My job as a volunteer consisted of being available to assist the main teachers, passing out snacks, and thinking of different art activities for the children coping with Autism and Down Syndrome. At first, I was worried that I wouldn’t find the strength to open up to them, but I soon learned that they did most of that work. Each and every child showed me his or her sweet, caring personality combined with a welcoming attitude. They weren’t afraid to be themselves with the volunteers who were complete strangers to them. As I started to develop friendships with these individuals, I found myself anxiously waiting for the 2:20 school dismissal bell because it signaled me to run over to the center. Sometimes, I brought little goodies for the children to munch on, which was always returned with a sincere, grateful smile.

What started as a hope for an easy completion of forty service hours, developed into an experience that opened my eyes to the fact that I cannot let a disability define a person. I do not remember Sydney as the child with Autism, but as the young girl who loves Dr. Seuss and chocolate-covered peanuts. Allowing myself to connect with them on a personal level gave these kids a chance to show me who they really were at heart. Once I tore down my wall of fear and distance, the notion of “us and them” also crumbled to pieces. I cultivated new friendships with amazing people, which has expanded my world greatly. Treating individuals with disabilities the same way I treat everyone else brought a miracle into my life. When I was younger, I never took the time to develop a strong friendship with my 7 year-old cousin Daniel, a boy born with Down Syndrome. I felt uncomfortable around him because I was always afraid of saying the wrong thing that held the potential to offend him. After my experience in the Janet Pomeroy Center, I now visit him more in one week than I ever have before. My appreciation of his lovable character and innocent curiosity towards the world around him only grew once I looked past the Down Syndrome.

I strongly advocate this message to anyone who sincerely hopes to make a difference. My words can only explain so much, and the only way to experience these same emotions is to meet these remarkable people firsthand. As a person truly blessed with the gift of health, I feel an obligation to make sure the disabled feel genuinely loved. Spreading this love is so important to me because it lets them feel a sense of community that allows them to achieve anything. And although this idea might just appear as a small dent of change, it’s still one change in that person’s day, month, or year. That alone is enough for me.

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Visit the Janet Pomeroy Center online, and see how you can get involved with their organization, or a similar one near you.

Top 5 Places to Eat:

1. Escape From New York Pizza: This delicious New York thin style pizza joint is a great place to grab a bite with friends. Relax for a bit in this casual atmosphere after you order a slice or a whole pizza to share with friends.
2. El Balazo: Order any type of Mexican food such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or nachos and sit around in a restaurant with a very embellished and bright interior. Check out a sports game on the T.V while you eat, or watch people through the mirrored walls.
3. Asqew Grill: This place serves all foods on a skewer. Choose from a range of cuisine from kebabs to caramel apples. The tables in the restaurant are designed in the shape of jigsaw puzzles and the photos on the walls will be a new sight to most people.
4. The Pork Store Café: This place is known for its selection of pork and different meats. At first, this café was a butcher shop, but became a well known restaurant in the 50′s. The food here is delicious and there are many different selections.
5. Best of Thai: This casual Thai food restaurant has fast service and delicious food. You can sit in the restaurant with friends, or watch the chefs cook your food when you come to pick up your order for takeout.

Other favorites: Zona Rosa, Cha Cha Cha, and Squat and Gobble

Top 5 Places to Shop:

1. Wasteland, Held Over, Aardvarks: These 2^nd hand, “vintage”, shops are the best place to find used, yet original and cheap clothing. It is possible to spend hours in these stores because of the wide range of different clothing. These stores always have something to offer everyone, it may just take a while to find it.
2. Piedmont Boutique: Looking for a great Halloween costume? This is the place to go. Piedmont Boutique has crazy, fun, and outrageous clothing options that are perfect for Halloween and costume parties. Come in and check out the bright and funky clothing that is perfect for any costume.
3. True: This store is a women’s clothing store, a men’s clothing store, and a men’s shoe store. True is known for its hip-hop/ skater t-shirt designs and wide range of Nike shoes and “SF” hats. Girls can expect the same type of clothing as well.
4. Cheap Thrills: Cheap Thrills is filled with tons of joke knick-knacks and toys that are perfect for gifts or any other occasions. Many of the things in this store are not for every day use, but you can definitely make your friend laugh if you get him or her something from this store.
5. Behind the Postoffice & Ambiance: If you are looking for more high end clothing, these stores are the places to go. Both stores are a bit more expensive but have great clothes. Clothes from these stores are similar to clothing found on Union or Fillmore St.

