Dear Grandpa,
It’s been a while since I don’t talk to you, or write you something maybe because you are not here anymore and our conversations that we used to have are now far away. There is so much I wish I could have shared with you now as I used to do it. Even though you have always been my confidant and friend who I like to talk every night pretending you listen, and I’m sure you are. Every day when the sun shines behind the trees and change the color of the sky with its beauty makes me think of you and remember every day our conversations about life, simple things and magic moments that always turned our conversation into everything and nothing at the same time, sitting on the old chair we use to sit or walking around the neighborhood, remember that?!!.
The time is going by so fast and I’ve been growing up and doing everything I always told you I wanted to do; being wild and free. Remember all my dreams?? Well, One of them was living in another country, and here I am in USA living by myself facing all the barriers as a warrior as you used to call me. It’s been a challenge but I decide to take it every day ever since. I remember our long conversations and stories about how brave an adventurer you were in the old days making me believe in men like you still exist. you always so bright and and wise telling me believe in my dreams in order to become them true. Your life always was so inspirational to me. the best part of my day was when i get back from school and I got to tell you about it. I remember when I used to tell you everything what happened to me in school, how smart I can feel sometimes, or frustrated or helpless always wanting to shine and be a good student, how hard I am with myself when I couldn’t make it, But you with a big hug and a wise story made me always understand that I’m already smart, shine and a good student because I am who I want it to be, that's why no matter if sometimes I couldn’t make it in the first tried, if i did my all this is what matters because being brave is no giving up,it is face my fears and turn them into my strength until I make happen what I want to see .
All that taught me to be who I am and be where I am now. Along the way, here I am in USA studying again. It's been such an adventure which has become the journey of my life; I know how proud you would be of me because I’m getting my second degree as I mentioned to you before you left I want it to do it. It’s not been easy at all, but interesting for sure!! Every day there is a story to tell, about the weather, college, people, friends, love, culture etc, always something to talk about; my life has changed completely and where I am right now is where I want to be always moving forward. Those experiences that leave a mark on my life as the go by. As I used to mention it to you before every semester comes with new learning and challenges I face and even more in another language now. I know you always used to say I’m the smartest of my family, but being honest sometimes I doubt it when I'm with another culture like now. For instances There is a class I’m taking now, its called Composition I, it's an English class that teach us how to compose and write properly. It's such a nice class that has helped me a lot in my way to improve my english. This class is been so influential because this new class makes me believe again in my writing that I can do it. I used to write stories and poems before remember all those?!!! I stopped doing them long time ago. I know you may be thinking believe on your writing,??? what do you mean? you would ask me if you were here because I know you always believed I already believed. Well, let me tell you that I did not believe before. Remember those days when I used to write stories and poems for you??? no ones got to read them before besides you. I left them aside for a while after someone told me I needed to improve a lot because they don’t have potential, I know you taught me never give up on my dreams, but sometimes feel discouraged is part of life we need to go through to make us stronger. Anyway now I’m getting back to them somehow.
Well, you would be thinking, what make this class so special for me. well, Let me tell you a little bit more about it. English composition started the first class sharing “silly” things on a piece of paper such as who I will marry, who I’m in love with, who I would kill, my goal about graduation and the most confidential moment about our life, this part was heavy because when we shared a secret that we haven’t told before. However, I can say that was a pretty smart moved from the professor because those little simple things say a lot about the person and let us opened our world to others in a sense. As the class continued, people were more comfortable and start sharing their thoughts in class , it is a pretty diverse class. What was so much fun and interesting about this part is that every class is a debate in a good way because we are not alike in a single thing either thoughts or mindset, so everything has to be discussed and debating. I found these moments such a rich moments every time because I can appreciate the culture, and the different point of view people around me have grown up with.
Soon, we dived into the technological world, and we start creating our website; website that will hold all our assignments, drafts and words, I found this part of the class such a great method to express therefore I make this blog, my blog an interesting way to share my word to the world whenever. You know grandpa how much a like to write and tell stories and submerge into the world of writing,I believe in the magic behind the words; I find it magical and inspirational. A whole different world , where people is naked and show their souls. That’s why I love reading and writing because I can be naked as well. Therefore, I was super motivated since day one and I created my website that night, even though everyday I still change something to make it more mine.
