Assignment 18 - Erin

1. So far high school has been a mixed bag for me. I don't think that in the future I'll look back and say that the best years of my life were here, but I won't have all bad memories. My friends have been such a constant in my life through high school, so I hope that, before we graduate and go our separate ways, we can take a small trip together. Just go somewhere different to Lexington together, as our little family. Maybe just to Cincinnati or some remote small Kentucky town, but I'd like to have an adventure with my friends before the next chapter of our lives begins.

2. College. For many, it's years of parties. For others, it's years of hitting the books hard. As of now, I plan to attend college to study filmmaking. Since I was a kid, I've been making films by myself, but filmmaking is anything but a solitary career. It's a team sport. A multitude of specialties are needed for films, from artists to cinematographers to everything in between. So, by the time I'm finished in college, I hope to have my team. A group of friends who also share my passion for creating. A group that I (hopefully) will have made some art with. And a group that will work together after our schooling to make more art.

3. It's difficult for me to choose between two of my all time bucket list goals because they aren't really comparable. They encompass different aspects of my life. One of those goals is to travel to Japan, and spend a significant chunk of time there. My ancestors came to Hawaii from Japan, and I've always felt a connection to the country and it's culture. Japan has such a rich and fascinating culture. Before my time on earth is over, I feel that I must go back to my roots. Immerse myself in the culture that my ancestors knew. I already have a list of places in Japan that I want to visit, including the Arashiyama bamboo forest, Nara deer park, and a myriad of Shinto and Buddhist temples and shrines. I think visiting Japan will be not only an interesting life experience, but somewhat of a spiritual experience for me as well.

The other goal involves a much more long-term commitment. I hope to one day raise a dog –from puppyhood to adulthood. I'm the sort of person who doesn't feel as though I want children, granted, that may change in the future, but I highly doubt that it will. However, I have the great desire to be a mother to a dog. To raise and nurture a companion, to be my buddy. As someone who hopes to have a job that will mean a lot of traveling, a dog is a partner who could accompany me. This goal is for much later in the future, though, as I'd like to have a measure of stability before embarking on the responsibility of caring for a life.