Happily Ever After

I'm not planning on getting married for at least ten years. I think wedding between the ages of 26-29 is reasonable. I will have been able to get a degree, establish some sort of career, travel, build strong friendships, and date around. I'm in no rush to grow up and start a life with someone for at least a decade. 

But I do think it's exciting. I laugh at the girls my age who complain about "being single forever" just because they are single right now. It's absolutely ridiculous. It's possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. We are teenagers afterall, still in high school, and have not yet completely entered the adult world. So to all the young folks out there sobbing into their pillows because their crush doesn't like them back... Stop. 

Just think about how exciting your life is right now, and how the future holds such wonderful things. There is a time and place for everything. Why rush time (something I find rushes itself too often)? I want to make the most of my two years left in high school! But I also can't help but daydream of all the wondourous adventures that await me in the future. 

I know I will create a great life for myself with special people in it. I love knowing that some of the best days of my whole life haven't happened yet. It's thrilling. 

Like I said, I like to day dream. Pinterest helps fuel all my little dreams. Looking at Pinterest (mine is isabelfabela), these thoughts run through my head:

Maybe I should redecorate my room. 

Oo, what if I lived there one day?

I wish that was in my closet. 

I have an outfit that looks just like that!

Okay, I'm definitely cooking that. 

And baking that. 

And eating all of that. 

That. Jewelry. Is. So. Sparkly. 

Give me those shoes. 

Maybe I should style my hair like that. 

I'm totally traveling there one day. 

I'll try doing my makeup that way!

Or that way

Or maybe this way?

That backyard is a dream come true. 

Wow that quote is so inspirational. 

Ohh, this quote's my new life motto!

So yes, I pin basically everything. It's a little ridiculous. I've been spending more time on Pinterest lately that usual since I've been recovering... And have finally wandered over to the wedding page. I know, I know. I never really used to click over there because I thought "heck, I'm not getting married for like a million years! I'm just going to look at stuff that inspires me right now." But everything on there is just so beautiful and it pulled me in. I could probably spend years looking at different dresses, rings, venues, flowers, engagement photos, bridal showers and so much more. So I created my own wedding board and titled it "Happily Ever After." 

I think that's why I don't want to rush into marriage at a young age. Not only do I find it irrational, but I want to have a happily ever after. I know that I'm not Cinderella and wishing for a happily ever after may be juvenile of me, but I don't care. I think the older you are, the more likely you are to find someone who will give you that perfect fairytale sort of ending. Of course, there are always bumps in the road and issues in life, but as I'm about to die I want to look back on my life with grace in my heart and remember my marriage as something that did my life well. So I know it's not always "happily ever after" but in all I would like it to amount to something similar. 

So now I pin things on weddings and plan out my ideal wedding for someday. I know my ideas will change, but it's still fun and exciting. Planning a real wedding will stress me out beyond belief, so it's fun to just play pretend for now. Until next time xxx. 

Sixteen Candles

Sixteen years and less than 6,000 days. That's how long yours truly has been around (as of July 11th). On this day, Krispy Kreme celebrated their very own 77th birthday, Chick-fil-A had cow appreciation day, 7-11 gave out free slurpees... And I got 16 candles on my birthday cake which read "Happy 16th Birthday Isabel." A pretty standard message, but I picked it out. I didn't want any embarassing nicknames scrawled across my cake!

It was a lattice cake with pink roses. I LOVED it!

My 16th birthday wasn't celebrated with an extravagant bash you'd find on MTV. It was no Molly Ringwald movie either. Yet, it was my birthday and l wouldn't have had it any other way. All my family came over to my aunt's house and my dad barbecued. I'm still debating on whether or not to have a party with friends in Colorado. To be completely honest, it isn't at the top of my list for now. First, my mouth just needs to heal!

On the morning of my birthday I awoke to a lovely variety of Mexican bread from a delicious market. It was exactly what I wanted (I wanted a light breakfast, to save room for cake and ice cream later obviously!). My aunt made me a strawberry smoothie and overall it was a mellow morning. 

I got ready, curling my hair and wearing a brand new dress my grandmother had just bought me. She always takes me on a little shopping trip whenever I go back home!

Then, my grandma and I went to get manicures and pedicures while everyone else in the family set up for my party. 

My pretty manicure is still hanging in there for being a week old! 

