last words: 9.48 pm

there was too much blood. I attempted to lift my head, then gave up immediately when a piercing pain sliced through my chest. my mind spun, trying its best to calculate as the thick haze of death began to settle in. at most, I probably had only 5 minutes left.

a few seconds passed as I lay bleeding on the dirt. I closed my eyes, then suddenly reopened them. a single thought flashed through my brain over and over.

“Caroline…Caroline..” I muttered weakly, fumbling in my torn pocket for my phone. Speed-dialing her number, I prayed that she would pick up.

“Rowan!” her familiar gentle voice rang out.

“Caroline,” I sighed, relieved. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, love….how are you?”

Grimacing, I answered, “I’ve been better. How was your day?”

I could almost see her dark green eyes shining as she spoke wistfully. “The usual. I miss you – when am I going to see you again?”

the pain sharpened. I tried my best to stifle a groan, but it slipped out.

“Honey? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Hey, listen.” I spoke urgently, knowing my time was soon drawing to a close.

“Okay?”

deep breaths.

“I love you,” I whispered, as the agony grew stronger with every moment.

her voice faltered for a second. “Rowan? Are you-”

I cut her off. “I love you so much, Caroline Davis. I just want you to know that no matter what, I will always love you.” tears began dripping onto my cheeks.

I fought for breath. Just a few more seconds.

her smile leaked into her voice. “I love you more, Rowan Cooper.”

I savored each syllable, for it would be the last time I would ever hear those words.

“I love you the most.”

 

those were my last words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mist

 

The mist shrouded the girl as she silently inched her way down the snow covered path. A mask stretched across her face, allowing only her piercing eyes to be seen, while her slender figure was sheathed entirely in black. The sound of the whistling wind snaked through the canyon, blanketing the terrain in an eerie atmosphere.

“Almost…there…” she whispered to herself, struggling to move forward. Her shaking fingers crept to the willow basket hanging on her arm, almost empty and without the abundance of food that her aunt had packed 5 days prior. Unfortunately, the empty basket wasn’t the only reminder of her lack of food – her stomach had been aching from hunger for hours.

She was on this journey. Alone. The forest through which she traveled was rumored to be thick with thieves and evil men. The frail-looking girl brushed these fearful thoughts from her mind with a shake of her hooded head. What was waiting in store for her was most assuredly worth trampling through the thick snow, sleeping on the cold ground, and running from –

A faint rustle shook the nearby bushes, reaching her finely tuned ear. She whirled around, her dark clothes swirling in the frigid air. Her numb fingers crept to her sword as she called out, “Who’s there?”

A deep voice snarled back, “Your worst nightmare.” Suddenly, two men in black leaped out from the bushes. Light gleamed on their swords; their blades aimed directly at the petite girl. this will be easy, they thought. But to their surprise, a large blade was unsheathed in the blink of an eye, and somehow that frail girl was wielding it. One of the men cried out as she knocked his sword from his hands, grabbed it, then unhesitatingly drove his own sword into his leg. The girl’s dark hair flew through the air as she spun, and with a right hook, her other attacker was out cold.

She yanked down her mask, her breath warming the air as she panted, recovering from the exertion. Bending down, she picked up the men’s swords & examined the hilts.

“Just as I expected,” she muttered, seeing the royal coat of arms engraved into the silver. With a sigh, she sheathed her own blade. A peculiar heaviness settled into her heart as she turned to face the path once more.

“Tell my father I said hello,” she whispered to the unconscious guards. Then, without so much as a sound, her figure slipped back into the foreboding mist.

 

 

muahahah plot twist – she’s a member of the royal family! why is she running away? what is she journeying after? and if she’s a princess, where did she learn how to wield a sword? idk if I’ll be continuing this one, so I hope you enjoyed reading :)

Day 12: 3 Healthy Habits

1. Drink water. Lots of water. Start your day with a big cup of water and continue drinking H20 throughout the day. It has helped to clear my skin soo much and helps me study better! it’s that simple guys. don’t be lazy. *hint – don’t actually drink the flowers…it’s just for aestheticity u_u
2. Spend time outdoors as much as you can – fresh air can help clear your mind and refresh you!
3. Smile.

 

 

Day 9: 10 Favorite Foods

1.   Ramen – my favorite comfort food.
2. Mac n’ Cheese – as unhealthy as it is, I love it :P
3. Lasagna =3
4. Burritos gahh #chipotle because yes I’m that basic xD
5. Mangoesss – my comfort fruit. also basically all tropical fruit, like pineapples.
6. Pasta – pappardelle, gnocchi, ravioli – you name it, I’ll eat it.
7. Kimbap :D (Korean sushi)
8. Popsicles on a hot summer day <3
9. Watermelon
10. Pizza, duh u.u  you knew that was coming

 

Day 7: My Biggest Regret(s). Real Talk.

I’ve waited too long to make some decisions. Been too scared to take the risks and jump. Underestimated His power.

Maybe I’ve been too stressed about school, you know? Sometimes I look back and regret not placing my trust in Him.

