Month: October 2025

SpudFest Catch-play

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Lunch had just finished, and Jay and I were prepared to walk down to the field early and play catch. That’s when we were stopped by Rumi, Stirling, and Chloe, and the trio were all wearing safety vests, and they were the first aid team for SpudFest. Obviously, they weren’t that good because a kid still broke his elbow, but that’s beside the point.

Jay and I jogged down to the field, hit a little quick stretch, and started throwing the baseball around. We quickly went to 40 and then 60 yards, just letting the big dog EAT. And then tragedy struck. Team comp games started. Dang!

After the gruesome 30 minutes of Team Comp, we picked up the gloves again, and our arms were still hot, then we were launching the ball 70 and then 80 yards. Clearly, every girl was impressed by my ability to throw the ball nearly 100 yards. Right?! I knew they were even if they didn’t show it, the ladies loved watching us.

PC: Ojai Valley School Instagram

From here and from there

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There is a saying in Spanish for the children of immigrants, “Ni de aqui, ni de allà “. It translates to: neither from here nor from there. As a mixed child of immigrants, it is hard to feel like you belong in either place.

Whenever I go to Mexico, I immediately feel like I don’t fit in. Most people in my mom’s hometown are 100% indigenous with a short stature, straight hair, and traditional clothing. Most of the American kids who visit have two indigenous parents, so they at least look similar to the townspeople. But I stick out. My dad is from a different region with very different features. Those features being curly hair and a taller stature.

Then I come back to school, and I am one of four students with Mexican heritage. Although, growing up in LA has made me feel like a part of a community. I cannot imagine how hard it would be for people growing up in predominantly white spaces. Sometimes I feel like I am too Mexican, and it is a hard balance.

I think the saying is ignorant. As more immigrants come to this country, there is a community for us to belong to. In cities with a lot of Latinos, a culture is forming. In LA, there is a stereotype of the average city Latino. As much as people want to exclude us from their spaces, we will make our own space and thrive. I am from both here and there.

credit: Pinterest

Birthday

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This week I had my birthday for the first time away from home. My birthday is always a fun day, and that remains true even when I’m not with my family. My friend brought his speaker to school and we listened to only the best music, Aubrey Graham.

My birthday was still made special to me, thanks to multiple teachers making efforts for me. On my door was a special message from Lebron James regarding my birthday. When I walked to breakfast, “Happy Birthday” was written in chalk at the bottom of the stairs. Lastly, a large sign was hanging on the art building wishing me a happy birthday.

At the end of the day, I was able to call my family and talk all about my day. It was nice to still hear from friends and family, even if I could not see them.

I have never “felt” older on my birthday, and that trend stays true this year. I wonder when I will feel older. Hopefully never.

Drake Birthday cake! Chocolate cake with a chocolate fudgy filling topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting. #CAKED #birthdaycake #heartcake #chocolatecake #womanownedbusiness #smallbusiness

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My Week

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I have already been overwhelmed. The amount of college supplementals and essays on top of my capstone, on top of all my difficult classes, and my busy week at work. I have been overwhelmed, but that’s just what comes with being a senior. Yet every time things start to look up, I’m pushed back down. Last week, my car started flashing lights at me. I called my dad, and after a long inspection, he told me he had to fix a belt on it (I don’t know what that means at all), so I would be unable to drive it. I was annoyed, but it was fine; I could borrow my mom’s car for a day or two. The next day, my dad had still not started on my car. He told me it would take less than an hour to fix, yet he hadn’t started. I was frustrated but moved on. As I pulled into my driveway in my mom’s van, I saw a 3-foot hole dug into my driveway. I was confused, but I walked inside. I was then told that a pipe burst connecting to my pool, so we had to turn the water off. I was again frustrated; I wouldn’t be able to shower, wash my face, or brush my teeth. I went to my friend’s house to do those things, and when I got back, I smelled a putrid smell coming from my dog. I ran inside and was told he had been sprayed by a skunk. The smell was too terrible, so I had to go back to my friend’s house. Since the water was off, my dog was unable to get a bath. This all went on, and I tried to stay positive throughout the week. Eventually, my car, the pipe, and the dog were all fixed. I don’t get why senior year has to be so hard.

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Barcelona game

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About 2 summers ago, I went to a Barcelona FC game with my dad and my brother. That was arguably my favorite summer for many reasons, the first being, obviously, the Barca game, but also because I got to attend several LA Galaxy games. The LA Galaxy is my favorite MLS team, and the primary reason I watch them is because of Riqui Puig. Another reason why that was one of my favorite summers was that I got to go to Mexico with my cousins, who aren’t really my cousins anymore, but we still call each other cousins. But most importantly, I got to watch the Barca game, and even though they lost, it was still really cool to watch. Most of the players who start at Barcelona now were just bench players. It was really cool to watch the players whom I look up to. I also go to see some players who I look up to that are old, who have just recently retired.

