30DC: Day 25

A picture of your day

well this was suppose to be posted Wednesday, so the picture will be accordingly! :) The first day of swim practice! i was really happy to see all my swim-friends and also surprisingly happy to get in the water and swim for the first time since January! Can't wait to see how the year pans out as we have a lot of people who have left and then people from last year that i'm not yet aquatinted with yet! :) Go MAKOS!

30DC: Day 24

a picture of something i wish i could change....

well at first i was going to write about how i wish the world was smaller. but really that's not the problem. the problem is that planetickets are so expensive! i love that the world is huge and different and that i have friends that live in different cities, states and countries! But i want to VISIT them, and that's when the dilemma comes.... plane tickets cost hundreds of dollars, so even seeing just one friend it would take 3 months of my job to earn enough to afford it! :( so that makes me sad, and i wish that pilots could give free tickets to people under 18 :) make that 25....

30DC: Day 23

a picture of your favorite book...

i just read this book over the summer and i HATE reading, but i must say i HIGHLY recommend this book! It has a great and inspiring view on Christianity and Christians in general. It teaches you from the perspective of non-Christians and how to love people who seem unlovable! it have such a powerful message and Donald Miller is such an incredible writer!

30DC: Day 22

a picture of something i wish i was better at...

running

i like to run. it's a new hobby really. i thought i actually hated running? i have no idea why i joined the team in the first place, because it wasn't a talent of mine either. but i felt the need to run for good excersize and i actually LIKE running now! i wish i was better at it though... that would make me LOVE it :)

(olympic runner Allyson Felix is pictured above)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 21

picture of something you'd like to forget...

awkward phase

well there's not a lot in life that i'd actually like to forget. i want to remember every one of life's lessons and fun memories! but if i could forget how i LOOKED at a phase in my life...it would be that two years where i wasn't a cute little kids anymore, but a silly tween who didn't know how to do her hair. gosh there are funny pictures though :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 20

a picture of somewhere you'd like to travel...

GERMANNYYYY

this country is DRENCHED is history, along with the beautiful cities and wide spread country. This picture above is Munich. There is good food, nice people, and one of my best friends, Denise, lives there. Besides that, the weather is good and it's surrounded with other fun places to go! i can't wait to go there someday!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 19

a picture of a letter...

a letter from Jenny!!!

i got a coloring page. shipped all the way to china. that just made my day :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 18

picture of my biggest insecurity...

my legzzzz

hahah gosh these two suckers are my pain of exsistence. i have to worry about if they are too hairy, jiggly, or pale. i wish they would go away. hahahha well not really, they get me where i need to go, but sometimes i'd rather them be invisible. hehehe!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 17

a picture of something that has made a big impact on my life recently...

BP

well not really BP. actually the COST of BP that has made me aware of how MONEY has a big impact on my life...actually EVERYONE'S life. having to pay for a portion of my gas for Jill (my car) has made me wary of the value of money, and how immensely blessed i am by it as well. Gas is one of the 'necessities' of life that people 'can't go without'. Gas is what makes the world go 'round in a way. our whole industry in the USA is two things: Gas & Food. anyways first a sad story about BP and then a happy one.

sad:

about 2 years ago we went into a McDonalds. My dad was getting something out of the car so the rest of us went in. It took my dad about 5 minutes to come into the McDonalds after us and after he came in we asked why he was so late coming in from the car. He sadly told us that a lady had come and asked for $5, because she had no money for gas. My dad was skeptical of this lady, but gave it to her anyways. He then watched her go get back into her car. She didn't drive away though, or fill up. She placed her hands on her head, as if dreading something. My dad looked harder in the car and saw children in the back. He realized she was dreading having to get out and ask yet another person and probably a few more for gas money. He went over to the car and gave her his credit car and told her to fill up her car. the lady was so grateful and only filled up half a tank because she wanted to show that she wasn't taking advantage of him.