Maybe…maybe I’ve waited too long to forgive people. There are the ones who deserve it the least, but at the same time deserve all of it because He has forgiven me first.

It’s quite possible that I’ve let other people influence me in negative ways: forcing me to mask my personality, change my interests, even mold the way I act into someone that’s not me.

And perhaps I’ve been too afraid to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. I wonder, how many amazing adventures have I missed out on simply because I’ve been too scared of what risks may be involved?

The most important thing is that everyone makes mistakes. We all have flaws; we all are human. Even if you or I make mistakes….

We can make or break the chains that hold us.

Bottom line: Do everything, regret nothing.

💕

Day 6: 6 Current Goals

1. That others would see Him in me.
2. Start journaling more
3. Be a blessing to those around me.
4. Run at least 3 times every week and enter a 10k. Who knows, maybe I’ll run a marathon someday?
5. Study harder and graduate.
6. Reach out to you guys more :)

 

Day 5: My Dream Job

My goal is to create a life I don’t need a vacation from.

Dream Job:

I’d love to spend my life helping others. That’s the highest, purest form of human happiness isn’t it?

I’ve always loved the medical field – the thought of helping to change other people’s lives in little and big ways has always thrilled me. Recently this year, I had an opportunity to volunteer at a three day, free health clinic that was held in Los Angeles. It was amazing to see how many different kinds of people needed help and to see how desperately they needed it! Definitely one of my most favorite memories ever.

So there’s my dream job – kind of obscure, but at least I have an idea lol.

I want to witness for God by helping to change other people’s lives in the medical field :D If that doesn’t work out, I pray that I’m willing to follow His plan for me.

<3

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 1

I’ve decided to do a blogging challenge to make up for my lack of posts lately. I’ll be using the prompt from the promptarium, but doing it backwards to put a spin on it haha. Enjoy!

Day 1: What are your goals for your blog?

hmm, my goals. I want to create a safe haven for people on the Internet – people who are tired, discouraged, or just want to relax. I want people to be inspired by my blog and to learn lessons from it. When they receive a published post in their email or in their feed, I want them to smile. And finally, most importantly, Thee Adventurette is and will always be dedicated for the glory of God. Dream big, work hard.

💕

Storytime: It was a dark, stormy afternoon…

The Friday afternoon had started just like the past four days at camp had – with warm, golden sunshine, the bluest skies, and glassy waters. About 15 of us had jumped into our respective canoes and started the 1 mile long voyage across the river to enjoy the afternoon.

But on the way back, trouble hit.

Hard.

    Heavy, gray clouds soon covered the sapphire sky, mercilessly raining on us as we dragged our canoes into the water and clambered in. Sydney, Summer, and I strained at the paddles, but by the time we were halfway across, our muscles were already exhausted from 4 straight days of canoeing.

 

“I need to take a break,” panted Sydney, laying down her paddle and slumping over on the seat. Summer and I agreed. Our canoe began to float aimlessly across the seemingly calm waters. In a few seconds, they were forming into threatening-looking waves. I screamed as one wave hit, causing the canoe to tip dangerously to one side.
“Paddle left!” ordered Summer. Sydney and I hurried to obey, but it wasn’t long before she yelled, “Paddle right!” Suddenly, a rumble of thunder vibrated through the heavy clouds, closely followed by a streak of burning lightning. The rain that had been pelting us this entire time instantly hardened into icy balls.

I ducked instinctively, shouting, “HAIL!” The waves responded by rocking our canoe even harder. The three of us desperately prayed for God to save us as our little canoe bounced about on the waves, but I was ready to just lay down in the canoe and let the waves pound us.

We were helpless. Stuck in a storm with seemingly no way out. In the middle of paddling, I realized that this was the same situation with our daily lives. We are all fighting our personal storms – full of rain, thunder, and lightning. Sometimes we want to give up. None of us can ever make it through the tempest, unless we give Him permission to take control.

And at that moment, the waves stilled, the hail stopped, and comforting sunlight illuminated the once again peaceful (The three of us were screaming with gratitude and joy) lake.

tbh, we can’t fight our battles by ourselves – that’s basically pointless. Enlist His help, and then watch the miracles unfold in your life.

by the way, I kissed the flowers out of happiness to be back on terra firma again :P

I miss…

This. <3 Have an amazing Monday, loves.p.s. ~ obsessed with @thehappypage and her amazing, inspiring quotes.

 

If you could stay one age forever, what age would it be?

A Tribute.

 

September 12, 2014.

This was the day that my blog was launched. I was inspired to start a blog when I learned about the story of Malala, a girl who used her blog to reach out to people and educate others. I wanted to do that too. And so, livelaughsurf12.wordpress.com was born. Over the years, it has gone through numerous blog names, site adjustments, and even a site address change. Today, Thee Adventurette stands in its little corner among the other fabulous websites of the Internet.

Almost 2 years have passed since my very first post was published. No matter how long you’ve been following me, just know that you mean the absolute world to me and I feel so honored to have 100 supporters at my side. I know that 100 supporters might not seem like a lot to some of you, but to me, it’s completely mind-blowing.

