Period 4 Lit1 Honors

Mara Guerin

[CULTIVATE YOUR
GARDEN ESSAY]
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Guerin 1

The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending
on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else
in the Universe to do. Galileo Galilei

Guerin 2

Dedication
I thank the following 25 people for helping me through my life and inspiring me.

1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Nayda
4. Grandma Carol
5. Gi-Gi
6. Grandpa Doug
7. Gramps
8. Uncle Ryan
9. Aunt Donna
10. Aunt Linda
11. Aunt Laurie
12. Sam Lindley
13. Tim Lindley
14. Caitlyn Clark
15. Katherine Steinman
16. Ployprajan Lopasert
17. Kyla Stowell
18. Ashlie Sadri-McGurrin
19. Alexie Sadri
20. Alyssa Walker
21. Jacob Walker
22. Alexa Chung
23. J.K. Rowling
24. J.R.R Tolkien
25. Nicholas Petricca

Guerin 3

Table of Contents
Chapter 1-Career

Chapter 2-Travel

Chapter 3-Family

Chapter 4-Interests and Hobbies in the Future

Chapter 5Retirement.8
Chapter 6-A List of Things for the Future.9

Guerin 4

Chapter One-Career

I want to be an Architect and or an

Astrophysicist. Contrary to my beliefs that
humans take up too much space and that our
buildings are killing the earth, I have always
been interested in architecture. Certain
buildings have such an aesthetically
appealing appearance to me. I love going to
big cities and staring at buildings and
wondering how they were made and whose
idea it was to make it the way it was. I love
to draw interesting buildings and I dream
that someday these sketches will become
materialized. Ive also always been very
interested in interior design. Every place has
a different emotion to it. Colors, lighting,
furniture, they all differentiate how a room
feels and the feelings you correlate to it.
Every architect/interior designer has their
own special style and you can tell a lot about
the person just by stepping into a room.
Architecture is a visual art, and the
buildings speak for themselves.(Julia
Morgan.)
Ive always wondered whats out
there in space. How everything was created.
How planets move. How stars are born.
How they die. I want to be able to look
through a telescope and observe whats
going on and draw information and
discoveries from that. I want to understand
the universe and our place in it because, as
humans, we tend to lose sight of that. And I
feel like this field of science had a lot to

offer with so many great technological

advances. I also
think its very important for women to be
encouraged to have a careers and high
positions in the sciences, and maybe Ill start
a non-profit organization regarding that.
This summer, I could read books that
would teach me some things and just enrich
my knowledge more. The books I want to
read are Astronomy for Dummies by Stephen
Maran, A Brief History of Time: From the
Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen
Hawking, The Alchemy of the Heavens:
Searching for Meaning in the Milky Way by
Ken Croswell, Becoming an Architect: A
Guide to Careers in Design by Lee Waldrep,
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
by Matthew Fredrick, Archidoodle: The
Architect's Activity Book by Stephen
Bowkett, kabbalah in art and architecture
by Alexander Gorlin.
The electives I might take to help me
achieve my career goals are Architecture,
A.P. Art, and Robotics which I plan to take
in my remaining high school years.
To learn the skills of this career Ill
go to college. To start, Im going to graduate
high school junior year and go straight to
college. All states require completion of
training or internship program prior to
licensure so I would probably do that while
or after college. For undergraduate school
Im probably going to a UC. I dont really

Guerin 5

know how Im going to pay for that at all.

My dad not only suggested, but really wants
me to first go to a two year, transfer to a
cheap undergrad school, and then for one
year go to a highly appraised school so I will
still have technically graduated from that
school. Who knows where the mighty winds
will carry me. Ill probably have a job so I
can save up for all of the college debt Ill be
in. I will work towards getting a degree in
both fields; I dont want to be bored with
one job and Im very interested in both
careers. They can also tie into each other. If I
get a degree in physics, it can definitely help
with architecture. Anyways, at undergrad,
Ill also take courses that Im interesting in
learning about and also include my hobbies.
I might take an environmentalist, graphic
design, painting, beekeeping, human rights,
and women in history, feminism and lots of
science courses. I want to take undergrad
school as an opportunity to really enrich my
knowledge.

