Tale as Old as Time

If there is anything that I have learned in my nineteen years, It is that the journey is the destination.  I had plans to graduate with a four year degree in three years, become a doctor within a fast-paced E.R. and have a family.  However, after having spent many days skipping high school classes and classically putting fun before school, my plans were getting further and further away.  After my boyfriend and I grew apart, I moved out of our house, and I had no place to live.  I became a gypsy.  Eventually, I was literally skipping college classes to either go to the gym to beat out some anger or take up extra shifts at Tumbleweed.  I moved in with another server from the restaurant, a kind soul about my age in a small apartment on the most happening part of town.  However, I was depressed and incoherent most of the time but in all honesty, it was arguably the best time of my life.  I was questioning my dreams and learning more about myself than ever.  And tale as old as time, again I was putting recreation before long-term goals so I packed everything I owned in my green Hyundai and drove ten hours to Baltimore, Maryland to move in with my father’s brother and his wife who I have only seen on the occasional holiday.  I moved up here to try to focus on school but I have become a restless soul, not knowing what I want in life or even what I specifically want out of this education. Through this journey over the last two years, I have had more surprising and valuable experiences than I can count and frankly, it has made me fearless. So if I believe in anything, I believe in learning from the journey and as cliché as it sounds, often times the journey can take you places you are not going to want but they can take you other unimaginable places that may end up feeling right. This I believe. Take the journey and make it count.
Word count: 298

Generation i: I want it bigger, better, faster. Now!

With Netflix, our movies are sent to us through the mail or they can be uploaded in less than a minute through our xbox or Wii which (everyone has these days). With iPods, an unimaginable amount of songs can be found through Mac’s program and held on a tiny, colorful, personal device. This generation wants their options, they want it all, and they have it all. They do not even have to tell the television what they want to watch or when they want to watch it. It already knows. Today is all about personal convenience and that is why our generation is Generation i.
word count: 92

Establishing Trends with Ear Ecstasy

There is a place in my slow-moving, well-loved, metro-city hometown of Louisville, Kentucky that  is affectionately known as “ear-X-tacy.”  It is a music, movie, and memorabilia store that has been around for fifteen years and is also the unspoken hangout for Louisville teens of all ages. Not only is this store a great example of subculture at its best as it gives all underground punk and independent music/movies a chance, it also is the home to young teens' many memories of hopeful weekends, and long summer nights. Ear-X-tacy is a place that matters because it is the home to hopeful upcoming artists and it is also keeping compact discs alive and well as people do not buy cds half as much as they used to because of inventions such as “iTunes” and “Amazon.” This crying shame ceases the social interaction or outing meant for bonding with friends while you search for the next cool artist. This large, brick-walled building amplifies and displays the fact that new cds or artists means that there are cool new trends to go along with that such as demeanor and fashion which therefore continuously sets the trend for youth culture. Trendsetting for culture is obviously a necessity for setting the norms, folkways, and mannerisms of society which is why Ear-X-tacy is a place that matters.    
Word count: 228

Establishing Trends with Ear Ecstasy

There is a place in my slow-moving, well-loved, metro-city hometown of Louisville, Kentucky that  is affectionately known as “ear-X-tacy.”  It is a music, movie, and memorabilia store that has been around for fifteen years and is also the unspoken hangout for every Louisville teen of all ages. Not only is this store a great example of subculture at its best as it gives all underground punk and independent music/movies a chance, it also is the home to young teens' many memories of hopeful weekends, and long summer nights. Ear-X-tacy a place that matters because it is the home to hopeful upcoming artists and it is also keeping compact discs alive and well as people do not buy cds half as much as they used to because of inventions such as “iTunes” and “Amazon.” This crying shame ceases the social interaction or outing meant for bonding with friends while you search for the next cool artist. This large, brick-walled building amplifies and displays the fact that new cds or artists means that there are cool new trends to go along with that such as demeanor and fashion which therefore continuously sets the trend for youth culture. Trendsetting for culture is obviously a necessity for setting the norms, folkways, and mannerisms of society which is why Ear-X-tacy is a place that matters.    
Word count: 228