My name is Rahael Yohannes, I’m 19 years old. Just recently, I returned from the most amazing trip of my life; Ethiopia. I travelled there with my dad with the sole intent on visiting family I have never met before. From my Aunts and Uncles, all the way to my Grandparents. Being immersed in the culture and lifestyle at full blast was one of the most incredible experiences EVER! (more…)

After a lovely week off of school, yesterday was the first day back. A new term started yesterday, and it was a pleasant surprise when I found out which courses that the school staff selected for me; Social Studies 11 and (Carribean) Writing 12. Judging by the brief introduction that we got yesterday, I’m intruiged by the work that’s to come!! Although we got a week out of school last week, I couldn’t help but feel swamped. You see, I decided to pick up Social Studies 10 before the winter break, and I’ve been struggling with it since. It’s not the work load or even motivation that’s the problem, the problem is the fact that what I’m learning doesn’t interest me. When you read a book that you’re not interested in, you tend to tune out. It seems like no matter how hard I concentrate, I get sleepy and somehow find myself doing something else after a few minutes. On a brighter note, I AM getting assignments done, it’s just taking a bit longer.
Social studies has always been my weakest subject (next to Science), so I’m fearing away from flunking the subject and taking my sweet ol’ time with it.
Other than school, life’s been a bit of a roller coaster. It’s not my problems that’s weighing down on me, it’s my friends dilemma’s and such. It’s funny how much people’s lives affect us. Especially people we care about and love.
Being on a youth agreement, and knowing other kids on youth agreements, I’m exposed to a lot of drama and challenges.
Then again, what teenager isn’t? The drama isn’t your usual petty teenage drama, it’s more along the lines of family problems, issues with the law, boyfriend/girlfriend drama, ect. As much as I get frustrated and overwhelmed about other people’s problems, it’s so difficult to not let it get to you. When your loved ones are going through troubling times, then it’s so hard not to want to help, and when you’re helpless, then it really hurts. I guess the best thing to do is to let them know that you’re there for them if they ever need you. That’s really all you can do sometimes.
Sometimes that’s all that people really need to hear too. They’re comforting words that everybody loves. It’s like a security blanket, “I’m here for you.” Because usually when people are working through challenges, they feel lost and alone. The best thing though, is to know is that darkness will soon be battled by the sun, and the light will overpower it. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
I hope that you’re having an excellent start to your week, and that it only gets better!
Please come back next week for another brand new blog!

Hey Guys,

I’ve been insanely busy with school, life, work, ect. But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it seems to be that things are slowing down next week. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also thankful that I have such a busy life right now because it sets me up for college. It seems like I can handle business to a certain point, but unfortunately, trying to juggle so many things at once just leaves a couple of things falling onto the ground, waiting for me to pick it up. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of daydreaming, and well, dreaming for that matter. It’s one of my favorite things to do, since I usually get a lot of writing inspiration through dreaming and daydreaming.

Here’s a poem that this lovely girl named Cathryn Martin wrote. It inspired me. It made me think. Looking at the world through her eyes is stunning. I was delighted.

Dream A While With Me

I dream of rainbows, Bright in the sky,
I dream of lightning, together we cry,

I dream of flowers, I feel such delight,
I dream of spiders, and I scream with fright,

I dream of fish, swimming in the sea,
I dream of sharks, coming after me,

I dream of lambs, frolicking around,
I dream of wolves, Hunting, no sound,

I dream of children, several of them ours,
I dream of them waking, Being up for hours,

Stay with me forever and together we’ll cope,
Because when I dream of you, I dream of hope,

Dream awhile with me and together we’ll see,
Not all dreams are bad, so dream along with me.
Cathryn Martin

Feeling the warm embrace of the sun was stunning this lovely Sunday afternoon. Wrapping up a relaxing weekend, it was refreshing! It took me back to this past summer, when I was struggling to get by. It definitely reminded me that I’ve come a long way since then. Blessings come in when you’re working hard, when you’re striving towards your greatest achievements. One thing that I learned this past year is that if you ask for help, amazing people come out of the wood works. When you ask for help, it strengthens you. We all need help at one point or another in our life, without friends, family and support, nobody would reach the top. It’s like a flower on your window cell, if you didn’t water it everyday, and give it sunshine, it would wither before your eyes. Whether you’re in desperate conditions, or just need a shoulder to cry on, there’s always going to be someone there, if you ask.

I’ll admit, when I first realized that I needed help to step upon the next stepping stone, I didn’t expect so many people to jump to it and be so generous. Just when I thought that people were too busy for me, they helped and completely changed my view. What brings me to this subject is today a friend of mine is in need of help right now because she’s just starting out herself. When I asked her if she could ask people for help, she feared away from it. I encouraged her to make some phone calls for stuff such as, a couch, microwave, pots and pans, necessities, and she said that people don’t have time for her. I swung her views around and said that if people want to help, they will. That’s the truth though, if you’re in need of assistance, then it doesn’t hurt to ask. You’ll be thankful for it. Ultimately, the person usually feels good about it in the end. Do you feel good about yourself when you help someone, no matter how small it is? I sure do!

