always right. Number two, she loves food but she hates cantaloupes. Number three; never say no to a movie nights with her. Number four; always make your side of the bed because she is not going to do it for you. Finally, number five; love her with your whole heart.

So here, we are at their wedding night. They have finally made it after years of being together; their love grows stronger and stronger every day. High school sweethearts that defied the odds. From here on out they will be conquering every obstacle that comes at them. 

Today we do not only celebrating where they are right now, but also their beautiful future together. If everyone would raise their glass now and join me in congratulating the beautiful bride and handsome groom. Congratulations. I love you both, and wish you all the best. 

Things I've Learned From Gossip Girl

Every girl has seen the show Gossip Girl on the CW network. This show is every girls fantasy and dream to be living in New York City. I watched this show and fell in love with all the characters and i feel that there are lessons to be learned from this show. If you have not watched Gossip Girl drop what you are doing and go watch it. Anyway here are some things I have learned from Gossip Girl.
*spoilers*

Source

• Love is dysfunctional, hard, unexpected, stubborn, but also amazingly beautiful: There is a lot of couples in the show. The most famous is Chuck and Blair and both have had their fair share of mistakes, but in the end they love each other and fought through all odds. 

• "Fashion is the most powerful art their is"- Blair Waldorf : Blair Waldorf had one of the best clothing on the upper east side. I can agree that fashion is a work of art, you are the canvas and what you wear is what makes you special.

• Best friends are forever: Blair and Serena are the best of friends, they go through their ups and there down but in the end they are always by each other sides no matter what.  

• Scheming is a hobby: After watching the show I feel like Blair Waldorf is the queen of scheming. Blair had made it a hobby and she was very good at it. But I think we have all learned how to scheme because of Blair.

• The Upper East side is the place to be: When watching Gossip girl the upper east side, is what every girl imagine living, big city, lots of shopping, that is literally your goals as a woman to be able to marry a Chuck Bass or a Nathan Archibald and live on the Upper East side. 

• An outfit is incomplete without a headband: Blair had the most must stylish headbands and an outfit was not complete without them. Even now in the winter I wear cute headbands, and I love them.

I loved Gossip girl, I loved the ending and everything. These were just some things I took out of it, I hope you enjoyed them!

College Life At The University Of Arkanas

photo credit

I just moved into my new resident housing at the University of Arkansas. I will be an education major   teaching English as a second language and would like to minor in Spanish and learn another language. My goal is to get my doctorate as well and travel the world teaching kids how to speck in English. I moved into my dorm August 15th it was around a five hour drive from Texas to the University of Arkansas so I left at around four in the morning and got there at around 9am. I moved in all my stuff and decorated it as well.

The building i'm living at looks like this and is called Pomfret and is a two person dorm 

This is the building I am living at from afar it has three different wings and I am on the second floor. But it is quite a walk to campus and to classes but I will probably be so in shape after this year. Which is what I have heard from other students who have lived in this dorm.

Since I have lived here the fire alarm has gone of twice, one in the afternoon and one in the middle of the night. The reason it went off too was because someone was smoking a vape in their dorm.

I have had a great time at the University of Arkansas so far, I have meet new friends, and adapted to new surroundings and i'm loving it so much. I excited to see what the University of Arkansas has in store for me.

My Teen Court Experience

For the past couple years I have been in this program called Teen Court. You deal with real teen cases such as theft, assault, minor in possession, minor in consumption, and ect. I have learned so much and made friends that will last a lifetime. I'm going to share my experience and hope you can take something from it or do something new and exciting.

I started teen court because one of my friends mentioned to me and she thought it was something I would like doing. So one day in the summer I decided to go to one of the training to be an attorney and I liked it. I continued going, but I was never a good public speaker. The more I went the more I got use to talking in front of people. Going up in front of my peers and debating a case really gave me confidence to go up and talk in front of crowds. The friends I had made throughout this experience as really impacted me we weren't just friends we were family. We had our wins and we had our loses and we fought our cases like crazy wither it was objections or bad cases we went through it all together. I saw them every Tuesday no matter what even if I had a big test coming up I would go just to take a breather and clear my head. It was never boring there, and I always left smiling.The ladies in charge of teen court were family to us always there to give advice and make sure we stayed out of trouble and always looking out for us. Teen court is definitely something I wouldn't have been able to do on my own but with the help of my friends I was able to step out of my confront zone and explore new things. Leaving teen court I feel I was able to help teens make wiser decisions and learn from their mistakes and be able to give back to their community. I learned so much from this experience and something I will always remember.

