The Pendleton Round-Up is my favorite weekend of the entire year. It is seriously more fun than Christmas most years. What is it? It’s a bunch of events that take place during the second full week of September. The first Saturday there is a concert, this year it is Big and Rich, then starting Monday-Wednesday there is professional bull riding and it’s a blast to go to, and then Thursday-Saturday the rodeo takes place. Saturday is the finals day, the day that really counts for all of the competitors and awards are handed out to the winners. There are a lot more events that take place within each of the days, but those are the “main events” and the biggest part of the round-up. The Pendleton Round-Up is a family tradition, and has been since our families first got to Pendleton. Why is it so important? Well, watching the rodeo isn’t the most important part of the entire weekend, what makes it so special is the fact that everyone gets to dress up in their cowboy/cowgirl gear and march around a small town with a population that has doubled for the week. People come from all around the world to this famous rodeo and they are all there to have a great time. Everyone you meet is super friendly and looking to have some fun. What also makes this weekend so great is that my family usually all gets together and we end having a ton of laughs and memories made. It’s a weekend in September we all look forward to, or at least I have since I was young. I’m a country girl at heart and for that weekend only I get to scream “let ‘ER buck” as much as I want!
Cross-
I was raised up Catholic, but I have flourished in the Christian faith. What’s the difference between the two? There really isn’t a huge difference; there are just some technicalities that differ between the religions. The Catholic faith is beautifully structured whereas the Christian faith isn’t which is beautiful in its very own way. YoungLife is the reason I have my strong faith that I do today, it opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. The verse on the cross is my very first favorite verse. Faith, hope, and love are the three words that I live off of and the verse really does sum it up. Of course I have a ton of different verses that I fall back on, but truly 1 Corinthians 13:13 is my go-to verse. My life has had its ups and downs, I’ve gone through many struggles, seen some dark days, but somehow, my faith has pulled me through it all. I’m not saying I haven’t gotten mad at God or given up on Him, I definitely have, but that’s what makes my faith mine. I love Jesus, and I love who He is. A man who never lies, never cheats, never ruins, never kills, never bails on you, never tells your secrets, always listens to you, always looking out for you, brings hope, brings life, brings dreams, and brings joy, who wouldn’t want to be best friends with that guy?! My faith is the foundation of who I am today and that’s why I have made it a part of my culture display.
Starfish-
Although I am fascinated by starfish, they are not part of my culture, however the beach is. I love to travel, someday I’d love to visit every country, but my favorite place to go is the beach; especially the Oregon coast. I was raised up in Portland, OR so for weekend family fun we would always go to the beach, it was only like 2 hours away so it was an easy drive and we would just spend all day playing in the sand, playing Frisbee, and running from the waves. Now that I’m older and further away from the beach, I have a different appreciation for the beach, but it’s still my favorite destination. I find so much peace and joy when my toes are in the sand, when I close my eyes and hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore line, and when I taste the salty air. The beach is the greatest creation on Earth. There is truly so much beauty in it and around it that truly is astonishing. If I ever need a break from life and just want to get away, you will find me at the beach, I guarantee it!
Photographs-
I’ve always loved taking photos, especially landscapes, and it wasn’t until my senior year in high school (3 years ago!) that I learned the technicalities and the guidelines for taking a decent picture. Now I love it even more! I love taking landscapes, abstract, and scenery photos (I don’t have an eye for posing people). What I love about taking these kinds of pictures is that sometimes these small things in life go unnoticed until someone points them out. Not everyone sees the back of a car very interesting until someone takes a photo of it, and edits it until it looks foreign. There is a lot of beauty behind photographing landscapes, and it’s a very relaxing hobby of mine. It’s a fun challenge for me and it’s something that I love to do. Someday I would like to own one of those very fancy cameras, but for now I will remain a poor college student with my cheaper camera.
Scrapbook-
My family and friends mean the world to me. This scrapbook was given to me on my 14th birthday and it’s filled with letters, poems, memories, and artwork from family and close friends that are just very encouraging and uplifting. I keep it with me wherever I go because no matter where I am, having this scrapbook means that I take my family with me. My family is scattered all across the west coast, and we don’t get to see each other all that often, but I still try to keep in touch with all of them all the time because they truly do mean everything to me. I don’t always agree with what my family says or does, but they are still my family and I would still do anything for them no matter what. Family is a very important part of my life, and in order to get to know me, you have to know my family; it’s just the only way to truly see me for me!
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