Recently, I’ve come to realize that I’ve done more in the past 7 months, than I have in my eighteen years. It’s a beautiful reality; I’m finally creating my future. Each assignment I get done in school is one step closer towards my dream; becoming a journalist. This blog is also a step closer, because not only does it allow me to create words that form a network, but it also helps me express myself, and develop my dream. It’s difficult to step away from the crowd and try something different. So many people my age don’t even know what field they’re going to get into, which is a scary thought. Since I’ve been planning my future since I was 15, it’s given me a lot of time to reflect, organize, and create where I am today, and where I’m heading.

What I find fascinating is when people try to steer away from their dreams. Yes, we all have those fantasies where we want to do what inspires us, but a lot of people settle for less than their best. If only people knew what they’re worth; if only people accepted it. We were ALL born to stand out, to break barriers, to fight the beast called life, and when I see people fearing away from their best, it bothers me. How I see it is that I’m afraid of what I CAN do, not what I CAN’T. I know that I can get a minimum wage job and barely get by, it’s the easy way out! But I just can’t fathom the thought of actually doing it. I’d rather allow the fear of the unknown and adrenaline of hope fuel the sparks of inspiration that’s burning inside of me to drive my desires. I believe that we’re all put on this earth for a purpose, and that we’re all given special gifts whether you’ve found it or not. That’s why I encourage people to get out and LIVE! When you live your life to the fullest, you experience things, you get inspired easily. Devoting yourself to your dreams can be hard, yes, because the reality of the present does get you busy, but it’s important to never let go of what makes you happy.

The person I most admire is Lucille Ball. Most of you probably haven’t heard of her because she’s not of this generation, she was a star in the 40′s. What I admire about her is that she was never afraid to speak her mind. She was highly entertaining, and I can’t watch an episode of I Love Lucy, or The Lucy Show without laughing, no matter how bad of a mood I’m in. Also, she was once told that she had no chance on amounting to her dreams because she looked “different” and didn’t have the blue eyes, blonde hair, and perfect body; she proved them wrong. It’s your turn to prove the people who have trampled on your dreams and keep pushing you down wrong. You’re worth it. You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. Truth is, it’s supposed to be difficult, you’re meant to fall down so that you can strengthen. Nobody said that life was supposed to be a smooth sail. When you work very hard for something, you appreciate it in the end. I encourage you to do something this week that scares you, that makes you think, that pushes you towards your dreams, no matter how small it is. I believe in you.

In conclusion, you need help for practically EVERYTHING in life. Whether it’s asking someone to help you improve on the dream you’re pursuing, or if you’re just starting out and need pots and pans. Asking for help creates opportunities.

I love to encourage people to work towards their dreams, so I promised my 11 year old cousin Tasia that she can write little inspirational passages for my blog. Enjoy!

Here it is:

Inspiration by Tasia D.

Sometimes you get the feeling that you just need to step out of the house, and get the fresh air you’ve been craving. Sometimes you feel something different inside, but you just don’t know what it is. Sometimes that feeling is inspiration for your dream. You can always chase that dream if you work at it. If it’s worth the time to dream, it’s definitely worth the time to chase.

Hello, Again!

Did everybody enjoy their Christmas?

This past week, I dipped into my spontaneous side, and I decided to bus it to Vavenby for the holidays. Now, I was planning on either working or spending Christmas alone this year, but I decided that I needed to escape the city for a while. I travelled here by Greyhound on Christmas eve. To my demise, there was a young man who I got stuck sitting with for most of the trip, and he consumed WAAYY too much caffeine, so he was mister motor- mouth for most of the trip. I, on the other hand, had barely 2 hours of sleep over the past 2 days, and absolutely NO caffeine, so I wasn’t too pleased. I kept hinting to him that I was tired and should rest, but he kept talking about his life, work, ect. Thankfully, when I pulled my Gravol out of my carry on bag and started yawning; He got the picture. Unfortunately, everytime I tried to fall asleep, my phone would go off, so I honestly couldn’t win. Fortunately, I rested from the Coquihala to Kamloops. When I got to Kamloops, I ran into my cousin , and we travelled from there to Clearwater together. It was nice to catch up with her, and it helped time pass faster.

Upon arrival, my grandfather greeted me with open arms and drove me to the house. After saying hello and visiting with my grandparents for a while, I went to the Christmas eve service at the church and had an excellent time with my friends singing Christmas carols, and enjoying refreshments and lovely baked goods.

It’s been a warm, welcoming and enjoyable visit so far. Christmas was spectacular, spent time with my family and played with my adorable baby twin cousins; it was excellent. For Christmas I got a few household items, like a bathroom set that consists of a tooth brush holder and a liquid soap container, it’s one of my favorite gifts, because it’s purple and sparkly. My hands down favorite gift is definitely a stereo system that my grandpa got me. My all time favorite part of Christmas though was Christmas dinner. It was great to have everybody sitting around the table joking and laughing.

