California Competitions

Hey everyone! This week I spent with my family traveling to different areas in California and attended some exciting events before I leave for college. First, my family headed south to Del Mar in San Diego for the horse races! This is an ongoing event throughout the end of the summer. Most people travel to the Del Mar horse track to socialize with family and friends and see which horses win the races! It's fun cheering on your favorite horse to win, especially when it's friendly competition against a sibling. It's always fun to pick the winner! And you can't forget your big floppy hat! A must have for any summer horse race event. Check out my photos with my brothers and my cousin at the horse races below!

And they're off! Which horse is going to win?

My brothers, my cousin, and my hat!

 A few days later, my family traveled north to Anaheim to watch the baseball team the Angeles play. However, this wasn't any ordinary game for us, we had dugout suite tickets! This meant our seats were right next to the field next to the players' dugout. It was amazing! We could see all the behind-the-scenes action and had an up close look at the players on the field. It was a great way to feel connected to the game and experience it like a player would! And to top it all off the Angeles won - what a great day! Check out some pictures below!

My brothers, their friend, and a player right behind us!

Our seats

Right next to the action!

What events do you like to go to with your family? How far do you travel for them? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

AmericanAmanda goes to Norway!

Meeting Ambassador White

Speaking about US life

Hey everyone! I just spent the last week in Norway talking to Norwegian students about high school life in America and the US college application process. My first stop was Oslo where I visited three high schools to talk about my life as a US high school student. At night I gave an International Education Seminar about applying to US colleges at the US embassy. I also had a nice meeting with Ambassador White, the US Ambassador to Norway. 

Giving a college application seminar

Then I traveled to Ålesund and went to three more high schools and held another Education Seminar. I absolutely loved meeting all the norwegian students and listening to their great questions about life in the United States and applying to colleges! 




If you saw one of my presentations and you read my blog make sure to leave a comment and I will reply to you!

xoxo

School's Out Summer's In

Hey everyone! Now that Graduation is over and schools around the country are done, it is time for summer vacation! In the United States, summer break is a two to three month long break from school during, you guessed it, the summer time! Once all the hard AP tests are over (check out my AP test blog if you don't know what those are!) it is much needed to have a long break from school.
People use this time off to do different things. Some travel, near or far. Some go to fun locations around us like Disneyland or Palm Springs. Others spend the time to travel to further locations, like Las Vegas or even Europe. My friend and I spent the weekend in Las Vegas with her parents, seeing all the sights and shows. My other friend spent the week in Germany, taking tours and eating culinary masterpieces.
However, this vacation from school is not entirely a break. Almost everyone in high school has summer work to complete before the returning school year. This includes reading books, writing essays, and reviewing for new material. I have lots of summer work, especially with International Baccalaureate work as well. Wish me luck! Luckily the weather is great and I have all the time in the world. Summer will truly be a fun time! I cannot wait to share all my summer adventures with you!

What do you like do to when you are on a break from school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Spring into Action

Hey everyone! These past few weeks schools around the United States have been having spring break! Spring break is a week long vacation all school levels give out around April and Easter time. It's a good break before the hard end of the year exams given in May and June.
People use this week long vacation to do different things. Most use it to travel, near or far. People go to the beach to get their tan on or mountains to shred the snow. Both climates are in California hours away. Some people use this time to travel far away. Families travel to other states in California or even other countries. Countries in Europe and North America are always prime spots for California tourists.
Most older teenagers who are getting ready to apply to colleges use this time to tour colleges around the United States. When applying for college, it is important to see the school and make sure it is a good fit. This is why this break is a great time to fly around the country touring different schools you want to see. Most people choose a specific state and tour different colleges in that area. Since there are hundreds of colleges in the U.S., not all can be toured. Yet, if you are considering attending a college it is important to at least know what environment you will be living in.

Do you have a "spring break" at your school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Oh the Places You'll Go

Hey everyone! This weekend in the United States was Presidents Day, a holiday celebrating the birthday's of some of two of our great presidents, Washington and Lincoln. Most schools get a Friday and Monday off in February to celebrate this holiday, leading to a four day weekend! This time off of school is a perfect time to accomplish many things, weather it be work, travel, or fun.
This is a time where many people travel to the mountains to go skiing and snowboarding. Although the weather in southern California is beach weather, it is only a short drive to snow. Having four days off school is a great time to hit the slopes. If snow isn't quite your style, you can head to the beach where the temperature is hot and the water is cool. Many surf competitions occur over this weekend, along with other events just for fun.
If you are up for traveling farther, many people use this vacation to tour colleges out of state. As a junior, applying for colleges takes place next year and it is a good idea to view colleges before you apply so you know if you like them or not. Many people from southern California use this time to travel to Texas to visit colleges like TCU and SMU or travel to the east coast to visit colleges like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

If staying local is what you want to do during the break, you can visit amusement parks near your home, go to a movie, or an arcade. Disneyland is only 20 minutes from my house, so I love to go there during holidays. I also take this time to see the new movies in theaters and partake in other fun events going on in the community. There is always something fun to do during your days off from school!

What do you like to do during your vacations? Let me know in the comments!



xoxo