This whole semester was a whole mix of stress and senior activities. Stressful because of college interviews, scholarship essays, and battling senioritis. However, throughout this whole blogging process, I realized it was a space for me to reflect on the enjoyable moments of the past, or to become excited for the future. Many of my essays consisted of ratings and lists for which I was either writing about previous food experiences or activities I was looking forward to for summer. It allowed me to take my mind off of the stress of school and focus on other things.

Overall, I would say my favorite blog to write throughout this whole year was “X Marks the Park.” It definitely wasn’t the most well written or most insightful, but for me, it was the most fun to write. I was able to look back at many of the parking jobs that I did. I also got the most interactions with this post with many people commenting on my parking and driving skills.

To the seniors next year- choose something you WANT to read, not what you think will be the best to create a thesis for the overall project. Being completely honest, I didn’t really know what this project was when I first started, but when we were choosing books, I decided to choose a book based on others’ recommendations. My mom always told me that “The Joy Luck Club” is a book I should read before I go to college, which is also a key factor to why I chose it. Yet when choosing books, definitely choose a book you find interesting or else you won’t want to even finish reading it. 

Through the Voices Project this semester, I learned about the different perspectives of parents and children. It was interesting to see two different perspectives in the book, and while researching, I was also able to find the differences between how parents and children perceive different situations. What I also found interesting was how common certain situations are between immigrant parents and their children. The generational and cultural gap is always present between parents and children, and it really just depends on the maturity of the children and parents to see how wide this gap gets.

With my four years at NNHS, I feel that I have really matured. The most significant thing that I learned however, although it may sound generic, it really is true- put yourself out there and try new things. My freshman year was all online, so it was really difficult for me to find different highschool clubs and activities. Sophomore year was also challenging because although I was able to try new things, I felt I was cheated a year because of COVID. Junior year was when I started finding different activities I like to do and making connections that I hope will last for a long time. I learned that it’s never too late to try new things and meet new people, because many good things come at unexpected times.

For future NNHS Seniors- get college applications done early. The more the year goes on, the more difficult it becomes to find the motivation to complete them. Also, going along with that, don’t stress. Even if you don’t get your first choice, it will always workout in the end. I was devastated when I didn’t get into my dream college, but now I’m able to lay on the beach and go to class under the sun 24/7. It’s always meant to be.

With every ending, there is a new beginning. And as the days of schools are knocked off one by one, so does the countdown to summer. It’s interesting to see how my view of summer has changed overtime. Before, my summers were filled with a variety of summer camps every week, from science camps to basketball camps. Then when high school came into play, it was all about the programs and internships. Yet now, this upcoming summer, is my free summer. I gain complete free range with my summer schedule, with no studying for SAT’s or rushing to the hospital to make my volunteer shift. I’m finally able to sit back and relax, so here are five things I’m looking forward to in summer:

GRAD SEASON

Grad season is the time for friends and family to unite. A time for delicious food and beautiful weather. Food trucks and balloons every weekend. This summer, I am extremely excited to attend all of my friends’ graduation parties, as every weekend in June is filled up. Last year, I missed out on many of my friends’ grad parties because I was in the Philippines for 3 weeks in June and July, which is peak grad party season. As everyone starts parting ways, I feel that graduation parties are one of the best ways to get friends together before the final goodbyes.

WARM WEATHER AND BEACH TRIPS

Warm weather is a given. Every summer, I feel that I take the warm weather for granted. And with warm weather, comes the best beach trips. There are so many beach options to choose from- Chicago, Indiana Dunes, South Haven- the options are really endless depending on how far you’re willing to drive. This summer, I’m planning on taking unlimited beach trips: if I’m bored- beach. If I’m tired- beach. Free day- beach. I mean, I am going to Florida for college so I really hope I don’t get beached out, but I feel that any trip with friends is fun because there’s only so much time in summer to see everyone before leaving. 

PICNICS

I’ve recently grown an obsession with picnics. More specifically, the aesthetic of them. Over spring break, I made the perfect charcuterie board so now I am itching to make more. I haven’t ever really had a real picnic before with the picnic blanket, food baskets, and pretty dresses, so this is definitely on my bucket list for this summer.