Court is adjourned 

My Favorite Quotes

These are some of my favorite quotes from movies, television shows, books, and people that I find motivational and relate to my life. I hope you like them...

Movies /Television Shows 

• "Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself, and a little less time trying to impress people" - The Breakfast Club

• "Sometimes you need to step outside, clear your head and remind yourself of who you are. And where you wanna be. And sometimes you have to venture outside your world in order to find yourself." - Gossip Girl

• " The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it" -Lion King

Books

• "So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." - Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

• "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not" -The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

• "Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy" - Harry Potter by JK Rowling

People

• “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” - Victor Hugo

• "Be the best version of you" - Zoella 

• "Do more of what makes you happy" - Alfie Deyes

Those are some of my favorite quotes I hope they inspire you and become one of your favorite quotes. Let me know what your favorite quotes are.

Facts About Peru

I was born in Lima, Peru and it is one of my favorite places in the world. In March I was able to go back and revisit my home. I want to share some facts about my culture and home, and hope one day you will be able to visit this beautiful country. 

Food

Everyone always tells me that the food is their favorite, and there are so many varieties. Here are some of my favorites.

• Ceviche- This is a dish that contains tilapia fillets that is cooked with lemon and has onions and peruvian corn and served with sweet potato and can be spicy. This dish is one of my favorites, but it's also not for everyone.

• Inca Cola- This is a soda that is very popular in Peru. Its bright yellow, a lot of my friends said it tasted like bubble gum. Personally to me it doesn't, but I've been drinking it my whole life.

• Alfajores- These are my all time favorite dessert. They are cookies with a sweet caramelized center, and covered in powdered sugar.

Places
There are so any places to visit in Peru being such a beautiful country.

• Machu Picchu- It is up in the Andes mountains and is one of the seven wonders of the world. Elevated up 2,430 m above sea level but it's defiantly worth the climb.

• Lima- This is the capital of Peru, and the city I was born in. It is a beautiful city and you can looks out into the ocean.

Facts about Peru

• The Peruvian flag is red and white 
• Peru is the sixth largest producer of gold
• A traditional dish in Peru is guinea pig 

Pictures from my trip

 These four photos were from a show I went to in Lima Called "Brisas Del Titicaca" where they served food and saw dances from different parts of Peru.

These are from a place in Chosica called "El Bosque." You can go swimming go up and hike all the way up to a mountain and over look the whole town. When I went they were having their anniversary of the Bosque and they had dancers and singers and my cousins made me go up there and sing. Then days later I find out I was in their magazine. In the last picture is a dessert called Picarones to me they taste like donuts with syrup and are so delishious! But watch out for the bees!

                                                                

Towards the end of my trip I went to Santa Maria beach. In March in Peru it's like the end of summer and there weren't that many people at the beach but it was still beautiful. The  sea food is especially good there because they catch it fresh. 

Those are some facts about Peru and a couple a pictures from my spring break trip. I hope you liked them and go visit Peru one day.

Skinny Girls Struggles

Everyone has insecurities no matter whether its your body type or imperfections. People are always envious of the people who are naturally skinny, and they can't change that. Just because a person is skinny does not mean they don't have insecurities or struggles. So I thought I would name a few just so you can understand that being skinny is not all it's cracked up to be. 

1) People thinking you have an eating disorder, because they think you don't eat. It's sad how people could think we have an eating disorder just by the way they look at us. 

2) There are never clothes that fit you, and you either have to get it altered or shop in the kids section. As much as I love shopping it's a struggle to find clothes that fit me, especially pants.

3) People are amazed of how small your wrist is. Constantly comparing your wrist to theirs, or trying to see how many times their finger can go around it. 

4) Zero being categorized as a size. The number zero should not be a size that is basically saying that my size is nothing. Last time I checked my body is so much more than just the number zero.

