Favorite Songs of 2011

So, it's the night before New Year's Eve and I'm outside with my laptop, sitting in my patio while watching my cousins play video games. It's nice and cool and the sight of all the pretty glowing christmas lights hanging outside the house makes me happy. I love colorful lights. I really do. My iPod is blasting on the speaker dock that I brought out with me (currently playing a playlist that I made for my book) and its inspired me to write a post on my favorite songs that were released this year.


Let me start by saying that A LOT of good albums came out this year! My iPod was filled with wonderful music this year and here is a list of some of my top favorites (In no particular order):




Oceans by Evanescence
My Heart Is Broken by Evanescence
Lost In Paradise by Evanescence
Secret Door by Evanescence
The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Marry The Night by Lady Gaga
Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga
Paradise by Coldplay
Honestly by Kelly Clarkson
Lost by Within Temptation
Lost In This Dance by Lena Katina
Never Forget by Lena Katina
Story by Nishi Rajan
Born To Die by Lana Del Rey
Deep Shadows by T.T.L
Wish You Were Here by Avril Lavigne
Smile by Avril Lavigne
Push by Avril Lavigne
Skyscraper by Demi Lovato
Fix A Heart by Demi Lovato
Eternal Ice by Adrian Von Ziegler
Lily's Theme by Alexandre Desplat
Courtyard Apocalypse by Alexandre Desplat
Left Behind by The Birthday Massacre
Daydreams by Breanne Düren
Stereo Hearts (featuring Adam Levine) by Gym Class Heroes
Through The Mist by Piano Soulos
Rain Over Me by Piano Soulos
Changing Constants by Piano Soulos
Someone Like You by Adele
Party Rock Anthem(featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)by LMFAO
Moonflower by Yu Phoenix feat. Jamie Lostein

Puzzles

The last time I put a Puzzle together was back in 2004. I don't know why but when I went to the dollar store with my grandma a few weeks ago, I decided to buy a puzzle. I guess one of the reasons why I deiced to buy one is because I've started to feel distant from my own grandma. Ever since I started going to college, I've been spending less and less time talking to her. Yet, the funny thing is I see her everyday but we don't communicate like we used to.

I've been so caught up with school, reading, and just trying to understand a lot of things going on in the world and in my life that I've simply found myself feeling like a stranger to my own grandma. I also must add that I've never had a 100 percent perfect relationship with her. The little old lady can be quite feisty and no matter how many times I've tried to explain things to her, she will never change her point of view.

On the day I went to the dollar store with her, I found myself remembering the summer of 2004. I was a thirteen year old girl who discovered a world of happiness and peace. My parents were separated at the time and I finished 7th grade. To whoever is reading this, I know that might be a bizarre reason to be happy but believe me when I say that I had my reasons. Maybe someday you'll read about them.

On my 13th birthday I received a 1000 piece Disney Photomosaic Winnie the Pooh Jigsaw Puzzle.Once school ended for summer vacation, I opened the box and began to assemble this giant puzzle with my grandma. It took the entire summer to put it together because we took our time putting piece by piece together and simply enjoying the moment.

It may seem simple or childish but to be honest, I was so happy and I had a lot of fun putting that puzzle together. Everyday after breakfast I would just sit at the dining room table with my grandma and sort through all of those little pieces and try to find the perfect match to each one. But what made it so special was that I was putting those pieces together with my grandma. Back then, she was the only one who I could talk to about anything and she was the only one who would listen. 

That summer with her was a true blessing after the stuff that went on between my parents and the things I dealt with at school. Almost as if that puzzle was my heart and my grandma was helping me put the pieces together, helping me make it whole again. We spent days and nights working on that puzzle. We were so determine to get it done, no matter how long it would take us. I can't believe how long its been since we assembled it.

It's been glued and has been hanging in my parents room for the past 7 years. Every now and then I'll go into the room just to stare at it and remember that summer. There are times where I even wish I was 13 again, just so I could relieve that summer. I'm 20 now and obviously a lot has changed since then, but my love for puzzles remains the same. I started working on the new puzzle with grandma a few days ago and it may not feel like the summer of 2004 but it certainly feels nice to be spending time with her, just like before.

