WritingE++2010

// The Soundtrack of my Life //

I am a fourteen-year-old girl who gets homesick like you wouldn’t believe. I have spent my whole life in Trenton, Illinois except for a few weeks each summer when my family goes on a vacation. Growing up, my family was very close, and this may be why leaving and being without my family is so hard for me. It seems so easy for all of my friends to be in a new place without their family, so I don’t understand why it’s such a hard thing to do. Getting out of the car, I don’t think I’d ever been so excited to go camping, excited to sleep in a cabin, excited to get away from my family. The first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the car was the old wooden bridge that said “Camp Ondessonk Registration.” Everywhere I looked there were campers and counselors. Olivia and I were patiently waiting to find out which unit we would be living in for the rest of the week. We were staying in Raganeau, the color was blue, the cabins were divided in half, and of course, it was the furthest away from the main area. I was beyond excited for the week ahead. After we carried our luggage to the unit, I rushed my parents out. Then I waited for my week to begin. A song that reminds me of my week at camp is “Summer Love” by We The Kings. Not because anyone fell in love while we were at camp, it was an all-girls week, but because everyone loved camp. Everyone there was full of love and happiness just being at the camp. I was everyone’s favorite part of summer and they waited all year for just that one week. It amazed me how happy everyone was to be there. Have you ever heard the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun?” If you have, you can probably imagine what High School Dance Camp is like. Everyone is there to dance and have a good time. Dance camp was one of the scariest weekends of my life. After being told how sore you get, how hard it is to learn the routines, and how the coach won’t let you sleep until you know the routine by heart, I was beyond nervous. All of my friends were on the team, but they were just as nervous as I was. The first day was the best; we got to hang out, learn one routine, then perform our kick routine from home. The hardest day was the second day. We learned two routines and I was already as sore as an old woman. The third day was a lot of fun. We played games, dressed up, and learned a fun routine. I hated it while I was there, but I can’t wait to go back again next year. Have you ever been to a LifeSavers retreat? If you have, congratulation; if not, it is amazing and you should consider trying to attend one. It’s hard to explain what happens, but it does change you. The day we left, we had to meet Mr. Crail, our advisor, at 7:30 sharp. Then, we had the long, nerve-wrecking bus ride to think about what we would do at the retreat. I sat by my best friend Brooke on the bus, and we had no idea what to expect. As we stepped off the bus and put our 1,000-pound bags away, we saw everyone had on an I-really-hope-this-is-fun face. When we sat down, I made sure I was between Brooke and my other friend, Madison. Then we were introduced to Judy, the woman who put on the retreat. She had a braid down her back a mile long. Going to the LifeSavers retreat really opened my eyes to what was going on around me. It was the most amazing weekend of my life. “Lean on Me” really reminds me of the retreat. We sang it a few times over the weekend and LifeSavers is all about being the shoulder for other people when they need it. It was a great weekend. All of these events really helped me to grow up. Each time I left my family, I got a little less homesick until I went to the LifeSavers retreat and barely got homesick at all. Going to camp my first year was really hard for me, but I kept going back anyway. When it was time to leave for dance camp, I really didn’t want to go, but it was fun when I got there. I was a mess the whole week before the LifeSavers retreat. However, when we got there, everyone was really nice and caring. These three event played a major part in me growing up and beating my homesickness.

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Express the Music

A long time ago, in an exotic kingdom far away, there was a brave king and a brilliant queen starting their rule. There was a joyous celebration with a big ball where everyone danced, ate, and toasted in honor of the royal couple. Then, soon after the ball, the kingdom was attacked by an evil dragon. The king had no choice but to attack the massive creature. Soon enough, the dragon was gone and the distant kingdom was celebrating once again. By now, the handsome king and queen had marvelous news; they were having a baby. The baby was born, healthy and charming, and grew up faster and faster until she was almost full grown. Then, one bright and sunny day, the royal daughter ran away! As she was crossing the beautiful country side, she felt like she was being watched. She looked over her shoulder, quick and sneaky, and saw she was being followed. She ran like a cheetah as fast as she could. The faster she moved, the faster her follower moved. Scared and shaken, she ran back to her protected-by-an-army kingdom and was once again safe. The king and queen threw another grand ball, celebrating their honorable daughters’ homecoming.

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