Introduction

To initiate this blog, I will introduce myself, my values and beliefs, my past, and my goals. I am a kid in a constant state to satisfy my standards for myself. These are quite high. I fail to do this many times each day! These failures are what motivate me to improve. It's weird: every time I let my standards down, I become that much more determined to get better in that area. This mindset defines me, and it's the most important thing in the world to me. When I look back on my lowest moments, they were the times that I failed myself and was OK with it; I felt no desire to do better. This is not just in tangible activities like academics, work, or athletics, it also crosses over into other things like my relationships with parents, friends, and God.

My relationship with God is not a particularly strong one. I feel a responsibility to adhere to a certain moral code and to live my life in the way He prescribes, but I do not have a strong bond with Him. When I pray, I feel reminded of the way I should live my life and inspired to do so, but I don't really feel a connection to a higher being. This has been a point of  much concern for me and I talked about it extensively with Amanda, the old assistant rector at my church (I'm Episcopalian, where female priests are allowed). I do go to church when I'm in town, but if I'm away I generally don't make much effort to find a church. I've gone to the same church my whole life, and I've come to love the Episcopal Church. I also have a great deal of respect for the Catholic Church, and I feel comfortable attending Catholic Mass. I do plan to continue as an Episcopalian in the future, however, for many reasons, the foremost being the inclusive nature of the Eucharist in Episcopal tradition.

I live in a nice suburb of a big city with two parents who both hold well-paid government jobs. Our house is big and we live comfortably. However, my parents always try to make me earn the things I have. I really value that effort on my parents part. They've made me realize that things don't come easily in this world. They also have tried to expose me to a wide range of experiences in many areas like food, athletics, cultures, people, music, and places. This has opened my mind and caused me to be more accepting of other practices in these areas. I think my parents wanted me to be a part of the global generation, and they have suceeded. I appreciate that.

In my future, I hope to be content with my long term situation. Here's what I mean: at any given moment I want to be able to look at the next ten, twenty, even thirty years of my life and be happy with the possibilities and oppurtunities in front of me. I want to keep the metaphorical doors that are important to me open. Currently, those doors include a career in music, a career as an acousital engineer, time to experience a large scope of our world, and a partner to share those experiences with.