LONGER DAYS

The season of summer is the absolute best time to really sit back and enjoy every second. The sun is out for longer, which means that curfew is later- which means that you need to make the most of the summer days. Longer days means more opportunities to spend with family, friends, or experiencing something new- and I am extremely grateful for daylight savings at this time. School seems to be dragging on right now, and I hope the summer days feel as long as time in school feels.

ICECREAM, BARBECUES, AND JULY FOURTH

Barbecues are one of my favorite things to attend in the summer. This is part of American culture that I am extremely grateful to experience- because it really brings the summer feel together. Ribs, popsicles, and corn- the perfect combination. I had to add ice cream in this section because it goes along with the food theme, and because of how much better ice cream tastes in the summer. Of course it is delicious in the fall, winter, and spring, but nothing really feels better than driving over to Dairy Queen and ordering a nice blizzard in the summer. Ice cream is truly a summer thing, and I’m sorry to those who are lactose intolerant, but there’s always alternatives. Now to pull this all together, combining both barbecues and ice cream into one event- you get July 4th. America’s national holiday. Celebrating America. I used to drive down to Kansas to meet up with my cousins and set off huge fireworks we would buy on the side of the road, and honestly, those were some of the best summer memories. July 4th really brings the summer feel to everything, and nothing is better than spending some quality time with family and friends while munching on some food and blowing things up (legally of course).

Overall, as school comes to an end, summer starts to begin. Yet with the time we have left, I know I need to make the most out of school before summer. So until summer comes, the only thing I can do is to wait and daydream about grad parties and ice cream.

When I was younger, I would take a trip to the city of Chicago every summer. Sometimes, we would go to Millennium Park, other days, the Field Museum. However, since COVID-19 hit, I haven’t been back since last summer. This time when I went, we decided to take a trip to Chinatown. In all honesty, there aren’t a ton of activities or tourist-y attractions, so naturally, the only thing left to do is to eat. I’ve visited Chinatown 3 times in the past 6 months, eating at many different kinds of restaurants, and many different kinds of food. Below, I have documented my top 5 restaurants/eateries that I have visited:

1. Mango mango 

Now, normally, people wouldn’t really consider this food food, but I have a sweet tooth so I would definitely consider this to at least be a sweet treat at the very least. Mango Mango is a restaurant that serves a variety of foods and drinks, from teas to waffles. Their classic desserts are the frozen desserts with ice cream and a variety of toppings. The most popular ice cream is their mango (hence the name) which is topped with sago, fresh fruit, boba, or any other topping that is included within their menu description. Both times I went, I was NOT disappointed. Each of their fruity desserts or drinks are made with real fruit, so I would consider it to be a healthy dessert. The only downside to Mango Mango is how busy it can get and how hard it is to find a seat during the busy hours. I mean, I guess this just demonstrates how good Mango Mango is then.

2. Kajiken

Prices: reasonable. Food: delicious. Kajiken is a Japanese restaurant that specializes in noodles, specifically soba noodles. This restaurant seemed relatively newer and it was clean and renovated. The restaurant isn’t too crowded since it’s in an area with multiple other, more popular restaurants. The soba noodles I ordered were delicious, full of the flavor and the noodles cooked perfectly, not too hard and not too mushy either. Prices were also extremely reasonable for being in the center of Chinatown, so if you’re looking for some soba noodles or ramen, this is the place to go.

3. Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

In all honesty, this restaurant was a bit disappointing. Still very good quality food, yet the price just wasn’t worth the wait, or the food. The restaurant is a decent size, yet when we entered, it was completely packed- and it wasn’t even peak lunch hours. We were given a 30 minute wait, and so naturally, with there being that many customers, we thought that this restaurant would have the best dumplings I’ve ever tasted. Yet when we were finally able to sit down, order, and eat, the dumplings were mid. Don’t get me wrong, they were delicious, but nothing special that would make it worth the wait. The price of the dumplings was also unreasonable. I mean, if you’re willing to wait and pay for overpriced dumplings, I would definitely recommend it, but if you’re looking for something cheaper, there are definitely other hidden gems around the city.