5) Can't give blood because you don't reach the weight requirements. Everyone wants to save someones life by giving blood but it's hard when you can't reach the weight requirements which stops you from saving a life.

6) Being sick and the medicine they give you is to strong for you. When you get sick doctors will recommend you medicine but since you are so small the medicine makes you even sicker and does not help.

7) People joking about your weight, such as " you are going to be blown away" or "you look like a twig." It feels just the same way as someone were to say a fat joke to a fat person.

8) You can't gain weight as much as you try. We eat and eat and eat but can't gain any weight, and to some people that may sound like heaven. But to us we just want to gain just a little bit more weight because society keeps telling us we are too skinny.

9) People saying " you can't have insecurities you are too skinny." Everyone has insecurities and don't think that if she's skinny she doesn't have insecurities because we do.

10) Telling everyone that skinny isn't everything. Society has made people believe that skinny is sexy and perfect, when it's not. Confidence and personality is that makes you perfect in your own way. Everyone was born different and yes there is always one thing people want to change about themselves, but you should be happy with what you look like. We are all beautiful no matter the size. 

Those are some struggles skinny girls go through on a daily basis. So don't think that just because a person is skinny they are perfect. We are all beautiful (:

A Girl's Guide To Not Being Bored

Every girl experiences when they are so completely bored and have no clue what to do or where to begin doing something. I know I have, so here are some fun activities you can do by yourself or with your friends. 

• Go to the movies with your friends
• Watch the sunset 
• Read a book that is highly recommended
• Go to the mall with friends 
• Draw something
• Learn a new sport
• Cook something new
• Experiment with your makeup 
• Make your own jewelry
• Learn new hairstyles
• Redecorate your room
• Do a random DIY on Pinterest
• Take pictures of random things and make it beautiful
• Volunteer at a nursing home with friends
• Bake or cook something and hand it out to the homeless people
• Watch a documentary
• Watch a new YouTuber
• Make your own clothes 
• Start a Fundraiser
• Start a YouTube Channel
• Paint on a canvas
• Learn an instrument
• Go out and make a new friends
• Attend a yoga or zumba class
• Start your own blog
• Write heartfelt letters to friends and send them in the mail
• Write a book or short story
• Shadow someone in a career you are interested in
• Visit a university
• Have a girls night with your closest friends
• Try new foods
• Listen to new music

There are so many things you can do so you don't end up laying in bed all day wishing you did something. Hope it helped let me know what you liked to do, so your not bored.

The Truth About Senior Year of High School

As my senior year of high school comes to a close I am excited and sad at the same time. You wait twelve years for that moment when you get to walk across that stage and receive your diploma. I remember even at an early age they would tell you the year you would graduate and put them on t-shirts. But that always seemed ages from now, but as senior year comes to an end that time finally comes. So since I am almost done with high school I feel as if I should  help students who are about to start their senior year of high school and share the truths of senior year.

1. First semester senior year is a struggle: Your classes may be a super easy, but there is still a lot of things that you have to worry about: getting the right ACT/SAT score, picking colleges you want to apply to, filling out college applications, college essays, teacher recommendation, and etc. School may be a blow off but trust me your stress level will be all over the place.

2. You secretly care somewhat about your grades: You probably already got accepted into college and everyone is saying "i don't care anymore" "wait we had homework?" "there is a test?" all those kinds of statements, Its true tho, you won't work as hard as you have your previous years but you still end up doing the homework to keep that high GPA. Even though you say you don't care, but deep down inside you do.

3. Its's true you meet people you wish you had meet freshman year:
Through your four years of high school you will meet  new people and they will come and go. Maybe you meet your best friends or your worst enemies. But you will end up meeting people that you wish you meet freshman year. My school has a event called Senior Picnic towards the last few weeks of school. We went to a ranch and all hung out and  I meet some really cool people that I wish I had meet earlier.

4. Prom isn't stupid: At first I decided I was not gonna go to prom and then my friends convinced me to go last minute. Me and my friends did not have dates but we made the most out of prom and it was something special that I will always remember. It really doesn't matter if u have a date or not, it's the attitude you have, so make it memorable.