For graduate school, I really want to

put myself out there and get into a really
good school, like Stanford or Harvard
Luckily, some of the best schools for
architecture are located in California,
according to Arch Daily. For example, Cal
Poly and ucla offer great majors for both of
the careers Im interested in. So does
Cornell in New York. And if I decide to lean
more towards the arts (which Im also very
interested in but I dont think Im good
enough to cultivate a career in) and
architecture I could go to Pratt.

Guerin 6

After school, I would have to obtain

a license for Architecture. I would have to
take the Architect Registration Examination.
From there, after I of course get a job, I
would be making a pretty decent amount of
money. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, architects earned an average
annual income of $79,300 in 2011. Workers
in the occupation earned $38.13 an hour on
average. Architects in the top 10 percent of
the pay scale earned more than $119,410 a
year and those in the bottom 10 percent
made less than $44,030. Fifty percent of
architects had annual incomes between
$56,180 and $93,350.The majority of
architects work for architectural firms that
provide design services to clients. The
bureau reports that 71,460 of the 83,590
architects surveyed were engaged in
providing architectural, engineering and
related services in 2011 and averaged
$78,710 a year. Those working for state
governments made $74,790 on average, and
federal employees averaged $88,940.
Workers in the residential building
construction industry made $80,110 on
average, and those in the nonresidential
building construction industry averaged
$77,550. (work.chron.com). The Bureau
also expects the total employment of
architects to go up 24 percent between 2010

and 2020.

Figure 1 Astronomy
Some skills necessary for these jobs
that I already have are basic things. For
architecture, I can draw with perspective,
draw 3-d objects, draw quickly, am pretty
alright at math. For astrophysics, I know
things Ive already learned in science classes
such as how stars die and all of the planets
in the solar system. I also know how to look
out of a telescope and such.
The backup plan is to work in a
different field of science. Who knows if that
will even be a backup plan. But the backup
backup plan is to own a cute lil bakery in
San Francisco or New York and sell pastries
and flowers. Maybe in the future Ill be
more interested in researching a cure for
cancer or how to save the bees or something.
But I have faith in my future self that I will
make the right career decision.

Guerin 7

Figure 2 Architecture

Guerin 8

Chapter 2-Travel
My parents have always made traveling and
exploring a big part of their lives. Being
raised by two people who are constantly
searching for new nearby places to go gave
me a sense of curiosity for the places around
me. Growing up, Ive mostly been to places
in California and Oregon for camping, but
the spark of wanderlust that my parents
placed in me has definitely grown. I want
traveling to become a huge part of my future
life. I want to explore the world, urban and
natural settings. And not just for short
amounts of time. I really want to absorb the
different cultures and settings. Hopefully I
can find a lot of time to do this.
It would save time and money if I
took a few big trips to Europe to visit all
most of the countries and places I want to
visit in those continents. In one long trip to
Europe, I could go to Spain, France,
Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. I
dont have a super detailed blueprint of
where I want to go in those countries, but I
have a good idea. In Germany I want to be
in Bavaria and visit places like the
Neuschwanstein castle and hike around the
beautiful scenery there, visit Cologne, which
is according to topinspired.com one of the
most colorful cities in the world, and
Munich (of course), hike the Alps, drive The
Romantic Road, visit the Eagles Nest, and
enjoy the rich nature of the Bavarian Forest.
In Spain I would hike Picos de Europa, be in
Barcelona during Festes de Gracia or Sant
Jordi, and visit Madrid. In Italy, I want to
walk the interesting stonework and ancient
outdoor artwork that is the Garden Of

