There Is A Tree Outside My Window

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I love trees. I used to climb this small little tree at my sister's house when I was younger, but eventually I outgrew the little branches and discovered another one in the front yard which promptly became my new play thing. I used it's branches as make-believe seats and built a pretend fire beside it's roots. I still climb it sometimes.

There was a lovely old pine outside my window. It wasn't strong and tall like the one I used to climb, but it's many branches overlapped and billowed in the wind. It broke my heart when that old pine fell down. Leaning against the glass from which I once looked out on it with it's roots up in the air so pitifully.

It's brothers and sisters looked down on it with woeful glances. It's branches snapped, it's core laying on the dirt when it should be standing tall and proud. It will be gone soon; dragged away to make way for a new tree to take it's place. I'll miss that lovely sight outside my window.

Interview With Rachelle Marie

Well, my friends, I have returned! I apologize for the rather long, unintentional blogging break. School has been keeping me on my tip-toes for awhile, but I promise that more posts will be coming this way.

Anyhow, I recently had the opportunity to interview the remarkable and talented Rachelle Marie from Beloved Bluebird. She is amazing at what she does and is one of the most talented and accomplished bloggers I know. Special thanks to Rachelle for allowing this to happen.

Q. "Hello Rachelle! I'm so glad you were able to join us today! Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself; your personality, your hobbies, and anything else you'd like to share."

A. Hello Aliah and readers! My name is Rachelle and I live in western Washington state with my parents and two brothers (one older and one younger). I am fifteen years old and spend my days painting, reading, writing, making music, taking photos, filming videos, and acting in musicals. Another favorite pastime of mine is adventuring. I live amongst lakes and forests and between two mountain ranges which separate me from the sea on one side and the desert on the other. I love people a lot and enjoy having deep conversations and making new friends! If you would like to know more about me, I blog over at Beloved Bluebird and sell greeting cards in my shop, The Little Birch.

Q. "I would like to start off with the usual questions: what inspired your blog and when did you decide you wanted to create your own blog?"

A. "I started my blog back in June 2012 after running a little magazine-style website for a few months. I decided that I wanted a more personal website where I could connect with other people and have creative freedom. At the time, I wasn't very familiar with blogs, but there were a few that I was following along with. I decided to give it a try, and thus, my blog was created!"

Q. "You mentioned that you enjoy both painting and photography. If you couldn’t do both and had to give up either painting or photography for the rest of your life, which one would you pick and why?"

A. "Oh dear! I hope that is a choice that I never have to make. ;) However, under the very unfortunate circumstances that I would have to, I would most likely choose to give up painting. Although it is something that I love to do very often and is very important to me, photography is a vital passion that I don't think I could live without. In the future, it would be much more convenient to take photos of my children and my life rather than to paint them."

Q. "If you ever got a chance in the future, would you ever move from where you live? Or would you simply stay at home and travel to other places instead? Why?"

A. "I do hope to study abroad somewhere in Europe for a year or two, but after college I think I'd like to stay home and just travel. While I do love visiting other places, it is always so good to have a familiar home to return to after my adventures are over."

Q. "What do you enjoy most about photography, and what inspired you to start taking photographs?"

A. "Photography is enjoyable for me for a myriad of reasons, but I suppose the best aspect of it is the ability to capture a single moment and make it infinite in itself. It is so special to return to those moments in the future and to have the ability to capture them for other people! I think I was inspired to start taking photos around 4th grade. My parents had a little photography business and I always loved seeing their shoots - I really wanted to learn to take photos like theirs. I took an old digital camera on our trip to California and snapped loads of photos and I haven't stopped since!"

Thank you so much for doing this Rachelle, it means a lot. :)

What's In My Travel Carry-On?

Image via Pinterest, editing done by Aliah.

For a young person, I travel quite often, and have over time, begun to learn the vast extent of traveling knowledge. Learning how to pack only light necessities can be difficult, and so I thought of sharing a "What's In My Bag?" (type of) travel version post with all my lovely readers.

A Book 
Books are a must-have anywhere, especially on a plane. I usually bring one paper-back book (don't ever bring a hardcover on a trip; they're way to heavy), and the rest I check out from the e-book library on my tablet. That way, the books won't get damaged, I still get the feel of the pages on my fingers, and I save space and reduce the weight of my carry-on.

My Tablet
Useful for checking your email at the airport, social media (I don't have a phone), books, and is similar to a laptop. Unless you are going for a business trip and absolutely need a laptop, I wouldn't suggest bringing a one on a trip. They weigh a lot and inconvenience you if you're in a hurry. Bring a tablet or i-Pad instead.

Earbuds
I don't normally use earphones because they are to large for me, especially on a trip. Earbuds on the other hand, are compact and great for listening to music on an i-Pod or phone. They can also be used to watch movies if your airline provides a built-in seat television. Plus, this saves you an extra five bucks if you buy earbuds on the plane.

A Blanket
Airplanes have always been chilly to me, even if I turn off the seat air conditioning. I don't really have to explain the purpose of a blanket, do I? :)

Neck Pillow
You might often get uncomfortable during the flight because airplane seats don't have the best neck/head support, right?

Snacks
The plane usually provides some drinks and snacks such as chips, nuts, or cookies/crackers, but say you don't really like what they have or are allergic to something. It's always good to have some dry cereal, chex-mix, or fruit (such as an apple or tangerine) on hand in case you get hungry.

A Notebook
You're always gonna need something to write on no matter what, right? If I feel like working on a poem or short-story, I won't have to write it on a napkin. Oh, and make sure to bring along a pen or pencil! :)

All right, there you have it! Those are my basic travel essentials. What are yours? 

-Aliah

5 Ways To Become More Joyful

1. Be positive

Standard stuff, I know, but it's true. Don't focus on the negative, it only makes you upset about what went wrong and you won't focus on what went right. Then, you will be constantly unhappy because your mind instantly turns to the negative and not the positive. It becomes a habit, and you have to break it. Optimism plays a big factor in true happiness. 

2. Stop comparing

Stop comparing yourself to others. It will only make you want what other's have. I compare myself to others a lot; it just makes me jealous because I do not posses the same qualities or items. I become obsessed with those things and my mind refuses to accept that I simply cannot have them.  

3. Don't worry

Worrying won't stop bad stuff from happening, it just stops you from enjoying the good. Save your worrying for when you actually need to be concerned, not for a time when you have a chance to smile.

4. Surround yourself with happiness

How do you do this, you ask? Surround yourself with people who are happy and enjoy your life, not people who make you unhappy. Surround yourself with nature's beauty and things you love to do.

5. Smile

You know why.