i think this is a powerful story, because you can see the power of money. it can make one sad, hurt, embarressed, distressed, worried, thankful, or happy. it personally teaches me to count my blessings, because i have never yet had to beg for money from strangers, but there are millions of people that do it every day.

happy story:

well if you are frequent BP goer, you would know that there BP Thank You Days promotion has just ended. I got $30 worth of free gas from BP. Every 8 gallons of gas you fill up you go in and recieve a card, then enter the special code online, and once you aquire 5 cards you get a $10 BP Gift card. Yes, i did this for 3 months. so yeah, you can see i know only go exclusivley at BP. hahahahh

Anyways the point is, BP has made me aware of the many blessing of life that God has given me, including that of money. He makes me think of others and how this terrible yet wonderful gift of cash impacts so many people today.

Allie xx

30DC: Day 16

a picture of a person that inspires me...

Jenny

wow this girl right here is so encouraging, i feel as if she could probably encourage me to become president! Jenny always helps me do the things that i'm scared to try and to do my best. she definently brings out my creative side! she inspires me to think of others before myself, to cook, to sew, to encourage, to be friendly to those that are hard to deal with, and to be closer to God in everyday life. thanks for just being YOU, although you don't know what an impact you are in my life and to others lives' around you :) love you!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 15

picture of something you want to do before you die...

visit all 7 continents! i love to travel, and i want to see as much as i can! i figure if i make it to all 7 continents that i have seen more of the world than most people, but i'd love to aspire to visit every country, though that would mean i'd have to start saving every penny right about NOW! hahah so maybe just stick to visiting the 7 continents of the world :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 14

a picture of a person i couldn't imagine my life without...

Dad & Mom

it's obvious you can't imagine life without your parents. even though they are frustrating sometimes, they try to do what's best for me in EVERYTHING, and are encouraging, caring, dependent, happy, and spoil me all the time. most of all they love me no matter what! yep, couldn't imagine life without these here folks. :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 13

wow FOUR days late.....but the challenge will continue!

a picture of my favorite band or artist...

Mac Miller

so wow this kid just hopped out of highschool but has been producing since he was 15! he's rap and hiphop, and listening to him you would never know he was so young. he's not too popular right now, but he's inspiring to all other young singers showing that you can make it to the top even when you're young! remember this name; i think he's gonna hit big soon!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 12

picture of something i absolutely love...

Baby Daviddd

BABIES!

gosh, well, any bad day you're having, a single baby can cheer up! they have the simple life. they laugh and smile at everything and don't judge how you change their dipers or the silly voices you use when you play with them. they love to be tickled and cuddled and are just all around CUTE!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 11

2 days late again...

picture of something i absolutely hate...

FAKERS

ohkay, i mean everyone does it...pretends to be something they're not. but i mean c'mon, there a few people out there that are so fake, that EVERYthing is about appearance and what everyone else thinks!

that's something i really dislike

Allie xx

30DC: Day 10

well a third of the way there for the 30 Day Challenge!

picture of a person you do the dumbest things with....

LUCYYYY. gosh even though we have some cahh-razy conversations, it doesn't mean they are DUMB! hahah but we do do some stupid stuff, but it's all so fun when we do it OUR way :)

"The things we do...to do things."

Love you Lucy!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 9

a picture of a person who has gotten me through the most...

well since i've moved a lot during my short life i haven't had someone who was through there for ''the most''. but here are some people who have helped me out so much in the past three years! i love you guys!

Chloé & Me

Denise & Me

My Sister, Grace & Lucy

Allison, Lindsey, Rachel, & Jenny!

you guys love me no matter what and are always there to cheer me up! love you guys!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 8

picture that always makes me laugh...

hahahah welll grace's face is just hilarious, because she was very upset with the food in China...and the streets, and the cleanliness, and the people, and the random photoshoots, and the animals. yah so it was a rough day, and we was trying to smile, but obviously she isn't very happy! i love the way shes's holding her coke. hahahahahahhaha idk i just find it funny, but maybe that's just me :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 7

picture of my most valued possession...

coincidently its my scrapbook!

i figure you can't repeat memories, but you can remember them through still images of a picture!