This may contain: a stadium filled with lots of people sitting on top of a soccer field at night


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Volleyball

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The end of an era. I played volleyball for all four years of high school so knowing that it is over is like foreshadowing for the end that is near. This one season is one of the many things that will end this year. I am going to continue to play volleyball, but I will never get to play with this team again. I love playing volleyball, even if I am not that good at it. Freshman and sophomore years, I was so uncoordinated and unbalanced, but I still tried my best. It wasn’t until junior and senior years that I was on varsity and was able to play with the more experienced players. I improved so much from last year and I am still improving each day, I wish I had one more season to play. But, being a super senior isn’t that cool. Senior night was so bittersweet, it was such a fun time while I was playing, but the menacing prescence of it being the last game was always looming over my head. I almost cried so hard but I didn’t want to ruin my make up so I held it in. I am sad that I won’t ever play high school volleyball but I am excited to see where I play next!

credit: Pinterest

Homesick

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Imagine going from the tranquil flows of crystal-clear water, lush towering mountains, and uncultivated lands to a place like Ojai. Look, don’t get me wrong—Ojai has its beauty, tons of it at that—but there is this feeling that the air in Hawai‘i gives me. I’m not just talking about the sticky humidity; I’m talking about the feeling of being so disconnected from the world. Miles and miles of deep blue depth surround you entirely, yet you are safe on a tiny island—and alive, more alive than anywhere else.

I have traveled to many places in the world and seen the serene beauty of each diverse landscape, but nothing will ever compare to my home. I know every pothole in the road and every path to the ocean. Store owners have watched me grow up from behind a register, and first-time introductions are a rare occurrence.

There is always this tugging feeling, like you are never quite comfortable anywhere else, when you are inescapably tethered to an island. It’s hard to explain such a strange feeling to someone who has never lived there, but I believe it’s a feeling that will never fully go away.

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Evil Pringles

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Wednesday afternoon, Jay, Chloe, and me, sitting in the college counseling room, eating and rating 4 weird flavors of Pringles while creating art for the 2nd podcast episode for Hill Talk. We had ate and rated 3 chips already, nothing too terrible, but it was time for the last chip, Carnitas Taco, which originally we all had high hopes for. Chloe opened the can and smelt the chips and was instantly disgusted, I didn’t think much of it though. When we all got the chips, ‘cheersed’ them and ate we were all blown away. That had to have been the worst chip I have ever put in my mouth. Jay instantly gagged, Chloe threw half of her chip on the table and I instantly went for a piece of gum. Chloe said it tasted like cat pee and Jay said it feels like the type of thing you eat then brush your teeth and the flavor is still reminiscent in your mouth. Needless to say, Pringles is you read this, please mass produce the All Dressed flavor chips because those were a 10 and me and Jay HOUSED them, and please have an immediate recall on every Carnitas Taco Pringle can EVER. Now that I think about it, that distinct smell of beef is still in my nose and that weird and rancid taste is in my mouth. I need to brush my teeth with a broom and floss with some rope because I NEVER want to taste that taste again in my life.

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Shove Day

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Sunday. Normally, a day us high schoolers tends to not love so much, even though it is a weekend day, it really means doing homework and going to bed early for school the next day. But today, I had a great day.

I woke up early to go to the gym, came home, made myself a breakfast sandwich, showered, got dressed, and then headed off to UCSB. There was a baseball showcase at UCSB today, and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance as a PO (Pitcher Only). Fulfilling my dreams, I was as I got to go into the locker room, meet the players, meet the pitching coordinator, and pitch 2 innings on the field. I pitched very good, letting up no runs with 3 strikeouts and only 2 hits.

It was great meeting all the new faces, getting to talk 1on1 with the coaches, and becoming friends with division 1 athletes.

Afterwards, one of my long-time best friends was there, so we went to dinner. I got a salad with shrimp and avocado in it. It was okay.

But the good performance made the trip worth it and hopefully my dreams can come true in the next few years.

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Volleyball

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This year the volleyball team decided to do one big varsity team instead of varsity and junior varsity. I think it worked out okay because we all got closer to each other, and our team spirit was great. Every game, the players who weren’t playing would support by cheering loudly. Even though we didn’t win a game, I think we still tried our best and did the best we could. There were some downsides to having one big team. When we had away games, we couldn’t bring the whole team to travel with us, so we would have to leave some players behind. It set us off track a bit, but I think overall we worked well together. As the season went by, each one of us improved in one way or another, whether it was getting better at serving overhand, hitting, and even team spirit. A flaw we had this year was losing motivation when we had a bad play, but all it took was one motivational talk in our group huddle, and we were back at it. It was a fun season, and I think everyone tried their hardest to do well, even if we doubted ourselves.

“Volleyball blocking. September 2022“/ CC0 1.0