4. Feida Bakery

I visited this bakery so that I could have a small snack, so I wasn’t expecting anything mind blowing or world changing. Feida Bakery is a tiny, family owned bakery hidden within the streets of Chinatown. They only take cash, yet everything they sell is extremely cheap and definitely worth the price. We were able to get a barbecue pork bun as well as an egg tart for the price of $3, no tax, cash. I will say that the food wasn’t the best, but it definitely wasn’t bad, and it was the perfect snack that I needed for a cheap price.

5. Ume Tea

Being completely honest, the only reason I tried Ume Tea was because it became popular on TikTok. They had a unique touch to their cafe in which you were able to order a small plushie with your drink. It would come in the same cup as your drink in a small cupboard like area on the bottom of your drink. The tea was just average, so the price really wasn’t worth it because they marked the prices up extremely high. The plushie was cute but wasn’t worth the hype. Good experience, but probably would not go again.

Overall, I have loved my experiences in Chinatown- especially the food. In the future, I hope to continue expanding my knowledge of the best places in Chinatown to eat at a reasonable price.

At first glance, “The Uncreating Chaos” by Stephen Spender seemed organized with the poem split into parts I through IV, however, as I continued to read and examine the structure of the poem, I became increasingly perplexed. Even from the beginning, starting with words such as “despair,” “pity,” and “apocalypse,” the author creates a dreadful tone that the reader is thrown into, without warning. I am immediately confused about when and where the narrator is, since the reader is immediately thrown into chaos, hence the name. I became further confused when I stumbled upon the strange structure of how “a bride” (9) is on a whole separate line. However, because of the chaotic diction and the speaker’s despairing tone, I realized that “the bride” must be separated from the rest of the poem due to the poem’s “chaotic” nature. The bride may also be representative of a man because of the line “though a man” (8). After reading further, the specific sentence “You only longed for your longing to last” (12) seemed to stand out within the poem. I then realized that the poem was directed towards either the reader, or towards someone who is self conscious and lacks confidence. This is because many lines in the poem contain an uneasy diction such as “anxiety,” “never,” and “revolution.” After deducing the focus of the poem as well as pinpointing the main tone, I was able to continue.

However, Part II was equally as difficult. Even starting with the sentence “I am all that you do” (20) threw me off because of the complete tone change. The narrator seems more confident, rather not only confident, but more overwhelming and seeking for power and control. I immediately questioned if this part was supposed to be narrated by a different person or perspective. However, after reading further and seeing the lines “what fears and falters in myself” (23), I came to the conclusion that this was the same narrator, but from a different thought process. Different feelings. Or rather, same feelings expressed in a different way- seeking control. As I read further into the second part, I noticed how the author uses “flooded” and “tide” to describe the future. This makes the future in the poem seem scary and unpredictable conveying a possible fear of the speaker. Then, at the end of the poem, the author starts to describe machinery and repeats “iron,” making me question the symbolism or metaphor in which iron represents. However, reading the line “the men are their machines,” I deduced that the iron and the machinery are supposed to represent men, in a way in which men seemed programmed and trained.

The first thing I noticed about this third part was how short it was compared to the rest of the parts of the poem. Just from the first sentence “All I can foresee now- more I shall learn” (36) made me think that this paragraph was going to be a realization. Then, there is a comparison where “fear creates its opposite” (37) and “peace is war” (38). These contrasts within the poem automatically made me think that the narrator had some sort of self hatred, just because of the switch of tones from part to part. He then says that a reflection in a mirror of a lover is essentially oneself with a gun, which confused me even further. What was the mirror supposed to represent, and what was the narrator even trying to mention? After examining this third section, I moved on to the last. 

In the final part, the tone shifts once again. It was more questioning. Seemingly more intrigued with possibilities of life. The narrator now uses words such as “shall” and “where” along with multiple questions, which I deduced represented the final stage of intrigued acceptance. Many symbols mentioned in the previous parts such as “machinery” or “mirrors,” are once brought up again in this paragraph, but instead of being used for a negative meaning, the tone seems to have shifted to an acceptance of these representations. Lastly, I noticed how the poet repeats “clear” and even mentions “Holy is lucidity” (62). Because of this repetition, I believed that the author was trying to mention this clearness and lucidity as a way of symbolizing his state of mind- clear and clean. 