If any thing happened to my scrapbooks, i would just DIE!

they are my most treasured memories, and help me remind me of how good life treats me. :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 6

a picture of someone you'd like to trade places with for a day...

BEYONCÉ! she is such a good role model for independent women! she strong, gorgeous, curvy, fit, and doesn't get stuck up in all the tabloids (usually). She confidant in who she is, and i would love to sing on stage with her ah-mazing voice with all her screaming fans! Also she models, but she's not the size 00 jeans and XXS shirt. She has a normal body and eats what she wants, but works hard to keep in good shape! I would just die meeting her, but to trade places with? gosh, i can't even imagine!

Allie xx

"Ewh, i hate that!" "Have you ever tried it?" "nope!"

ohkay so trying new food is risky. but if we never did, we would still be drinking momma's milk! imagine if you had NEVER experience your favorite food....where would you be now? a different person? i think yes.

From my own experience you don't have to go far to find some kind of new food to try. Some things you try are nasty, while others you crave. Sometimes it's good to be forced in a situation to eat, because you would have never tried it otherwise.

When i went to Japan this spring i tried food i didnt even know were edible! Because i was trying to be polite, i had to be brave and try new things like chicken liver, chicken cartilage, eel, eel spine, and sake (pure alcohol made from rice...NASTY).

Me & Kimiko eating Japanese Hibachi

Ohkay, well only 2 of out the 5 things i liked (the cartilage & the eel), but i made me look at different cultures and see how they perceived food! Did you know there is a STINKY fruit called 'durian', and while it tastes like vomit to many americans, Asians find it a delicious treat! Also there were these baby octopuses that i just couldn't down... they had quail eggs in the head and were coated in a sticky syrup... i just HAD to say no...bleck!

Baby Octopuses with Quail Eggs in the Head

Did you also know that many foreigners don't like American icecream because it's too sweet?

I found that more times that not i LIKE the new food i try. My favorite food is rejected at the first sound of the name: FRIED PICKLES! i know,...you are thinking "whoa, that's sooo gross." but really, it's such a great flavor, and any food that is fried makes it better :]

So force yourself to try that sushi, fish tacos, fried okra, fruit salsa, or new pasta at Macaroni Grill, because you could come home that night with a delicious and wonderful new food to brag about :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 5

a picture of an old memory...

Me (pizza guy), Julia (cat), Frankie (army man), & Grace (can-can dancer)

hahah wow, i hope this made you laugh, because it made me laugh. i'm sure other people want to put some cute little baby pictures of 'old memories', but yaah this represents me better. i wished i was a boy so badly, for halloween i was a 'pizza delivery guy'. hahahha even had a pizza box. :)

30DC: Day 4

picture of my favorite night...

Chloé, Denise & Me

when you say favorite night, so so so many nights come to mind. its hard to pick just one night, but one PERFECT night i can remember was in the spring of this year, where i had just gone on a 'park date' with a cute guy, walked about the park, ran through the rain to catch a taxi and met up with our friends at a place called Ganesh. Not all of my friends were there that night, but Denise & Chloé were always by my side when there was a fun time to be had. it was one of my bestesttt nigghtts evfeerr :)

This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land...

raise your hand if you like to travel? ME!!!! me me me!!!! i absolutely love to see new places. and with every new place comes great new food and hopefully some awesome new people. but i'll have a whole post about FOOD later... mhhh

Traveling is only known by experience. it's not something you can read about. it's not pictures you can look at. its not something you can hear about from another person. you must GO and VISIT somewhere in order to have the correct definition of 'travel'.

Traveling seems to mean, to some people, going out of the country. But to me, you could travel up the street. to a close city. to a neighboring state. sometimes if you're lucky you WILL go out of the country! But every destination has is own unique things to offer.