Every assignment for me it’s a challenge, not because I could have thought I can’t do it, but for the fact I face the blank paper and I debate myself with my thoughts make this journey so much interesting. I feel the paper talks to me all the time; sometimes make me feel uncomfortable and incapable of doing my assignment, my fears show up and my mind gets blank, or sometimes that moments talks more than I want to share. It’s a fight all the time when I want to get done an assignment, but all these fights I’ve won them so far. You know grandpa how judgmental and hard I can be with myself, I’ve always looked for excellence. I just wrote a story about something that happened to me in the last month, and as your life, I always have something to tell, like you used to tell me, “you should write a book about your adventures”. This new story is called a struggle of a man, and I wrote it for my nonfiction assignment. It was sort of hard to start, but along the story was being written everything turns into a fluent moment. I enjoy a lot writing it and what really help me and also reminded me about you, It’s the explanation about the showing vs telling scenes that the professor taught me, that its been one of the best thing I’ve ever learned along with manage the context, message and subtext because those tools helped me to get my story done and put all my ideas together in order to write a fun and enjoyable story for the reader. I thought of you a lot grandpa when I was writing it because I remember how you used to tell me stories and make me believe I was there with you in that moment. This is what showing scenes make to the reader and this is what I wanted to create in my story as well. Also I can say I picked up tips from the lecure of “Picturing the Personal Essay,” which was filled with abstract drawings and complex wording along the text. but i really like it and I enjoy it as well. I revised my nonfiction story bunch of times until I got a nice story well told. As I told you before the fact I learned about showing scenes made me get the perfect scenes i wanted for my story being able to catch the attention of the readers.
the second big assignment was this reflective letter. A personal writing where I express all my everyday life in this course, how I learn, how I follow the process and how I become a better writer. Reading the lectures for the class along, I found a perfect explanation of what is a reflective letter which I can say it is pretty accurate and I'll like to share and make it part of my process "Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them." Reflective writing: a basic introduction . This help me to understand and think deeper of this assignment and its purpose. I didn’t know how would be my audience, who would be the person I choose to be naked and tell everything how I feel about this class. But at the end I knew you grandpa, always will be the person who understand me and listen to me even in the farthest of the cosmos. I just wish you were here and actually having a nice walk with you while we chatting about everything, probably get some emotions and answers back. sigh....
My last but not least assignment was my I-Search Paper. in this assuagement i needed to pick a topic to discuss and submerge in order to have a story behind. we watch a movie a documentary called food matters this documentary is about the quality of the food we are eating and all the consequences we are having for eat what we eat. after this movie I was shocked and I didn't eat chicken for almost a month and now I'm taking my vitamins again because one of the thing the film claims is the absence of nutrients we are getting from the food and how important they are for our bodies. next, we were assigned to go to the Room for Debate section of the New York Times and find a topic that interested us and I can see it has potential for my paper. I chose the debate from the food section, "Do we need more advice about Eating Well?" . no other than that during the weekend I watch more documentaries about food one of them was food inc which shows the food is being distributed, made and also produced. this film showed me that what I'm eating is nasty, even though I eat pretty healthy the fact that in order to get a "fresh food" I have to wait at least one week leaves me thoughts about it. let me tell you grandpa, my life change since i watched those films, I don't wanna eat the same anymore. Then, I found myself looking for all the effect of having this food or not have it and I got into eating disorders topic as a my paper topic. You never knew but I went through out some of them and I needed to write about it because those films , article about food mades me shout out to let people know about this condition that is so rare but so common as well. I got super motivated and I went to many sources to find trustful information about it and also valuable sources to share information because as a person who has had them i know the ignorance about this illness is big and I felt some of the truth needs to be told . When I wrote my paper I was so exited that I wanted to fit everything there thats why my paper at the begging was so broad ,so, after all the revision and workshops I had a good material to work with and be able to fix my paper. I filter my paper and my topic ad then I let it be itself and be myself. this assuagement was pretty interesting grandpa, I really enjoyed it because I was surprised I was able to write an entire composition in another language, share my experience and also help others.
I miss you extremely hard everyday, and my feelings of this empty spot in my heart never will be filled, because you are and were my best friend. I know you are watching me and you always be there whenever you are.