Looking Back

First off, I never thought that I would be "blogging" again. It's been about 6 months since I last posted something on blogger (on my old book review blog). I guess I could say that 2011 has been one of the most strangest years of my life thus far. And when I say strange, I don't mean that huge life changing experiences occurred- I'd describe the events of this past year as small changes here and there mixed with a few "wake ups" and unforgettable moments. But yes, this year has been so strange.


My love for the universe has grown so much this year. As a person who has always been fascinated by the stars and planets, I never really expected to fall down a rabbit hole where I would end up discovering so many stories, legends, and hidden truths about the mysteries of earth and other worlds in our universe. It's ironic how learning all these things made me realize that the strange feelings of wanting to go home and knowing in my heart that we're not alone in the universe not only gave me a reassuring feeling, but it also left an empty space inside of me that I'm not sure if it will be filled up someday.


I would have never discovered or know all the things that I've learned this year if it weren't for my Aunt. Through all the nonsense and jokes of what we learned, we ended up understanding one another more then we did before. I don't think I would have survived the year if it weren't for her and I hope she knows that.


I could go on and on, rambling about all the things that occurred in 2011 but I decided to make a list to sum up all of the important and meaningful moments of my year (Some pictures included!)in no particular order!:


1. This year was my last year at the college I was attending to get my A.A and I honestly can't believe how fast those 2 years went by. I've made some awesome memories and cool friends along the way. I already miss the campus </3 The whole "city vibe" environment served as inspiration on the book that I hope to start working on very soon. Here, I give you a look into the part of the campus that I called my hideaway. It has such a wicked view of downtown Miami. Anytime I wanted to be alone, talk to a friend, write, or read a book- I would go there.

I also miss taking advantage of the time I had between classes and using it to ride around on the metro mover. I would go to the library or simply ride around with my earphones on and brainstorm ideas for my book. There's something about riding the mover. It makes me calm and almost as if I were in a dream.

2. I dyed my hair twice this year after not having dyed it in 4 years. The first time I had what I like to call "Mermaid Hair"! :) I ended up with different shades of green and aqua. This was close to my birthday! 

The second time I dyed my hair was back in October and I chose purple but it came out more blue then the exact purple shade I wanted. But, I actually ended up really liking my hair and my friends did as well.

3. May 13, 2011 was perhaps one of the best days ever! And perhaps the best Friday the 13th I've ever had. Some people think I'm weird for loving the number 13 but they don't know that it means a lot to me <3 I spent the day hanging out with my cousin as we tagged along with my Uncle while he was working. Coral Gables, all you can eat Sushi Buffet, Barnes and Nobles, 7-Eleven Slurpee's, and exploring the gardens of some hotel on Brickell while a socialite party was going on.

4. One of my dreams/wishes came true this year. It was seeing a moon rise. When I say dream, I literally mean a dream. Back in March I had a dream that I went out with my family to the beach and we saw a beautiful full moon rise. I would have never expected for that dream to come true. I can't recall the exact date but I know on a Saturday in March, I went to the beach with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins to see the super moon rise. It was such a surreal moment seeing it rise.

5. During the beginning of Summer, my Uncle took my cousins and I to a picnic his job was hosting. That was one of the most lousiest picnics I've ever been to and that simply made it a hilarious day. I kept making jokes with my cousin on how terrible the food was. I guess the nice part of the picnic was that it was held at the Oleta River State Park and it's a really nice place :)

6. On July 16, 2011 I saw a part of my childhood end. I still refuse to say goodbye because I know it will never really be over to me and the millions of fans around the world. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 2 blew me away! It was such an amazing movie and it certainly went out with a bang! I'm really glad I got to watch it with my Aunt and cousins <3 In honor of the movies coming to an end, I actually made my own wand from scratch! At the end of the film I took it out and raised it and said "Mischief Managed!"

7. I don't really have pictures to put up for this part, I guess I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot to capture it with my camera, so I'll just skip to the writing. One of the most unforgettable moments of this year was staying up late this past summer and stargazing with my Aunt and cousins. There were so many funny moments where we joked on alien invasions, discovering new planets, and even singing along to disney songs! I will never forget those long nights, laying on top of the hood of our astro car and wondering about what could truly be out there <3