For me, traveling is an adventure. The antisipation of arriving, the things you do when you get there, the sleeping in strange bed, and being with whom ever you are traveling with. Going on trips with people can make you form a 'closeness.' Have you ever been on a church retreat or school trip or camp? and you formed relationships over the course of a few days that you had NEVER experienced in your former relations with this person. it's because when you experience something new together, you have a cool connection.

Traveling and seeing how other people live is one of the fascinating things about going to another country or city. Things in New York City will be much different than life in the Utah. There are subways, different food, different people, different fashion and different looks on life that you may not see in your own town.

So i encourage you to travel when EVER you can. because sometimes that opportunity to travel passes, and you will look back and regret not taking the chance to see something fabulous. Life's too short to MAKE regrets.

Allie xx

30DC: Day 3

picture of the cast of my favorite TV show... "You know you love me, x-o-x-o, GOSSIP GIRL."

I know sometimes this show is trashy, but i like to watch it because it's funny and full of DRAMA :)

Allie xx

30DC: Day 2

person i've been closest to the longest...GRACE!!!!

we've shared things our whole lives... parents, clothes, money, rooms, toys, friends and a great relationship! we have our squabbles, but in the end we wuv each odder!!! :)

Allie xx

"When I First Saw You..."

Judging people from first impressions can make you feel silly later. at least for me.

i LOVE to meet new people. people from different cities, ethnicity, religions, and back-rounds. it opens my eyes to different lives besides my own. i get to experience different family values and traditions and food that isn't in my family tree. and i love it!

sometimes when you first meet someone, you forget their name. or you get a bad impression. maybe they had a lot of acne that day, or had a stain on their shirt. maybe it was a bad day and you caught them at a wrong time. or maybe they were TOO friendly and you didnt like how comfortable they were. or they were geeky, stupid, silly, special, spunky, pretty, or [fill in the blank]. meeting people for the first time, you don't know what just happened that day before you spoke to them! and dont who they are, and their life is a complete mystery. thats why i like meeting new people. i wanna meet their world!

sometimes, though, seeing them on those bad days can throw me off. i'll quickly say to myself 'well i'll never be friends with THAT person...', but life is quick to teach me that first impressions aren't always what they seem.

They first time i met one of my now best friends i went to dinner at his house. i thought he was skinny and weird. i didn't even talk to him! i actually kinda avoided him due to an age difference and also me being a bit shy. later down the road we found out we had the same friends. then we found music we had in common. they we decided to trade music and all of the sudden we were friends! it goes to show you that sometimes you can't spot a 'best friend' on your first meeting.

Another time i met someone who didnt even introduce themselves to me! they almost ignored me, and i was offended they didnt ask my name, since i was new to the school. later on at a dinner party we were talking in a group and she remarked on my cute outfit and, you know girls, we hit it off! we then were able to have such fun times together! if i had continued thinking she was stuck up then i would have never bonded with her.

I sometimes think, 'what if i had stuck with my first opinions?'. it goes to show you, maybe you have missed a 'best friend opportunity' and didnt even know it. i wouldn't have known what i was missing if i had not talked to those two people above. i would have gone on in life thinking that i had all i needed. in reality, you could meet ANYONE and they could potentially be your new friend. so don't pass up an opportunity to meet someone new, you never know who this stranger will be in the future!

Allie xx

30DC: Day 1

a picture of myself with 15 facts...

1. My name is Allison Elizabeth Betancourt. but call me Allie :)

2. my favorite color has always been blue. any shade will due.

3. i LOVE to sew. i dont get to do it often, but i love to make clothes that are unique and fit me perfectly.

4. i'm obsessed with teeth. it's the first thing i notice about people.

5. my love language is 'quality time'.

6. i heart sushi

7. i have been swimming since i was 6, playing tennis since 2 summers ago, and am starting track for the first time ever this season

8. i hate repetitive noises!!!