5. You learn to take in each moment: As the day comes closer to graduation, you begin to start taking in those moments you have left because you are never gonna see most of these people after graduation. I remember during prom and senior picnic I would just looked around the room and saw how everyone was having fun and how I felt at that moment and let everything sink in.

6. Time Flies: You will never really feel like a senior. I feel like it was just yesterday and I was in sixth grade writing a letter to my future self as a senior. Time really does fly, and you just have to make every moment count.

Senior year has been my favorite part of my high school experience, and I will always remember it. I will always remember the Friday night lights and painting my parking spot and all these activities that the school planned. I just hope your senior year is as memorable as mine.

My Favorite Songs Of 2014

I love listening to music, and I am always open to different types of music. I decided to make a list of my favorites song of 2014. These songs I listened to during the year that I enjoyed and I hope so will you. These song are in no particular order I love them all!

My favorite songs of 2014 were...

1. Pentatonix- this is an a cappella group I am very fond of. There are have so many good songs: Say Something cover, Christmas to me, White Winter Hymnal, Mary, did you know, On my way home, Wizard of Ahh's, Radioactive cover, and so many more. I just didn't have one favorite I love all their songs.

2. Wrecking Balls by Christina Grimmie- This song was preformed on The Voice by Christina Grimmie. She had so much passion in the performance it gave me goosebumps. Before she was on The Voice she did YouTube videos and think she has an unique voice.

3. Joey - Doing It Wrong/Princess of China Mashup (feat. Jessi Smiles)- This song is a mash up of Doing it wrong by Drake and Princess of china by Coldplay. Joey and Jessi mashed it up together to make a beautiful slow song. There voices go so well together, and it became one of my favorite songs.

4. Let It Go - Frozen - Alex Boyé (Africanized Tribal Cover) Ft. One Voice Children's Choir- Everyone knows the movie Frozen and the song let it go. This is a cover with an Africanized twist to it. The music video as well does the song justice it is so beautiful as well as the voices that sang in it. It is very different than the original song and very catchy.

5. "Just A Dream" by Nelly - Sam Tsui & Christina Grimmie- This song is a cover and a duet by Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie. This song is a perfect duet and the added piano parts make it perfect.

6. "Who You Are" - Jessie J - Anna Clendening Cover - This song is  a cover to Who You Are by  the Vine star Anna Clendening who was on Americas got talent as well.

7. Get Bright By Fellowship Creative & The Mix- This song has such a good message, and so fun to dance to. The voices are beautiful and the music video is just incredible. One of my favorites!

8. Story Of My Life (ft. Macy Kate, Tyler Ward and Kurt)- Everyone knows one direction, these three artist do a perfect cover to the One Direction song Story of my Life.

9. All I Want- Kodaline (Cover by Tiffany Stringer)- This artist is an up and coming artist, she was recently on American Idol and from Texas. This cover is one of my favorite songs of hers, and she has so much emotion into every word she sings. She is worth listening to!

10. Nick Jonas - Jealous (Gospel Version)- As much I love the regular Jealous, I am in love with the gospel version, there is so much soul in this song I love it. Nick hits a note in this song that he doesn't in the original and it really shows what he can do. I am in love!

These are some of my favorites songs of 2014 and I hope you take time to listen to them.

What YouTubers Have Taught Me

YouTube is a video sharing websites where people can post videos of almost everything. Over one billion people visit YouTube everyday.

When I started watching YouTube I thought it was just funny videos, music videos and tutorials. But as I looked further into this website I found people interacting with viewers as their friends. It feels like you are talking to a friend across the computer screen. Each youtuber has their own stories and experience that they like to tell the world through a camera.

Well theses are some of my favorite YouTubers and what they taught me....

1. Tyler Oakley has around six million subscribers and started his YouTube Channel in 2007 and is one of my favorite YouTubers. He connects to his viewers like no other and can make you smile no matter what. Tyler Oakley taught me that it is perfectly okay to be who you are, and not care what other people think of you "You do you, I do me" (Tyler Oakley).

2. Troye Sivan is a South African living in Australia. When he was little he was in movies, then in 2007 he made his YouTube Channel and has currently three million followers. Then recently he released an album called TRXYE. Troye taught me to face my fears head on, chase my dreams and how to be a better me "Life isn't about finding yourself, its about creating yourself" (Troye Sivan).