Then I relaxed mostly at my grandparents, and returned later to my aunt's house for the dinner, presents, and cake. My parents had bought me a lovely bouquet of roses and an assortment of balloons!

There are lots more photos on other cameras and such, which I'm sure I'll be getting sometime soon. Yet me with frosting on my face... Well I think that really captures the essence of my 16th birthday. It was sweet, fun, and memorable. I was happy and I'm grateful for the outpouring of love I recieved! While it was nice to have well wishes on social media, I truly appreciate all the sweet texts, phone calls, and hugs from loved ones on my special day. Until next year 7/11.. And until next time xxx. 

You've Only Got Yourself

It may sound a little sad. Afterall, there are over seven billion people on this planet and all you've got is yourself. It's all I've got, too. Seven billion is a whooping big number let me tell you. So with all these people around, why do we only have ourselves to depend on? 

Like I said earlier, it may sound sad, but it isn't really too sad. It's mostly hopeful. How incredible is it to know that the only person you've got is yourself? Heck, you can make yourself whatever you'd please. You don't need to rely on someone else to make you feel loved or to even bring a smile to your face. You can simply depend on yourself; and if you're the best version of yourself you can be, how could you possibly become disappointed? As long as you're trying your very best.. That's what should keep you happy. 

I know it's important to have good friends and a supportive family surrounding you. But news flash: life is not fair. It never has been and trust me, it never will be. But don't let that get you down. That's just the truth. We shouldn't let the truth bother us as much as it does. We should just accept it and move on. So no, life is not fair and there is always going to be someone who has it "better" than you. But the grass is always greener. You have it better than so many other people in the world. If you're reading this, you must have a computer of some sort which makes you pretty freaking lucky. So yeah, life isn't fair and you can't always depend on others to make your life great. 

Friends come and go. Sometimes, they even change likes the seasons. If you find a friend worth holding onto, then do everything you can to hold onto them. If a day comes when they don't want to be in your life anymore, let them leave. If someone wants to walk away you should just let them. Why waste your precious energy on someone who's done wasting theirs on you? Life is short and you only have so much energy so don't go wasting it. That's just a silly mistake and a huge waste of your own valuable time. People come and go because life isn't fair and it doesn't always make sense. That's why you've only got yourself. Some people stay for good, but sometimes you never know when one day a person is going to up and leave your life forever. Accept it. Accept that it will happen at some point in time. If it hasn't happened to you yet (and I hope it hasn't) it may someday. Because life isn't fair. But that's okay. You've got yourself. 

Family is always supposed to be around, but families can be crazy. Sometimes things happen. People get busy. People fall in and out of love. People move away. People get old. People die. I don't mean to seem like a Debbie downer. It's just the truth. The truth remains that nothing is permanent. Especially not people. As much as we would love to believe in every sweet story we read and mesmorizing movie we watch, it's important to understand that it's pretend. Not every story has a happy ending. But if you hold on dearly to yourself, your ending can be pretty damn happy. 

Just think about it. You've got yourself. You are this wonderful, beautiful, strong, capable human being. You were given this incredible gift of life. Why waste something so precious? You can become whatever you want. You can follow your dreams. 

I know we are taught as young kids to follow our dreams and to become whatever our heart desires. Then, you grow up and the world isn't as bright as you always thought. Life isn't as easy as you grew up believing. It's hard to become whatever we want when we may not even know who we are. But let me tell you something.. It's a little bit of a secret, but the world is as bright as you grew up believing. And it's a million times more beautiful than you could ever imagine! It's a wonderful world and you have a wonderful life and you can do whatever you want because it's your life and you've got yourself. 

As a teenager, I'm surrounded by people who think their lives are ending. Teenagers. They can be depressed or out of control. Teenagers. The broken hearted. But we are just teenagers. We've lived less than two decades and we think we have got the whole world figured out. 

I'll admit, my father says I act like I know it all... And I'm sure I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. But I'm glad to understand that I'm just a teenager and my life isn't anywhere near ending. All the petty drama with friends and boys, the stress school and sports bring, and all the pressure to fit in.. What's with that anyways? These few years aren't my whole life. I'm only a teenager for so long. It's hard to believe I'm not a kid anymore. Time flies and people change and that is why you've only got yourself. Why act like the whole world is ending when it's only just beginning? Everyday is a new beginning, no matter how old you are. 