Overall, I still find myself slightly confused about the meaning of the poem as a whole, and why it is even called the “Uncreating Chaos” because of the tonal shifts within the poem. Many of the sentences within the poem confused me and I still find myself perplexed with what any of the symbols are supposed to truly represent. Nevertheless, I came to the conclusion that this poem was split into parts based on stages. Whether those be stages of feelings, life, or even chaos, I am unsure, yet as I continue to read poems in the future, I will be able to chip each detail one by one until the meaning is unlocked.

It’s second semester. Second semester senior year. The semester that all teachers and parents tell us to wait for, all previous seniors rave about, and the time that almost every senior looks forward to. Three and a half years dedicated to good grades, stellar extracurricular activities, and hundreds of hours dedicated to college applications surely should be rewarded. From strutting down a runway to crying on graduation, here are some senior traditions that I am looking forward to the most (in chronological order order):

Senior Assassins:

Definitely not a school sponsored activity, but an annual senior tradition nonetheless. This senior activity is not favored by parents or the school, but the payout and the fun makes it worthwhile. This is probably one of the only activities where stalking is actually allowed. It’s not all dangerous though; there are rules set in place for the safety of the students. No shooting on school grounds, no breaking and entering into people’s houses, etc… $5 for a possible $500?? I would say that it is definitely worth it.

Senior Fashion Show:

Prom dresses to beach wear, tennis skirts to tuxedos! For the fashion show this year, I was lucky enough to get the shop that I wanted, that being the most popular: Peaches. There were only 30 spots, and I was #29 in line, allowing me to claim one of the last open spots. Last year, I photographed the fashion show (paid of course) and I remember telling myself that I wanted to participate when I was a senior. You’re able to get my hair professionally done, dress up in your dream prom dress, and strut down the runway while laughing with friends. Yes, the senior fashion show is to make profit for the Booster Club, yet it is one of the best ways to have fun and celebrate the last year of high school.

Airband:

Every year, friends band together to create a dance team. Some better than others. Although Airband is considered a competition, it is mostly for friends to spend time together and do something they normally wouldn’t do: dance. I know I may not have a ton of time considering soccer is every day, but I will definitely be putting in my best effort. For me, I know we won’t win. Probably not even come close to winning, but this is not the reason I am doing it. Twenty years from now, I don’t want to look back on my high school years and regret not doing Airband. I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so why not? 

Prom:

After shopping and finding my dream dress on Sunday, I have been overly excited for the upcoming dance. I love getting dressed up and taking photos, and as the last dance, I hope prom is the best dance. However, I am kind of skeptical on how good it really will be, since last year, prom was just average. I appreciate all the hard work that was put into the planning, but the execution wasn’t the best. The food was average- just cold burgers, fries, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and the mosh pit was a bit below average. In almost every high school movie, they showcase some version of a prom dance, which, I have come to realize, is extremely over-hyped. However, I am excited nonetheless because it indicates my high school years are coming to an end and it’s a chance to play dress up.

Graduation:

After 4 years of high school, I’m finally done. We’re finally done. Everything I’ve been working towards ends here. My last time in the halls of NNHS and the last time I will ever have to worry about 7 classes a day. Graduation marks the end of a chapter, but also marks the beginning of a new one. Graduation is always sad, and I am not looking forward to crying (both tears of joy and sadness), but I am happy that this part is over because it is time to move on.

Only three and a half more months and high school will be completely  done. I just have to keep my grades up so I don’t end up failing and having to retake my senior year. That would make this whole blog useless.

This whole semester was filled with college applications. One weekend after another wasting hours at the computer trying to type a 500 word paragraph that would likely not matter in 6 months. And the worst part of it is, I’m not even finished. After reflecting though, I’ve come to realize how much writing has helped me develop both in and out of school. Reading sample essays has helped me develop a different insight into the way I write, and the actual writing portion has helped me completely develop as a writer (hopefully). But in regards to AP Literature, I came into the semester with no previous experience or knowledge of the six point scale for timed writings, no knowledge of what a “sophistication” point was, and no knowledge of how an AP Lit thesis should be written. To this day, I am unsure why I chose not to take AP Language. Yet throughout the course of this semester, each slide deck we went over in class, each writing activity we were assigned, and every presentation we presented, all contributed to my improvement. I now know how to write a thesis properly (or so I hope) as well as what a sophistication point is (relatively). I have also developed my ability to closely read a text, becoming more analytical when trying to find evidence or literary devices within the text.