3. Zoe Sugg is a British youtuber who started her channel in 2007 and currently has six million views. She has her own beauty line and has recently come out with a book called Girl Online. She taught me that worrying should not control your life, remember all the good memories rather than the bad and to say yes to every wonderful opportunities that come my way.

Every youtuber tells a story that is relatable to everyone and makes them feel connected to them. These people have never meet me or even know I exist, yet somehow I feel this bond of friendship that is unbreakable.

High School Tips

High School has always been portrayed with scary teachers, bullies, and drama. Most of the things you hear about high school are not always true. By the time you reach high school most people have matured by then. But that doesn't mean everyone has.

I started off my freshman year at this school that I have been attending since I was in sixth grade. I had already meet a lot of people and dealt with the drama that came during my middle school years. But by the end of my freshman year I had to move, and start fresh. As much as it hurt to leave I did it and will be graduating from this school. I am currently going into my second semester of my senior year of high school.These are some of thing things I would tell myself if I could relive my high school experience. I hope this helps people going into high school this year or attending it now.

1. Be yourself- I know that sounds super cheesy but its true. Don't pretend to be someone to impress people it will get you nowhere. You will find your best friends just being yourself. Don't try to be better than anyone else, just be the best you can be. Don't let grades beat you up, don't let that 50% on a test effect you. Don't think you are dumb because you failed that test that everyone thought was easy. Just use that to motivate you to be better next time.

2. GPA is everything- starting from freshman year till senior year a GPA is important. This is the average of all your classes through 9th-12th grade. When your applying to college your going to wish you had an A or B instead of that C you had. So do not procrastinate, stay on top of your work (I suggest buying an agenda ) don't EVER say no to extra credit and do all your homework. Study and don't get distracted have ten to fifteen minute break if you have to.

3. Participate- Don't be afraid to ask questions or interact with teachers I promise it helps. Join clubs and meet new people. Find friends that will go with you to the football games, because your going to look back during your senior year and ask yourself why didn't you go more often. Go to all the activities like homecoming or prom even if you don't have a date, I promise its more fun to go with all your friends.

4. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail- this means that if you don't put in the effort to do your best you will fail. So study a little longer for that test, make sure you have all your work done, be organized and put as much effort as you can in all four years. I promise it will all be worth it at the end when you end up at the school of your dreams.

Most importantly....

5. You are worth more than a number- Don't let that grade you got on that one test or the grade you have in that class determine your worth. Don't think because you got a low score on your ACT or SAT you are dumb. A number is just a number and that is all it ever be, and you know how smart you are and how much you can accomplish. So accomplish it. Retake that test, take the ACT/SAT again, don't let a number determine who you are.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Maria I'm eighteen years old and this is my story.

I grew up in different parts of the world, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. By the time I was ten years old, I had already relocated five times. I would move an additional two times before finally settling in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Fortunately throughout my travels, I have been able to hold onto passions that are dear to me. Moreover, I have developed new ones with each adventure.

I was born in Lima, Peru and lived there for four years before moving to New York. After a brief stint in New York, my family moved to New Jersey and then London, England. After London we moved to Chicago, Illinois where we lived for four years - the longest amount of time I have ever lived in one location. From there we moved to Tulsa before finally settling in Texas the summer before my sophomore year. Everywhere I went I was able to meet different people and adapt to a new school and house. I was always good at making friends but saying goodbye is the hardest thing to do. In my last year in Tulsa, my freshman year, I found my passion for music and joined choir and show choir. While I had been singing since the age of six, I really became enthralled with music during this time. Music has always been a part of me and always will.

    Tulsa was by far one of my favorite places to live. People still ask me why, as they simply cannot understand its beauty. I learned that it is not where I live that makes a place but, rather, those I live among. I believe that you bloom wherever you are planted. In the next year I will be attending college, I do not know where I'm going yet. But I know that wherever I end up going to college it will be the right place for me.

I chose the name "living louder" because I have always been a quiet person, but I want that to change I want to be heard. I have gone through some struggles but believe that change and challenges is only whatever I make of it. But I always choose to make it work. So through this journey of mine living louder is my moto and hope it can be yours as well.