Love always and forever ,
Your favorite and only, vanessita
It’s been a while since I don’t talk to you, or write you something maybe because you are not here anymore and our conversations that we used to have are now far away. There is so much I wish I could have shared with you now as I used to do it. Even though you have always been my confidant and friend who I like to talk every night pretending you listen, and I’m sure you are. Every day when the sun shines behind the trees and change the color of the sky with its beauty makes me think of you and remember every day our conversations about life, simple things and magic moments that always turned our conversation into everything and nothing at the same time, sitting on the old chair we use to sit or walking around the neighborhood, remember that?!!.
The time is going by so fast and I’ve been growing up and doing everything I always told you I wanted to do; being wild and free. Remember all my dreams?? Well, One of them was living in another country, and here I am in USA living by myself facing all the barriers as a warrior as you used to call me. It’s been a challenge but I decide to take it every day ever since. I remember our long conversations and stories about how brave an adventurer you were in the old days making me believe in men like you still exist. you always so bright and and wise telling me believe in my dreams in order to become them true. Your life always was so inspirational to me. the best part of my day was when i get back from school and I got to tell you about it. I remember when I used to tell you everything what happened to me in school, how smart I can feel sometimes, or frustrated or helpless always wanting to shine and be a good student, how hard I am with myself when I couldn’t make it, But you with a big hug and a wise story made me always understand that I’m already smart, shine and a good student because I am who I want it to be, that's why no matter if sometimes I couldn’t make it in the first tried, if i did my all this is what matters because being brave is no giving up,it is face my fears and turn them into my strength until I make happen what I want to see .
All that taught me to be who I am and be where I am now. Along the way, here I am in USA studying again. It's been such an adventure which has become the journey of my life; I know how proud you would be of me because I’m getting my second degree as I mentioned to you before you left I want it to do it. It’s not been easy at all, but interesting for sure!! Every day there is a story to tell, about the weather, college, people, friends, love, culture etc, always something to talk about; my life has changed completely and where I am right now is where I want to be always moving forward. Those experiences that leave a mark on my life as the go by. As I used to mention it to you before every semester comes with new learning and challenges I face and even more in another language now. I know you always used to say I’m the smartest of my family, but being honest sometimes I doubt it when I'm with another culture like now. For instances There is a class I’m taking now, its called Composition I, it's an English class that teach us how to compose and write properly. It's such a nice class that has helped me a lot in my way to improve my english. This class is been so influential because this new class makes me believe again in my writing that I can do it. I used to write stories and poems before remember all those?!!! I stopped doing them long time ago. I know you may be thinking believe on your writing,??? what do you mean? you would ask me if you were here because I know you always believed I already believed. Well, let me tell you that I did not believe before. Remember those days when I used to write stories and poems for you??? no ones got to read them before besides you. I left them aside for a while after someone told me I needed to improve a lot because they don’t have potential, I know you taught me never give up on my dreams, but sometimes feel discouraged is part of life we need to go through to make us stronger. Anyway now I’m getting back to them somehow.
Well, you would be thinking, what make this class so special for me. well, Let me tell you a little bit more about it. English composition started the first class sharing “silly” things on a piece of paper such as who I will marry, who I’m in love with, who I would kill, my goal about graduation and the most confidential moment about our life, this part was heavy because when we shared a secret that we haven’t told before. However, I can say that was a pretty smart moved from the professor because those little simple things say a lot about the person and let us opened our world to others in a sense. As the class continued, people were more comfortable and start sharing their thoughts in class , it is a pretty diverse class. What was so much fun and interesting about this part is that every class is a debate in a good way because we are not alike in a single thing either thoughts or mindset, so everything has to be discussed and debating. I found these moments such a rich moments every time because I can appreciate the culture, and the different point of view people around me have grown up with.
Soon, we dived into the technological world, and we start creating our website; website that will hold all our assignments, drafts and words, I found this part of the class such a great method to express therefore I make this blog, my blog an interesting way to share my word to the world whenever. You know grandpa how much a like to write and tell stories and submerge into the world of writing,I believe in the magic behind the words; I find it magical and inspirational. A whole different world , where people is naked and show their souls. That’s why I love reading and writing because I can be naked as well. Therefore, I was super motivated since day one and I created my website that night, even though everyday I still change something to make it more mine.