*throws confetti and sparklers everywhere*

Thank you all so, so SO MUCH for all your love and support! I love you all from here to the next galaxy and back.

 

 

Hopefully I didn’t seem like a creep…

It was VBS, and an average of 70 happy, excited kids filled the church every day. It was Tuesday, and I scanned my assigned kids, aged 5-9, with the practiced eye of a VBS veteran (jk not really). A petite girl with flyaway blond hair sitting all by herself caught my eye. Bending down so we were eye level, I smiled at her, thinking to win her over in a few seconds.

“Hi! What’s your name?” I asked enthusiastically tuning into the voice that was only for winning over little kids.

She looked coldly at me. “Maggie,” she said in a flat voice.

A little taken aback, I managed to ask her, “Are you ready for another great day of VBS?”

Her big brown eyes stared back at me, and she shook her head decisively.

“Uh…well….okay. Hey, we’re going to have fun, okay?”

Maggie set her little mouth in a straight line, and I shrugged and turned my attention to separating two of my kids who were playfully tackling each other. But I now had a goal for this week: win Maggie over and help her to have the best week of VBS ever.

She was peculiar, and very different from the other kids in my group. The five year old didn’t seek out my attention and kept to herself, never begging to hold hands or sit in my lap. Whenever I or the other VBS youth leaders tried to talk to her, her responses were witty and very smart for her age.

She was obedient, but her walls were up. It was my job to gently break them down with kindness. As the week went by, I did my best to smile at her whenever I had the chance, include her in any games we played, and stand next to her during praise time.

Hopefully, I didn’t seem like a creep.

Maggie began to thaw, slowly but surely. My smiles encouraged such beautiful smiles from her that made her eyes shine, and she began to talk more freely with me. And finally, the day came when the little girl was sitting happily in my lap, joyfully singing along and clapping to our theme song.

What did I learn from Maggie? Be patient with people. They’re different from you, and you can’t expect them to understand or react to things the same way that you do.We are all God’s handiwork, and we should treat everyone with love.

Gently thaw them with kindness and love, and you may be surprised with the results :)

Summer Adventuring – Mermaids

The beach is especially packed during the summer days, but I managed to find a beautiful cove that wasn’t too crowded about a couple weekends ago.

Enjoy the photos of my inner mermaid spirit :)

Ft. my favorite backpack ever from Twig and Arrow and my messy hair u.u

PC: my amazing photographer (aka my sister) and my photographer in training (aka my dad)

I give you an A for effort, Dad u_u

The more I look at this picture, the more I realize how tiny I am xD

I’ve grown up 10 minutes from the beach, and I know that I must have saltwater in my veins <3

Keep scrolling, I know you can make it u.u

Probably my favorite one <3

~ I must be a mermaid – I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.

Make every day an adventure (:

Summer Goals

So um yeah. I have been embracing the summer like never before and taking advantage of the increased hours of sleep! Goodbye stressful finals muahaha! My condolences to all of you who are doing summer school…including myself.

Merp.

Summer Goals 2016:

• Study the Bible more
• Spend more time with my family
• Go running at least 3 times a week
• Train for my hoped-for 10K
• Lighten my hair (naturally)
• Get tanner u_u way tanner.
• Improve my musical skills
• Eat healthier
• Drink more smoothies
• Take surfing lessons again
• Go on a road trip with friends
• Pursue my love for photography
• Go to the beach more often <3
• Try something new
• Eat something new
• Go canoeing and tip the canoe over
• Be more active on WordPress :D
• Buy new strings for my violin u.u
• Eat more acai bowls

to be continued…

 

The Eyes of Music

He was just a young boy – he didn’t deserve to go through so much at such a tender age. Anyone could look into his deep brown eyes and sense the sadness reflected there. When his parents divorced, the young boy’s heart was shattered. His grades suffered in school, and he saw no point to learning. He developed an attitude…and this continued until his mother realized that her son needed help. And that’s when the boy fell into the world of music.

He never imagined that a piece of delicately carved wood could interest him, but that’s what he started doing – he was given a cello and a bow, and he started practicing. He had fallen deeply in love with music – a love that would never fade. It was a way to express his pent-up feelings as never before. As the boy grew more skillful, his life began to change. His grades began rising again as he developed a more hopeful outlook on life.

The boy began joining various orchestras and community music organizations, all the while studiously learning in school – even taking honors classes. His repertoire expanded as his talent grew. When he played, it was as if he was one with the cello, and the cello with him. Several years later, he is in the teenage years, and the talented boy continues on in his musical journey. Now, he has hopes. Dreams. Hopes of becoming a professional future – dreams of getting into colleges and academies that would help him on his musical career.

If you look into his eyes today, they aren’t the same eyes as they were several years ago. Sure, there are still traces of sorrowfulness from his childhood – but now…there is light. There is love – for music, and for life.

And a young, ordinary girl in this cellist’s orchestra saw all this. She saw the changed life of the young cellist – how much he had to go through to get to where he was today. It inspired her, and she decided to write this post to remind the world that anything is possible if you work hard for it.

Anything.

 

#truestory