Other Favorites: Bang-On, Buffalo Exchange, and Villains

With the sun kissing her back

Ever so slightly,

And the wind caressing the soft swirls and twirls

Of golden strands,

Her eyes shine off a moonlit twinkle.

The combination of:

Tiptoes

Hops

Leaps

Across hot-lava pressed rocks,

Or into knee-high, new baby-born grass,

Avoiding the occasional sharp stings and bites,

Above the tender, warm soil.

She stares ahead

Opening her eyes to find she is there.

Slowly dipping her toes beneath the refreshing flow,

She soaks in the passion—the embrace—the beauty

Of a cold stream on the hot, summer day.

From the set up of the tents to the immense amount of bugs all over 24/7, I could never fully find joy in camping. Surprisingly, a weekend in Collins Lake changed that completely for me. My family and I stayed in one of their best campgrounds: Waters Edge. The view itself encompassed everything I needed to be at peace: a breathtaking, 1600-acre lake laying peacefully underneath huge, beautiful mountains. And I can’t forget to mention the clear, blue sky painted with perfect white clouds all over! This image was what I woke up to every morning: pure exquisiteness.

Besides its gorgeous surrounding landscape, Collins Lake has so much to offer for everyone. My cousins and I rode our bikes on the safe trails until sunset. Although we would start by biking across the various campgrounds, we would wind up in completely different areas like their “beach” or near the skyscraping trees. While we were on our adventure, others found joy along its 12 miles of shoreline, waiting on the notorious bass and trout to bite. For the more adventurous ones of the group, kayaking and boating satisfied their needs perfectly!

Many of the campsites truly work to please the group’s personal needs. For example, although Waters Edge does not hold any electrical plugs, they have plenty of places for RV hookups and similar specific needs. Port-A-Potties are located throughout the grounds, but they provide the option of using the public restrooms and showers near their general store. This brings me to my personal favorite part of the grounds: the general store’s ice cream! Their famous, delicious scoops could fill anyone’s stomachs in an instant.

Collins Lake sincerely brings a mixture of relaxation, fun and adventure to the table-something every vacation should consist of. This magical place holds shared memories of millions and will continue to stand as a place for more to blossom.

You have left no land untouched.

Your screams of “Cooties!” silently play in my head as I saunter through this kindergarten classroom.

Your dribbling in these basketball courts create the same beat which my heart hoped to keep up with.

Your phone call from that one hospital on that one day God decided your dad’s pain could disappear in heaven.

12 years translated into eternity,

But soon, the “y” was dropped and memories transformed into ours.

Our sleepness nights gabbing about nonsense

Our silences saying more than words ever could

Our tight, perfect embraces while watching the rolling tides take away the sand

Our “good morning beautifuls” and “good night loves”

Our farewell hugs—oh, how I never wanted to let go.

Our laughs that pained my stomach

Our fights that pained my eyes.

5 months soon slipped out of our hands,

And here I stand…

Mad.

Irritated.

Confused.

Empty.

Alone.

Classmate to Best Friend to Boyfriend to the One I need to learn to let go of.

Where did we go wrong?

What mistakes am I guilty of?

When did you realize…?

WHY?

No regrets here—it was for the best…

But I can’t lie- to the world, to you, to myself,

Yours, mine, ours—everything will stick for eternity.

Colors of the rainbow make her beautiful—
Lustrous ceramic, silky cloth, clear glass—
Though tedious, her work pays off in the end
For surrounding smiles will forever last!