Due to COVID-19 my gym shut down. Being in the military, physical fitness is extremely important. I was fortunate enough to have a space at home to be able to workout in, however, my dad thought it wasn’t big enough. My dad is very handy with building and things like that so over the past couple weeks he has been teaching me how to add on to a building. It isn’t finished yet but it will be finished this weekend and I am so excited. This building used to be a storage building so it was a pain to go through and clean out to prepare for the add on. But this build has taught me things to look for when building a house in the future. Also I know how to tell if things are being done right or I could just do it myself. It has been a fun memory with my dad and I will never forget it.

I went to Fort Sam Houston for advanced individual training (AIT). I trained to be a 68W or combat medic. In this building, we suffered through long nights of studying, lack of sleep, and sleepovers. My best friend is someone I met during this training and we spent every second we could together. The days were long filled with classroom and combat training. Here we fit 16 weeks of basic EMT training in the span of 4 weeks. We then moved on to more medical care during combat or the “whiskey” phase. I learned that I could anything I put my mind to. My drill sergeants were great mentors and an inspiration to where I am today. This building will never be forgotten.

On January 2nd, 2019, I was shipped off to basic training in South Carolina. This was a whole new experience for me and my family seeing as I was the first member in my family to join the Army. I knew it would be tough but I could handle it. I was a long way from home, had no contact with my family except through letters, and had 3 months to go. I was assigned to Foxtrot Company in the 2 battalion 13 regiment, hence Fox2-13. My drill sergeants were crazy but I truly would not have asked for any other ones. They taught me so much and helped me discover a part of myself that I never knew existed. Completing basic training is the biggest success of my life. I was able to prove to everyone who always thought I was spoiled and that I never had to work for anything wrong, I was able to prove to myself that I could do anything I wanted to. I got to meet some of my best friends there. This building will be one I remember for the rest of my life.

When I was younger I had the most amazing opportunity to travel. I was able to travel through most parts of Europe but one of the most influential things I saw was the Louvre where I took this picture. The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world. … In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Louvre served as the royal palace for French kings. It became an art museum when the French king Louis XVI moved his residence to Versailles. During the French Revolution, the Louvre became a public museum. When I encountered this museum, I was immediately starstruck. It was incredible to be able to see all of the amazing artwork done by people who you sometimes never hear about or if you have heard about them it’s only in history books. I thought that it was an experience unlike any other. Not only is the artwork inside of the building, but the architecture of the building is also an art in itself. Luckily I was able to go pre-covid so the masks and limited capacity weren’t a thing. Seeing all the people line up to look at the Mona Lisa and seeing how her eyes actually do follow you is a memory forever burned in my head. The Louvre gave me some awesome memories.