Catch Up

So let's take a look on what I have fallen behind on. My life as a high school senior is not one to take the record books, but what I have experienced out of school is something to take the gold medal. I go through the everyday struggle of self esteem and wondering if I am making the right choice to say what is on my mind, or should I just stop and take a few moments to gather myself and my emotions. That is exactly what I did this spring break. While many high school seniors went off to the beach or an amusement park or just simply stayed in bed; I flew 18 hours across an ocean and two continents to Uganda, Africa.

Why did I do this? The answer is simple in fact. I had been planning this trip for many months, and this is one of the main reasons I have been holding off on this blog. I wanted to wait and start up again with something amazing. An experience that I can barely describe with just words. My emotions are what describes this experience. I was able to see so many new things and take part in so many new opportunities. While every other teenager in this world was off doing the most secular thing they could think of I spent my time sharing with those of Uganda a message that has changed my life. Now I know I mentioned in my first post that I was not going to fill this blog with attempts to talk to you about God, but this is a must. That is what my whole trip was about. Not an opportunity to explore, but an opportunity to share. I turned my life over to God for that short week and he did work. He spoke through me and a light was shining. I became completely in love with the people of Uganda and I learned a few things while I was there.

As a teenage girl we are surrounded by so many things. Pressures to be what our society sees as perfect, but in fact simplicity is true beauty. I learned that joy should not come from our earthly treasures, but those that God holds for us. We went a night without water and a short time without electricity and I found myself content with the situation. I didn't worry about what people thought of me and saw a dirty face and dark room as beautiful. I was asked by one of the girls on the trip how I handled what I saw while we were there. I answered with this. I know these people have an idea of what America is, but we have to think of all the distractions that would come along with a life here in America. These people have lived such a simple life and they have only known what life is there in the slums, if they were put in a new situation and new lifestyle their beliefs and ideas on how to live would be completely corrupted. This life that has so little is somewhat of a blessing for these people because they are not distracted by what the world has to say.

Of course a life with food and water is seen as important, but in their eyes a life with love is what keeps them going. The people we worked with sacrificed everything to be with us. They gave up time to be with their families and we find it so hard to love ours. They pays fees for their children to have the smallest education, but everyday we complain about waking up for school. I knew this would be hard to adjust to the real world, but that is the point. I am going to work to blend in the humility I received while in Uganda into my everyday life. I am not planning on being this perfect person because that is not what this experience was supposed to do to me. I am going to simply see things through different eyes. Eyes that don't take things for granted and eyes that see the simple things in life as a blessing and work to not wrap myself up in what this world sees as important.

I will never forget the sights and smells and people and the love Uganda had to offer, but I will try my best to be a changed person in order to benefit my life and those around me.

XOXO--Emerald

This is Me

 As 2013 is coming to a close, I have found a new way to let out my creative side and this is it. A blog! Now bear with me because I am fairly new to this, but I saw this blog as a way to let those who dive in reading, see me in a way that no one else can.

 Now I am not this amazing travel connoisseur, but I will try my best to give a little inside into my life. Let's start with the basics. My name is Emerald Fernandez, I am currently 17 years of age and stuck in this teenage world of criticism. I was born in the state of Kansas, but soon found my home in Texas. No, I am not your average Texas girl. I have never owned a pair of cowboy boots, and have been on a horse twice in my entire life. Something I do find myself doing a lot is dancing. I love to dance, and that is something I am not afraid to let people know. I also have this strange yearning to become an artist so I do in fact paint. I also love photography (hence the name of this blog). I currently live with my parents since I am still in high school, but will soon be graduating and heading off to University. My plans are to attend Baylor University, and hopefully by God's grace become a physical therapist. I hope to work with athletes, but that is all in the future so we will let the big man take care of that. Speaking of him, I am in fact a Christian. Now I am not going to force the gospel down your throats because that is not the purpose of this blog. I only hope to show you me, and the adventures I partake in.

 I have been have been very few places, but to say the least these have been my absolute favorite. My mother loves to take me on endless vacations, and she has become very fond of Hawaii. I have been there a total of three times making me no stranger to the Hawaiian culture. I love it there and would never complain about being drug there by my mother. It is a mixture of everything. Not only beaches, but spectacular forests and farms. Our visits have included a variety of things, but that is the past and not something I have recently experienced so I will keep it short.

A small hotel that I cannot remember the name of, but it is at the top of Maui near the volcano in the more forest like area. Very beautiful indeed and absolutely one of my favorite places.

A rocky area where we stopped to snap pictures of surfers. Beautiful and insane at the same time.

Absolutely one of my favorite pictures of all time. This is a cottage near a winery we visited, and it was gorgeous outside. 

My second adventure that I will definitely keep in my books is my trip to New York. I had the amazing experience of being in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which is something I will never forget. Now realize that November is in the colder months so I was indeed freezing, but everything was so beautiful and I was able to see a part of America that I never thought I would be able to experience.

The amazing, but giant balloon of Snoopy and Woodstock. Let's just say these things were huge.

A view of  the Empire State building shot from the top of the Rockefeller. Two buildings that are iconic to New York.

This is my goal: I hope to become a person that me myself can be proud of. I want to travel far and wide and see things that only true adventurers seek. This will be rough. I am not promising that everything will be squeaky clean, but that is what life is all about, and I hope that you being able to see mine will give you a little perspective into the person I truly am.

Lots of Love xx -Emerald