https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm Here's some facts about me! I hope you enjoy!♥ en-us 2017-09-11 23:31:59 UTC 2024-07-29 22:42:00 UTC hello@padlet.com valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186595261 I live with my mom, stepdad, and younger sister, Stefania. I also have two older brothers, Sal(vatore) and Riccardo. Sal studied several languages, including French, Italian, and Spanish, in Arcadia and is now living in China teaching English to young students. Riccardo just finished college in the Philadelphia Art Institute in the hope of becoming a game designer. Right now, he's taking on several jobs until he can settle in New York with his girlfriend. My mom works at a pizza place called "Pizza Box" and my stepdad works at a pizza place as well called "Bella's." I'm proud to say that my family and I are very close and we count on each other when we have problems. Here's an old picture of my siblings and I when I made my Holy Communion in 2010.]]> 2017-09-11 23:53:29 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186595261 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186599568 Maybe you're wondering about my father? Back in 2008, when I was 6 years old, my dad passed away of an unknown cause. Because I was so young and it was so long ago, it's not a sensitive topic for me to talk about. My sister, brother, and I would go to visit him every year since it happened until my brother moved to China last year; however, my mom decided to face her fear this August and go to his grave for the first time in years. If it hadn't been for her bravery, my sister and I wouldn't have been able to carry on the tradition.]]> 2017-09-12 00:22:47 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186599568 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186601291 I have 3 cats, Ash, Pixie and Zoey, and a parrot named Lucky. Lucky is an Amazon parrot that we got in December 2008, when I was almost 7 years old. A year later, we were given my uncle's parrot named Nena, who was actually Lucky's sister, because she was a handful for my uncle, but just two years ago (September 15, 2015), she passed away from a sickness no one was aware of. On a different note, Ash and Pixie are Siamese mix cats and are sister and brother (I guess you could call them Siamese twins). We got them when they were just 6 months old in October of 2014. Zoey, on the other hand, was abandoned by her owner after they moved away without her. In the summer of 2015, we saw her just outside our apartment and got her help within a week. We gave her shelter in our bathroom until we knew what to do with her, but sure enough, we fell in love in that short time and ended up keeping her for our own.]]> 2017-09-12 00:32:57 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186601291 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186612207 One of the things I absolutely love is music. I play the violin and ukulele and I really want to learn guitar, piano, and literally any instrument at all. Most of my inspiration comes from Adam Young (or Owl City) who started out just playing music in his basement to deal with insomnia and now plays for several fans of his on stage. Some of my other favorite artists are The Fray and The Script. Almost everyday, I play some tunes from each of these musicians on my ukulele to keep me from being down. The world honestly wouldn't be the same without music, especially for me.]]> 2017-09-12 01:45:01 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186612207 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186710631 Something I really enjoy doing is writing (as you can tell by how much I've written). And I don't mean writing stories, although I will do that sometimes, but actually just plain writing. Usually people become frustrated when they have writing assignments, but that's not me! You can give me an essay in your class and I'd gladly get it done. In fact, I have my own journal were I sometimes write about my day and feelings so that in the future, I can look back at it and smile or even laugh. I've discovered that writing helps me cope with my emotions, like if I'm having a bad day, I'll write about it and usually I'll feel a lot better about the situation.]]> 2017-09-12 10:59:39 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186710631 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186712812 Animals are a huge part of what makes me happy. I love animals so much for so many reasons. One being that they're literally the cutest things and another being that they're not like humans. Animals don't care what you look like or act like. You love them, they'll love you. I'm not afraid of a couple bites from an animal if that's what it takes for acceptance. One of my most favorite animals are dogs. Ever since I was 6 years old, I've wanted a dog, but was never able to get one, so it's one of my biggest dreams to own one (how lame). One of the people who allowed me to open up to my love of dogs is Eldad Hagar, someone who rescues animals for a living. Every now and then, he'll post a video on YouTube of a rescue he's done a couple weeks prior to uploading the video (I've probably watched every single video that's been posted in the last 2 years). He inspires me to do the same some day.]]> 2017-09-12 11:09:44 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186712812 valeriam_02 https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186833233 For a long time now, I've taken an interest in photography. It started in 2014, when I started taking 15 minute walks to school early in the morning. I felt like I saw the world from a whole new perspective. From that point on, I would take several pictures with my phone. I've learned to trust that I will be able to slip out my phone at any moment and steady my hands when I see something breathtaking. I also view photography as a way to capture memories. Without pictures, a lot of memory (and history!) would be lost. I try to take as many photos as possible when I'm on any sort of trip or even when I'm just at home with my family. Here's a picture that I took over the summer.]]> 2017-09-12 15:35:28 UTC https://padlet.com/valeriam_02/6i3lll3is5nm/wish/186833233