These past couple of days, I’ve really enjoyed time with my family and friends catching up. Tomorrow, I’ll be going to my friends sheep farm and visiting with her and her family!! Another fun event will be New Years Eve, I’ll be going to another friends and we’ll be ringing in the new year with the community.

Something that I’ve come to notice since I’ve gotten here is the fact that I’ve come so far in the past year. This year has been a whirlwind of opportunity, struggle and overcoming challenges. It’s definitely been a colorful year. I’m really, really looking forward to 2011!

This past year I’ve made AMAZING friends, moved to a big city from a small town, gotten a job, dealt with a crazy landlord, moved a couple of times, gotten onto a youth agreement, enrolled into a wonderful school, my grades have shot up in school, saved around $1,000 dollars in my savings account, and I’ve strengthened as a person. I still have a lot to pursue and conquer, but I’m thoroughly satisfied and content with where I’m at in life.

My goals for 2011:
- Continue getting great grades.
- Maintain my job at the hotel.
- Stop looking at my flaws, and start looking at my good qualities.
- Start checking out colleges that provide excellent Journalism courses.
- Save up at LEAST $5,000 by next October, so that I will have a safety net for when I age out of the youth agreement.
- Continue great relationships with my friends.
- Enjoy the little things in life.
- Notice and appreciate the little things too.
- Create a plan and set goals for when I “age out” of the youth agreement.

I’ll be back in Vancouver next Monday, so I’m stoked to write and tell you guys how the rest of the week went.
I really hope that you had an excellent Christmas, and I wish you the best for 2011!

Have an excellent and safe New Years Eve!!

But where’s the snow?

Okay Vancouver, where are you hiding all of the snow? I could have sworn that I saw it snow in New Westminster yesterday for about 5 minutes while I was on the bus. Could it be my imagination? Did you see it too? Also, does anybody know where you can buy “Christmas spirit”? They MUST sell it somewhere at Wal-Mart, I mean, they sell EVERYTHING there! Lately, I’ve been feeling quite down and depressed about Christmas, but things seem to be looking up!

I’ll admit it, I’ve had such a difficult time with not being in the Christmas spirit. Lately, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had time to consider going Christmas shopping, let alone enjoy a Christmas movie or holiday baking! These days I’ve been feeling stressed out and I’ve been very distant from everyone. I suppose it could be the fact that I’ve had way too much on my plate lately, or the fact that I was moping about missing Christmas in Vavenby for the first time. This would be the first Christmas without my grandparents and immediate family. It’s scary thinking that you’re going to spend it away from the people who you’ve spent it with for your whole life. Basically, I felt like boycotting Christmas this year.

Recently, I’ve had quite a few people invite me for Christmas, because they knew that I’d be spending it alone. What I absolutely LOVE about Christmas is that no matter what, you’re never going to be alone. There’s always amazing people out there who have a heart of gold and invite you in! Undoubtedly, I felt loved and special!

Last Friday, I helped my school out with picking up and delivering Christmas hampers, and I was floored by how generous people are! We delivered to a few immigrant families who barely knew English, and who were just starting out. They seemed so overwhelmed by how much we were delivering to them and seemed so appreciative! It felt so great spending the day helping others out, for the first time this holiday season, I felt the “Christmas spirit”. I find that people are constantly talking about how horrible people are getting, but when I witnessed how much people were BUYING and donating for complete strangers, I realized that there’s a lot of good in this world still. No matter how bad the world gets, there’s always going to be excellent, bighearted people out there. I’m excited to do it all again tomorrow!

Last night I joined my school at the Winter Harp concert downtown at a beautiful church. We ran a concession stand to help raise money for the 2011 grad. We raised quite a bit of money, and it was a wonderful experience! When we went into the sanctuary to enjoy the eccentric sounds of harps unraveling their elegant harmonies, it was so beautifully done and filled my heart with the Christmas spirit!

This morning I decided something very, very exciting. I’m able to go home for Christmas!! Sadly, I had to cancel my Christmas plans with a few people, but on the other hand, I get to see my family! It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen them all, so I’m absolutely stoked to see them! I’ll be leaving on Christmas eve and coming back on Boxing day! Fingers crossed, the roads will be good though, because if they’re full of snow then I can’t go. The coquihala highway is known for treacherous roads in the winter, so lets hope that they stay clear!

Excited from making arrangements to go home for Christmas, I went to Metrotown mall to go Christmas shopping. It was crawling with people, I thought I was going to suffocate to death! All in all, I am almost done my Christmas shopping, and I’m almost ready for the adventure to Vavenby! Unfortunately, I haven’t sent out Christmas cards out yet, but I still plan on doing it within the next day or two. I guess they’d be classed as “New Years Cards?” Oh well, I guess it’s the thought that counts in the end!

I hope that everybody enjoys their Christmas, I’ll be back next week with a new, fresh blog!

Merry Christmas everyone!!