Monsters, explore Venice and Rome and

Florence, walk the Monte Cristallo, visit
small villages such as Varenna and Capri,
and see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and other
architectural amazements of Italy. In
Denmark, I just want to go to Amsterdam.
And in France I of course want to be in Paris
for a while and also other places such as
Colmar, Grimaud, Alet les Bains, Martel,
etc. While in these countries, I would also
like to really learn about their histories. I
plan on visiting local museums to do so.
And I would also take separate trips to
Northern Europe; The uk, Ireland, Norway,
and Iceland. I would even like to live in
some of these countries for a while if I really
like them. I know I want to live in Iceland
For a while. Anyways, I basically want to
visit these countries for the stunning
landscapes they contain. In Ireland, I want to
explore the lush green landscapes and the
chilly coasts. In the U.K., I basically just
want to visit London and do tourist-y things.
In Norway I want to see the lush canyons,
breathtaking mountains, and colorful cabins.
Iceland, to explore its gloomy coast,
abundant waterfalls, and fields of flowers. I
also want to go to Greece and Turkey to see
the stunning blue stone architecture and
interesting historical places in Greece and
the Pamukkale pools of Turkey.
I also want to explore Asia. I want to
go to China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,
India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, and Singapore
and such. Ive always wanted to walk across
the Great Wall of China. And I want to
explore the stunning nature of Asia. Such as

Guerin 9

places like Khao Sok national park in

Thailand, Shifen waterfall in Taiwan,
Switchback highway in China, Kuang Si
waterfall of Laos, Luotuofeng Peak in
China, Halong Bay in Vietnam and
Zhangjiejia in China, and the Taj Mahal in
India. When I look at the pictures of some of
these places I feel not only an extreme
longing to explore, but also almost a
connection. I get a sense of deja-vu when I
look at pictures of them; almost like I held
those places very near and dear in a past life.
As for places within the United
States, I have yet to go to cities like New
York, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Boston,

Figure 3 Iceland

Chicago, and Washington D.C. I also still

need to go to the Grand Canyon,
Yellowstone, Oneonta Gorge, Denali, Mount
Rainier and other famous U.S. national
parks. I also think Im going to live in the
Pacific Northwest for a lot of my life in
places such as Mapleton OR, Ashland OR,
Portland OR, Seattle WA, Leavenworth WA,
and San Francisco CA. I also want to go to
Alaska.
Other than that I think Ill end up
going to Vancouver Canada, Costa Rica,
Guana Island, Greenland, Brazil, and New
Zealand (I want to see where they shot Lord
of the Rings because Im a nerd).

Figure 4 San Francisco

Chapter 3-Family
Im not sure if I want to get married. I want
to reach financial independence before get
married, if I ever do. I also think that how

we teach young girls that their wedding day

will be the happiest day of their lives is
absolutely ridiculous. What about the day

Guerin 10

when they graduate college? How about

when they get their first book published?
When they find the reason for black holes?
When they find a cure for cancer? There are
so many more important things that happen
in womens lives than simply deciding they
want to spend the rest of their life with
someone. Its a ridiculous role that society
places on young girls. Thats why marriage
will be my last priority. Also, its really hard
to tell how my love life will unravel and
whether or not I will find that special
someone who will want to marry an
introverted, controlling, self-dependent,
crazy feminist such as myself. But I mean if
I do find someone who proves to me true
love does in fact exist in its purest form,
then yeah marriage may be an option.
Marriage has some benefits too. You share
expenses and split the cost of major
purchases. You basically have an extra
income. And considering I plan on marrying
someone smart (because intelligence is a
huge contributing factor as to whether or not
i like someone) I can assume (or just hope)
that said extra income will be pretty
sufficient. According to www.nono.com,
there are also tax, employment, medical,
housing, and consumer benefits. However if
I do get married, I will not be taking my

spouses last name, because the tradition of a

woman taking her husbands last name came
from the idea that women give up their right
to own property and exist as a separate
entity from their husbands when they marry.
Many sexist gender roles are involved with
this and other laws that were made in the
past relating to this and I basically will not
stand for that.
I am terrified of childbirth and also
bringing a child into the world and being
expected to take care of said child and being
responsible as to how the child turns out.
And I never ever ever ever want to become a
stay at home mom. I honestly think that
would be utter hell and the millions of
women who do it every single day do not
get enough credit for it. But I may find
myself at a point in my life where I do want
kids. If so, I want to adopt. There are so
many children in this overpopulated world
that need to be cared for. So, considering all
that, why would I bring even more in
myself? And in all honesty I think I would
make a good parent once I get ahold of my
extreme irritability.
But I am definitely going to own a
cat or two or three.