Now going into our blog posts, I had the opportunity to write about a variety of topics, from Thanksgiving foods to parking. Yet after a careful review of each of my blogs, I ultimately concluded that my most enjoyable blog to write was An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. Not only was I able to give a review and ranking over each apple, but I was able to include my experiences with each, tying it to a fall tradition that my family has continued since I was three years old. This was the first blog that I wrote- disregarding the childhood reading memory blog- which took me several hours to think of and write. To be honest, I think I was a bit hungry while writing this, because each description of the apples made it seem as if they were the last apples on Earth. 

As well as writing blogs, I have also learned how other people think, their experiences, and how they view certain topics. I love reading the different blogs over different rankings of food or music because it allows me to narrow down my order, or my playlist, to only the recommended commodities. It allows me to both learn about those who wrote the blogs, as well as allowing me to save time when deciding on a Starbucks drink order, or which Taylor Swift album I should listen to next. I also enjoyed seeing the different writing styles of each person. Some people focus on description, while others try to convince me that they will win their fantasy football league. Either way, each insight to each individual topic has helped me learn something in life, whether that be what I should do over winter break, to how I can destress during this college application season.

Overall, I’d consider this semester a pretty successful one, and I have come to learn some lessons that have impacted me, and will continue to for the rest of my life. Here are just a few:

1. One step at a time

This is a saying that people have said to me throughout life, but this semester especially. With college applications, the only possibility of coming out sane is to complete things one at a time. Don’t overthink things not in your control, but take control of the things you can. Every step is worth it to see the satisfaction of the green checkmark on Common App.

2. You don’t realize how much you care for someone once they’re gone

I knew I would miss my senior friends, but I didn’t know how much I would miss them. This year definitely had me missing some of my friends, but helped me realize that when I do see some of them, to enjoy the time I have with them, and make every second count.

3. Have fun 

An overly said statement, but completely true. Every second of hard work deserves a bit of fun. Too much stress is bad, so have fun.

Thanksgiving Break is always a much needed break from school for everyone. For both teachers and students. It gives everyone the opportunity to relax, go out, eat some delicious food, and spend time with their friends and family. 

This year, my Thanksgiving break was a tight packed schedule with both ups and downs. I was able to see many people I haven’t seen since they left for college, but was not able to save my bank account from the horrors it witnessed on Black Friday. Reflecting on both the ups and downs of my Thanksgiving break adventures, I was able to rank my top five, note-worthy quests, and list them below:

1. Christkindl

This was actually my first time visiting the Christkindl Market, so it was definitely a new experience. There was food, laughter, people, and Christmas lights. Although I did not go to the market in the city of Chicago, the Aurora one gave almost the exact same experience, but allowed me to avoid the crowds and long lines. I was even able to get their 2023 souvenir mug- two of them in fact- one filled with hot, steaming apple cider, and the other filled with rich hot chocolate. I also tried a fresh Raclette sandwich, and if I’m being honest, I am not a fan of cheese, but this sandwich hit the spot perfectly. I definitely recommend Christkindl to anyone, and the only negative is the cold weather, but you just have to dress accordingly and the hot drinks will do the rest.

2. Friendsgiving

This friendsgiving was an extremely notable one because I was able to spend time with people that I haven’t seen since May. I was able to feast on a plethora of food options including 3 different types of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, mini cheesesteak sandwiches, chili, chicken wings, mini cheesecakes, and to top it off, a Portillos chocolate cake. After eating, we made a bonfire in the woods and camped out. Although it was absolutely freezing outside, the fire and blankets were able to keep me warm, and it was refreshing to spend time with everyone.