I'm only starting to fully accept that I've got myself. I hope to be surrounded by love forever, but nothing is permanent. Nothing is perfect. Even the sun sets in paradise, remember? So just love yourself. If you love yourself, others will love you, too. They'll love you and perhaps stick around, because they'll see that you're independent and strong. You don't need them, and when they see that it'll sort of amaze them. Nothing is more beautiful than standing strong when you're standing alone. 

Any ordinary person can stand in a big group of people and claim to not be lonely. Yet, It takes someone truly special to stand all alone and admit that they're not lonely. They've got themselves, you see. They don't need you or anyone else. I think that's a very lovely trait to posess; independence. 

So you're living on this planet with over seven billion people. There is no one just like you though. You're your own person and not one other person can compare. So maybe the next time you're walking all alone down a busy street, you'll stand a little taller and smile a lot brighter because you've FINALLY realized how unique and important you are. 

You've got yourself and you have a long life to live. Make it a memorable life. Make yourself strong and become empowered. You can do whatever you please, so why not do something worthwhile? Until next time xxx. 

Going Back Home

I was back. Traveling through Vegas, I reached my final destination. The one place I actually feel whole. The golden state. 

I returned to Disneyland, stared up at the Hollywood sign, and went back to the Bay. And oh, was it blissful. If I could move back right now, I would.

Of course, I would miss Ainsley (maybe I would take her with me!) and Hankenzie. All three of them would have to visit or maybe just move along with me so we could continue our wonderful adventures and throw many more holiday parties (how does a Christmas party on the beach sound?). 

Anyways, I was back and I was loving it. Goodness, do I miss it. I turned the sweet 16, connected with my millions of family members at the reunion, ate a lot, bonded with my cousins, visited the iconic Chinese theater, and so much more. 

The day I got home (12 hours later to be exact) I got all four of my wisdom teeth pulled. So while I'm confined to my bed I decided to blog all about California. 

If you've read Little Thoughts, Big Ideas before, you are well aware that I love California more than anything, so I won't bore you with that anymore. I just wanted to share some pictures that captured the grand scheme of the trip... 

Some cousins! the younger one is my cousin from Norway and the older one is my cousin Katie. 

Birthday cake on the face.. A tradition of sorts. 

My other sweet cousins (who just happen to be twins!)

My lovely mother and I before my party. 

San Francisco

Ice cream with my grandma in Ghiradhelli Squre. 

The bay with my dad!

My grandma wanted to "selfie." Outside Victoria's Bakery in North Beach. 

My cousins incredibly adorable dog, Layla. 

Muir Woods

My old friend, Huckelberry. He's my aunt's dog and I've known him for 12 years. He just had to visit from Norway, too!

4th of July celebrations!

My cousin and I are sneaky when we visit our old elementary school. 

My mom, her sister (my fabulous aunt) and I at a 4th of July picnic. 

Where dreams are made of. 

Cruisin' with my brothers in their adorable Mickey Mouse hats. 

Hollywood

Chinese Theater!

My brave brother and I going on Splash Mountain. 

The Venetian in Vegas. 

Hoover DAMN it was huge. 

Chinese Theater was pretty extravagant. 

Vegas and a fake Eiffel Tower (no worries, next summer I'll be standing by the real deal). 

My favorite beignets from Cafe Orleans

Paradise Pier!

A magical fireworks show!

There are probably 1000 more pictures out there. Everyone at the family reunion and my birthday party was using a different camera, and a few of my aunts and my dad still have a bunch of photos they need to share! Perhaps a part 3 will be in order somewhere down the rode. I think a 16th birthday post may be in the future and one just on Disneyland (Isabel in Disneyland.. An Adventure Story? I haven't done one of those in forever!) until next time xxx. 

Why I Love to Write

People never have and possibly never will understand why I love to write. Teenagers don't seem capable of seeing all the beauty I find in writing. All the peace and comfort I find there is something that is hard to put into words, but I'll try. 

I love to write because I suppose I understand how difficult it can be to form our thoughts into some sort of mess that makes even a bit of sense. It can be challenging to speak everything we are feeling and all our little thoughts. Often times, we know exactly what we want to say but just don't know how. On other occasions, it is nearly impossible to word our thoughts because we don't even know exactly what they are.. That's one of the struggles that comes with being human I guess. We have all these feelings and complicated thoughts that run through our minds on the daily. 

