life-fulfilling experience...

I read my older posts and so happened to come across this one..."half the year has gone by...". for awhile I've been having this need for wanting to do something great. I want to be able to somehow enlighten someone's life and in turn enlighten my own. So, I returned to school to become a social worker. Although, once I have my degree I will be able to help people, it still didn't feel as if it was enough. I want to do something now. Why wait until I graduate?

On August 12, 2011 (my sister's birthday), I was filled with emotions the whole day. I have no idea how this idea came about, but I decided to put on a fundraiser. Initially, I wanted to fund raise for City of Hope since that is where my sister received her care. Finally receiving a response from the Event Department after two weeks, the guidelines and applications were more fitting for an established organization. Next I contacted the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House where my family pretty much lived while my sister was receiving her care. The house manager was extremely nice and the guidelines for donating funds was not as cumbersome as City of Hope.

So here I am, into the 2nd half of the year and I start school next month and will be hosting my first fundraising event in November. The question that lingers is....will it be enough? I know the event is still months away, but I have a feeling this is the life-fulfilling experience I've been searching for.

I will make sure to keep posting on updates for the fundraiser. This is the link to the facebook page...only temporary for now to promote the fundraiser. Bowling for Ronald McDonald House - please like my page and if possible participate in the 1st Annual Bowling Fundraiser

Time to make this happen...

the bucket list

so yes i'm going to start writing (well typing) my "BUCKET LIST" now. that way once a task is completed i can just update this darn thing.

Travel:
- New York (but will def go again)

- Miami
- Cruise (to Mexico and the Carribean)
- Euro / Mediterranean Trip (Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Madrid, Amsterdam, London)
- see the Niagra Falls
- Seattle
- Bora Bora / Fiji / Aruba (either one of those will do)
- go to Lake Havasu or Lake Tahoe
- Yellowstone Park
- club it up in Vegas (for Kayla's 21st birthday 11/11-11/14/10....definitely doing it again)
- DisneyWorld
- San Diego Zoo / Wild Animal Park
- Legoland (Didn't go....but realized it's the same price as SeaWorld and more expensive than the SD Zoo.....so yup scratch that)
- stay in a beach house for a weekend or a week
- stay in the following Vegas Hotels: (Bellagio, Paris, Venetian, Pallazo, Wynn, Mandalay Bay, MGM, Treasure Island, Mirage, Monte Carlo, Hard Rock Hotel, Aria, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan)
- go to New York for NYE and Fourth of July
- go to Canada

Sports:
- Laker game (many more to come in the future)

- hmmm....a playoff Laker game (yesh!!!!)
- go to the Laker Parade

- baseball game (my goal to go once every season)
- hockey game (been before but wanna go again)
- soccer game
- football game (didn't happen in 2010 so let's try this again)
- Olympic Games....we will meet one day
- US Open (it's Tennis ya'll. went to a lil preview in NY but i wanna be there for a match)
- watch Golf live in person
- go to the FIFA World Cup
- bowl another 700 series (oh please happen one day)

Entertainment:
- go to a rap/hip-hop concert (Lil Wayne and Jay-Z)

- how about traveling to another state for a concert

- attend all midnight showings for the Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn)
- see at least 1 movie in 3D IMAXX
- Justin Bieber concert =)

- front row / floor seats to a concert ( Justin Bieber, Rihanna)
- Wicked
- The Lion King Broadway

- Beauty and the Beast Broadway
- Phantom of the Opera
- Blue Man Group
- Carrie Underwood
- Rihanna

- StageCoach
- Rascal Flatts
- watch 3 movies in one day - at a movie theater
- see ANY Cirque Du Soleil

Dare-Devilish Endeavors:
- skydiving
- parasailing
- surfing
- snowboarding
- scuba diving
- go hiking
- zip lining
- touch the water of a waterfall
- some kind of adventure walk through the jungle (you can blame this on LOST)
- dye my hair red (this is something that probably wont ever happen)

- touch a stingray and a shark
- have a parrot sit on my hand
- take a picture with a monkey
- swim with dolphins
- dance on top of the table like i just don't care

Oh the things I want:
- purses (Coach, Dooney&Bourke, Louie V)
- iphone (iphone4 fa sho :]]]]])
- finish college (yes yes yes....just started back up again)
- get a tattoo in Vegas

The Little Things That Count and Other Stuff:
- do something for someone else that I wouldn't do for myself
- surprise someone with a gift they really wanted (bought a friend Rihanna tickets)
- have a family picture in the living room
- buy someone who's homeless a meal
- take pictures and send out christmas cards
- watch a concert/sports game from a luxury box
- stay up for 24 hours (Black Friday 2010 - shopping in the morning and then casino right after with fam)
- host a charity event

summer breezin

so now that I finished my online class....I would like to say that I passed with a B. yay for me!!! since my last post (although it was about a month ago), I feel as if I have grown up a bit. not saying that I was completely immature before, but I officially now have a sense of independence. I somewhat have a sense of what makes Anela happy. and a main factor that contributes are those who support me. they are the people that know and understand who I truly am and why I am the way I am. in life one will run into very few of these "special" friends....the mission is to try to keep these friends around.

over the past couple of weeks I have been filled with ambition. I've been enjoying my life as a stepping stone towards success and suddenly have this strong urge to help people. I have always wanted to do something for charity, specifically dealing with cancer, and it's now going on my bucket list. which I will post my bucket list after this post.

but moving away from talking about myself....last night I went to the Orange County Fair with Erica and a good friend Betty. Betty is definitely one of those "special" friends that you never want to let go. all 3 of us together is guaranteed a time full of laughter and also deep conversation. here are a couple of pics from last night and might I say....the Ice Museum is amazing!!!

         Pretty Ice Reef                       My Name on Ice