Every assignment for me it’s a challenge, not because I could have thought I can’t do it, but for the fact I face the blank paper and I debate myself with my thoughts make this journey so much interesting. I feel the paper talks to me all the time; sometimes make me feel uncomfortable and incapable of doing my assignment, my fears show up and my mind gets blank, or sometimes that moments talks more than I want to share. It’s a fight all the time when I want to get done an assignment, but all these fights I’ve won them so far. You know grandpa how judgmental and hard I can be with myself, I’ve always looked for excellence. I just wrote a story about something that happened to me in the last month, and as your life, I always have something to tell, like you used to tell me, “you should write a book about your adventures”. This new story is called a struggle of a man, and I wrote it for my nonfiction assignment. It was sort of hard to start, but along the story was being written everything turns into a fluent moment. I enjoy a lot writing it and what really help me and also reminded me about you, It’s the explanation about the showing vs telling scenes that the professor taught me, that its been one of the best thing I’ve ever learned along with manage the context, message and subtext because those tools helped me to get my story done and put all my ideas together in order to write a fun and enjoyable story for the reader. I thought of you a lot grandpa when I was writing it because I remember how you used to tell me stories and make me believe I was there with you in that moment. This is what showing scenes make to the reader and this is what I wanted to create in my story as well. Also I can say I picked up tips from the lecure of “Picturing the Personal Essay,” which was filled with abstract drawings and complex wording along the text. but i really like it and I enjoy it as well. I revised my nonfiction story bunch of times until I got a nice story well told. As I told you before the fact I learned about showing scenes made me get the perfect scenes i wanted for my story being able to catch the attention of the readers.
the second big assignment was this reflective letter. A personal writing where I express all my everyday life in this course, how I learn, how I follow the process and how I become a better writer. Reading the lectures for the class along, I found a perfect explanation of what is a reflective letter which I can say it is pretty accurate and I'll like to share and make it part of my process "Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them." Reflective writing: a basic introduction . This help me to understand and think deeper of this assignment and its purpose. I didn’t know how would be my audience, who would be the person I choose to be naked and tell everything how I feel about this class. But at the end I knew you grandpa, always will be the person who understand me and listen to me even in the farthest of the cosmos. I just wish you were here and actually having a nice walk with you while we chatting about everything, probably get some emotions and answers back. sigh....
My last but not least assignment was my I-Search Paper. in this assuagement i needed to pick a topic to discuss and submerge in order to have a story behind. we watch a movie a documentary called food matters this documentary is about the quality of the food we are eating and all the consequences we are having for eat what we eat. after this movie I was shocked and I didn't eat chicken for almost a month and now I'm taking my vitamins again because one of the thing the film claims is the absence of nutrients we are getting from the food and how important they are for our bodies. next, we were assigned to go to the Room for Debate section of the New York Times and find a topic that interested us and I can see it has potential for my paper. I chose the debate from the food section, "Do we need more advice about Eating Well?" . no other than that during the weekend I watch more documentaries about food one of them was food inc which shows the food is being distributed, made and also produced. this film showed me that what I'm eating is nasty, even though I eat pretty healthy the fact that in order to get a "fresh food" I have to wait at least one week leaves me thoughts about it. let me tell you grandpa, my life change since i watched those films, I don't wanna eat the same anymore. Then, I found myself looking for all the effect of having this food or not have it and I got into eating disorders topic as a my paper topic. You never knew but I went through out some of them and I needed to write about it because those films , article about food mades me shout out to let people know about this condition that is so rare but so common as well. I got super motivated and I went to many sources to find trustful information about it and also valuable sources to share information because as a person who has had them i know the ignorance about this illness is big and I felt some of the truth needs to be told . When I wrote my paper I was so exited that I wanted to fit everything there thats why my paper at the begging was so broad ,so, after all the revision and workshops I had a good material to work with and be able to fix my paper. I filter my paper and my topic ad then I let it be itself and be myself. this assuagement was pretty interesting grandpa, I really enjoyed it because I was surprised I was able to write an entire composition in another language, share my experience and also help others.
I miss you extremely hard everyday, and my feelings of this empty spot in my heart never will be filled, because you are and were my best friend. I know you are watching me and you always be there whenever you are.
Love always and forever ,
Your favorite and only, vanessita