I love writing so much because I know exactly what I'm putting onto the paper. Nothing even needs to come out of my mouth. The words can just flow from my brain, through my hands, and out onto the papers before me. They don't all need to make sense at one time. My thoughts can be scattered and confusing and that is okay. 

I also love writing, because it gives me a place to channel all my ideas. I find fiction works to be extremely fascinating because they are just that: fiction. The people being written about aren't real and the fictitious stories you read aren't something that ever happened. An actual human's brain thought up of this entire scenario and gave characters life and created a beautiful tale. The whole world inspires me and there is so much to write about so why not get started? 

I love being able to live my own life and surround myself with love from family and friends and go on adventures. Then, I can take all these very real emotions and memories and alter them and apply them to a piece of writing. It leaves for endless opportunities and stories to be told. 

I find words to be so beautiful. Of course, there are some nasty, hateful words, but others are so meaningful and lovely. Why not use these words and put them together to create something magical?

Because.. Admit it.. Good books exist. Sometimes books that are capable of changing lives. Whether you're a fan of reading or not, I'm sure there must be some book you've enjoyed at least a little. A story that you can think about right now and smile at the way it impacted you. I know I can. I love books and that's probably why I love writing. As a child, I had stacks of books. As a teenager, I still have piles of books and a stuffed book shelf. I'm all for technology and the Ebooks that have developed are incredible, but nothing will ever be more comforting than a book with worn pages. Pages that hold something within them are my favorite. I love to look back on some of my old books and see coffee or faded food stains. The crinkle on a page from a tear drop. Memories folded into real books with actual pages are something that can never be replaced, no matter how much technology evolves.

So, yes, I'm grateful I was pushed to read as a child because it gives me so much joy as a teenager today. I know that it will continue to be a source of light and happiness in my life into the future. Thanks to reading, I've learned to love writing. Perhaps you enjoy writing as well, or maybe this is the most ridiculous post you've ever read. Writing? Who likes writing? While I'm not sure of your opinion on writing, I know you're now sure of mine. I appreciate everyone who reads this blog of mine, and am astounded each time I post something new by the amount of people who read this from around the world. Thank you so, so much, and I hope to keep writing for a very long time. Until next time xxx. 

The Pale Blue Dot

We live on a pale blue dot. Not even something that looks like it could possibly have life on it. It is simply a little dot. So pale and soft in color, just hanging in space. I've always found space to be an interesting concept because the majority of it is unexplored and who knows for how long it will remain untouched. So while a lot of it is unknown, we somehow know a bunch of stuff about this pale blue dot. Sure, we've explored near planets and have walked on the moon. For goodness sakes, more is known about the surface of the moon which is 238,900 miles away than the bottom of the seas on our own planet. It's astonishing to me. Yet here we live, on this speck of nothingness that hangs in a beam of light. As said best by Carl Sagan, Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

I Iiim quite fond of that quote. Yes, it's long and yes it takes a few moments to read. So what? Everything said is true through and through. When you sit in history class you don't learn about the great alien rulers from Mars and you never learn about all the civilizations constructed in space. Whether you believe in life outside of earth or not, isn't it incredible to know that everything we ever really learn about has taken place right here? This earth of ours has a radius of only 3,959 miles (Juptiper has one of about 43,500.) Our world is 4.54 billion years old, has a population of over 7 billion people, and is a whooping 92,960,000 miles from the sun that's kept us alive for so long. Yet it's still just a blue dot. Not even a pretty shade of blue. It's pale and lonely even while it's surrounded by stars. I've always been fascinated by earth and space because I just can't wrap my head around it. Perhaps I never will because I'm not capable of understanding something so vast. It's so odd to know that all your family is on this dot with you. There is so much love on something so small. So many wars take place on this planet. So much power. So much wisdom, hope, adventures, beauty all on this pale blue dot. Think of everywhere you've ever traveled, everyone you're related to, everytime you've ever laughed or cried. All the life changing moments you've had and all the boring days you have spent listlessly sitting on the couch. All the people you meet or all the ones you read about. Think of Shakespeare and Cleopatra. The Romans or the Mayans. The Revolutionary War. Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492. The Middle Ages. The Dynasties of China. The Royal families and all the celebrities you read about in the magazines. The dieases and mindless destruction followed by hope and strength. Big cities and quaint countrysides. The poverty and the lavishness of mansions. The animals and the weather and everything you see just looking out a window. All these "important" things and "notable" people and "impactful" events are on this pale blue dot. And suddenly that makes them seem entirely less than what they were just moments ago. Yet they can't be. They aren't. Everything and everyone that has ever happened and ever will happen is important and it matters. It all matters because while it may just be this dot it's still a dot. Though barely visible it is there and so much has happened. As said "every sinner and saint" are together. In my opinion, that makes life a whole lot more equal. Someone may be rich and someone may be poor but they're all with one another on this pale blue dot. If everything is squished together in the cosmic calendar, that makes it seem smaller. Yet while it's small I also find it empowering to know that so much has happened in a relatively "short" period of time. 