9. i'm not quick to judge

10. i love to babysit. it brings in the dough and brings me joy (the children not the money!...hah well...maybe the $$$ a little bit)

11. i lived in China for 5 months and made some of my bestest friends there

12. i am homeschooled, but as a junior, i have attended 4 different schools, including different tutorials, a private school and public school.

13. i dont laugh a lot. i have a good sense of humor, just i tend to smile or chuckle. i love to laugh though, try me!

14. i kinda dont like going to the movies. its overrated to pay 10 bucks for a movie to see it with a person that you don't even get to talk to!

15. i have hazel eyes. no they are not brown. dont make that mistake! :P

Allie xx

30 Days of Pictures

In between my posts about life, i'm going to be doing the 30 Day Challenge! it's a fun picture thingy that basically shows your importance of life in picture memories. so in between my 'deep' posts, hopefully you'll learn something new about me as well as get some insight of what i'm really all about :)

Here's how the 30 Day Challenge works:

Every day you post a picture describing the intended picture from the list below...

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

Day 02 - A picture of the person you've been closest with the

longest.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast of your favorite show.

Day 04 - A picture of your favorite night.

Day 05 - A picture of an old memory.

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for the day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured possession.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh every time you look at it.

Day 09 - A picture of a person who has gotten you through the most.

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the dumbest things with.

Day 11 - A picture of something you absolutely hate.

Day 12 - A picture of something you absolutely love.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band/artist.

Day 14 - A picture of a person you couldn't picture your life without.

Day 15 - A picture of something you'd like to do before you die.

Day 16 - A picture of a person who inspires you.

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 19 - A picture of a letter.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change. Day 25 - A picture of your day.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 27 - A picture of you and a family member.

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

Day 29 - A picture that makes you angry.

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss."

Allie xx

(oh and i copied this idea from Lindsey, although i had seen it on fb ;D)

So Why Is Life So Short?

Soooo, all in all, life is too short, am i right? Over the next few weeks i'm going to tell you WHY I personally think it's too short, and what i do about it to make my time here as worthwhile as it gets!

You know the saying, "you don't know what you have until it's gone"? Well that's my kind of life model. I feel like you don't know what you're missing until the opportunity has already passed, and it's too late. So why on earth would you say no? You more often than not regret NOT doing something, than regretting something you've done.

So never say no.

Jump at opportunities to meet new people. You never know when you shake that person's hand for the first time if down the road they will become your best friend!

Travel. Pictures and books can't help you learn about cultures as much as visiting somewhere for a new perspective.

Try new food! You look at something and decide against it because of outward appearence. You don't know if you'll like it unless you've tried it!

Smile. Because behind those stangers faces, you don't know what they are facing at home. A single smile could be the only thing that brightens their day, or add to a whole list of things that made there day good!

Love deeply. Love is hardly ever a sin. If you show your love to others, the love of God will shine through you. You can never love your family or friends too much, but you CAN love them too little.

Say It Before it's Too Late. Tell someone you love them. Tell them you're worried about them. Tell them you want to be friends again. Tell someone they are beautiful. Tell someone you are praying for them. Tell someone you would do anything for them. Tell someone you want to help them. Tell someone that they have changed your life in a way no one could.

allie xx

Hello, I Was Born to Be: Allie

Hey! I decided to start a new blog, because my China adventure has ended, but the adventure of life is full in swing!

Yesterday, i heard that Lady Gaga song called 'Born this Way'. i won't lie. i'm a huge Lady G fan, and i liked what i heard in this song. it talks about not hiding in your past, and also about loving yourself and who you are, because God made you this way.

"I'm beautiful in my way

'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way "

So yeah, my blog is basically gonna be my own take on life. It's randomness, it's life lessons, it's ups and down, and it's journey and goal. The goal to live life to it's fullest, and to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I'm not perfect, but the lessons and circumstances God has walked with me already, is walking me through now, and will walk with me through the future is what this blog will be about...and prettttty much everything inbetween! Hope you enjoy!

Allie xx