Guerin 11

Guerin 12

Chapter 4-Interests and Hobbies in the Future

My current interests include painting,
drawing, hiking, camping, cooking, baking,
blogging, photography, swimming, surfing
and reading. In the future I hope to continue
these hobbies but also become introduced to
snorkeling, gardening, dancing, and learning
an instrument (like violin or piano) and new
languages.
I know that you can become a
certified snorkeler at the Ashland YMCA in
Oregon because thats where my grandma
got certified. I plan on living in Ashland in
the future anyways, so thats when I can
become certified. As for gardening, I already
know the basics of it but once I retire and
have an actual house, I want to have to huge

Figure 5 Hiking

greenhouse and grow most of my own food

and some flowers too. Next year, Im going
to take dance 1 at school so I can start that
hobby pretty soon! Ive taken dance before
but Ive never recognized how beautiful of
an art it is until recently. I plan on learning
violin and/or piano in late adulthood into
retirement. I know Ill get very bored once I
retire so Ill probably want to learn a lot of
new things. Ill probably teach myself
French, Mandarin, Japanese, German,
Arabic, and Hindu based on how many
people speak it and how useful it would be
while traveling and stuff. I also really want
to learn elvish and orcish from Lord of the
Rings.

Figure 6 Painting

Guerin 13

Chapter 5-Retirement
As I said in the previous chapter, when I
retire, Ill have time to learn new things such
as more languages and how to play an
instrument. I also plan on having a huge
garden and tending to it may take up a lot of
time. I might have a lil flower store and sell
all the flowers that I grow. Maybe I will also
sell baked goods in the store. It will be
called Pastries and Peonies. I want to live
a simple, non-materialistic life. I want to
live in an area near or in the woods. I want
to have a small amount of property to have a
lil herd of sheep so they can be my
lawnmowers and also my friends.

By then, I hope to have some

personal things sorted out. I hope to be
happy and content with myself and my life. I
hope I learn to embrace my flaws and
glitches. I also hope I learn to become
selfless and empathetic. I want to put others
first and help people who need it. I want to
be environmentally sustainable. My whole
life, I want to try to be healthy, so hopefully
when I retire, Ill be in good health. And as I
age, I plan to eat nutrition packed foods,
omega 3s, bright colored fruit, and leafy
greens.

Figure 7 Old Age Health

Guerin 14

Money I will Spend on Extra Things

Traveling
Clothes
Eating Out
Art Supplies
Home
Entertainment

Chapter 6-List of Things for the Future.

This chapter mainly contains links to

websites so it wont be very efficient in the
printed form of my essay, however, while
used on google docs, it can come in handy!
Being an Adult:
Cleaning
How to fix a leaky faucet
A clean bathroom
A clean kitchen
Finances
Couponing!!
When you cant pay your bills
How to do your own taxes
54 ways to save money
Home
What the HECK is a mortgage
Apartment essentials
Other apartment things
Movies to watch
The Theory of Everything
Palo Alto
Annie Hall

My Own Private Idaho

Boyhood
The Blair Witch Project
Life of Pi
Donnie Darko
Interstellar
Selma
Blue is the Warmest Color
Cloud Atlas
Black Swan
Moonrise Kingdom
Me You and Everyone We Know
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Life Aquatic
Amelie
Books
The Book Thief
A Clockwork Orange
Of Mice and Men
Room
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Lord of the Flies

Guerin 15

The Girl With the Dragon tattoo

The Time Travelers Wife
The Color Purple
Gone Girl

Dark Places
Anna Karenina
Wuthering Heights
The Bell Jar

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My Travel Online Pin Board: https://www.pinterest.com/monestmara/%2Bthe-feet%2B