Sso I've decided that while I'm living on this mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam I better make it count. We all should. After all, we were given a life on this pale blue dot for some reason greater than we can ever understand. The universe is big and we can look up at the stars each night for the rest of our lives if we wanted to. But would that really help us to understand anything about our own lives down here on earth? Probably not. So why waste anymore time? Time always seems to run out anyways.  Until next time xxx. 

Trip to California- Part One

I know I haven't posted for quite some time, but I have a good excuse! You see, tomorrow is my last day back home here in California and I miss it already. It's been a blissful 2+ weeks in the Golden State. From Disneyland/California Adventure and birthdays to a family reunion, and lots of fun adventures I've truly enjoyed myself and made quite a few memories that will last me a lifetime. 

I really bonded with some of my cousins, especially the ones visiting from Norway. Both are over 10 years younger than me, but the 4 year old and I simply adore one another and I am so sad to be leaving her! I spent quality time with my grandma and grandpa and visited the city the day before my birthday. 

San Francisco is probably my favorite city (even greater than Chicago) because it holds so many childhood memories for me. It's familiar and it feels like home. It is quite special and my father, grandmother, and I had a wonderful time in the city for a day. We sat by the water and watched the boats, ate ice cream in Ghiradhelli Square, walked around North Beach, and shopped some at Pier 39. 

My cousins, aunt, uncle, parents, brothers, and I ventured into Muir Woods and marveled at the incredible trees. I've been before, but each time it astounds me. The trees are truly remarkable. It's interesting to see trees that have stood through centuries and stayed strong while sometimes the world around falls apart. It's beautiful. 

Disneyland was a magical adventure. It never gets old and I always have so much fun. It was only for two days but I'll never forget them. Watching fireworks and waiting in line for all my favorite rides are just some of the many special memories. As anticipated, I enjoyed a churro because they're just. So. Perfect. To sum that up, Disneyland is always the best. 

When the 4th of July rolled around, I had this huge plan to go into the city to watch the fireworks. Sadly, it was supposedly foggy and I didn't want to drive in just to be disappointed with a lame fireworks show. So, I stayed nearby instead and my family and I watched a beautiful show and had a lovely picnic. It's a memory I'll hold close to my heart. 

I even turned the sweet 16. It was pretty sweet I'd say. No one I would rather spend it with than my family. It was fun and the cake was sublime. I hope to remember it years in the future. 

The day after my birthday was the annual family reunion. My family is huge and huge is probably an understatement. Though we don't always see one another, whenever the family gets together it's like we were never apart. There is so much love and I know I'm very fortunate to be apart of something so great. Reuniting with family is always fun, and it's the last big event of this trip. Even though I was here for two weeks, it doesn't feel like enough time. It'll probably never be enough, because this will always feel like home. Whenever I return, I never want to leave. Sometimes I forget that I'm just visiting and that I live in Colorado these days. Oh well. Colorado is temporary. I can't stand the cold weather and bitter winters. Colorado has given me good times and I've met some fantastic people, but change is feeling necessary lately. Perhaps returning to California is in the future. Perhaps not. All I know for now is I'm attending college somewhere warm and sunny! 

Anyways, a 2nd post with some pictures may be in order a little later once I'm back in Colorado. California, you've been wonderful as always. Until next time xxx. 

P.S. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out the day I return, so whenever I'm off medication and coherent enough to post I certainly will!