3. Ramsay’s Kitchen

As most people have heard, Ramsay’s Kitchen recently opened in Downtown Naperville, which means I definitely had to try it out. Although it was not my first time eating there, I got a different dish than before which makes it a whole different flavor and food experience. The first time I was there, I ordered their scallops, which of course, were cooked exactly to the level I would expect Gordon Ramsay to cook them to: perfection. This time, we ordered the tuna tartare and the chicken milanese which once again, met my high expectations. Definitely worth the price.

4. Black Friday Shopping

I would definitely rank my black Friday shopping much higher in my list, if it weren’t for the money I spent. Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping, but the prices are always unreasonably high. I had some good finds at the Oakbrook Mall, but Black Friday is a whole money making scheme manipulating people of all ages to buy their products, making it seem like a great deal. On one online store, the original prices of their jewelry was $15, but for Black Friday, boosted the price to $50, took 90% off, and priced their sale to $5. This made people think that the sale was a once in a lifetime opportunity, which in reality, it’s just a scam. However, I can’t argue because I also fall victim to the sales of Black Friday because of my addiction to buying clothes.

5. Bowling

Last but not least I have bowling. Don’t get me wrong, bowling is fun. But if you’re like me and not exactly a professional bowling enthusiast, it can be a bit…rough. The social aspect and the bowling experience itself was fun, but for me, it isn’t the best activity when I’m in the Christmas/winter mood. One of the good parts that came out of this experience was the chicken wings and the coupon I had. I basically got two rounds of bowling free. The wings were a solid 8.5/10 and definitely satisfied my hunger at the moment.

Overall, the majority of my Thanksgiving was spent with friends and family which is exactly what it is for. It made me even more ready for Christmas break, which I hope will come as quickly as possible.

It’s November. You know what that means. It’s Thanksgiving time. In all honesty, I’m already ready for Christmas, but it’s disrespectful to skip past Thanksgiving like it isn’t a national holiday. By far, the best part of Thanksgiving is the food. It doesn’t matter whether you’re with friends or family, food is always the main character. With that, I’ll be going over some of the necessary foods you must have for Thanksgiving this year (no exact ranking).

Sweet Potato Casserole

This has by far been my favorite dish while growing up, and normally, I don’t have a sweet tooth but this dish always hits the spot each time. This dish contains marshmallows on top that are slightly torched to create the burnt sugar flavor. It gets paired perfectly with the mashed sweet potatoes that have hints of cinnamon and butter and create the perfect pairing for the fall aesthetic. 

The only downside to this dish is that this dish didn’t originate from a family recipe or your “grandmother’s” recipe. It was concocted by a marshmallow company as a way to push candy onto Americans. Knowing that this dish was created as a way to raise the blood sugar in people makes me want to forget that fact in the first place. But does it really matter who or what made the dish if it tastes delicious?

Dinner Rolls

One of the best inventions is bread. The soft, buttery, layered dinner rolls that melt when you eat them. They have a slight shine on the top and steam pours out when you tear them apart. Making them butter garlic dinner rolls makes them 10x better because of the extra flavor they present to your meal. The best part of dinner rolls is that they don’t take a lot of ingredients, and don’t take a lot of effort. You mostly just need some flour, water, yeast, and a few other ingredients to make this bread from scratch. They can be paired perfectly with any entree or dish and you can never go wrong making these for a dinner party.

Mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the classic American home cooked dishes that you can never go wrong with. This simple dish can cause so much happiness within both children and adults and is the perfect side dish. It is NECESSARY to make mac and cheese with a crust because this is what creates the extra textures that complete the dish altogether. Macaroni and cheese is easily one of the simplest dishes to create and it is very difficult to mess it up unless you completely burn the cheese. Also make sure to put enough flavor into the dish so it isn’t boring and bland.

However, what you should NEVER do with mac and cheese is use the boxed, processed one. Do not take the shortcut and make the boxed macaroni and cheese because it has way too many preservatives and processing which is extremely harmful to the body.

Corn

Corn. Grilled corn, boiled corn, steamed corn, oven roasted corn. It doesn’t matter. Just have corn. Corn is such an overlooked dish on Thanksgiving because people normally reach for the green beans or collard greens. But corn is one of the best dishes to have at Thanksgiving because it offers both the sweet and the salty side of food. It is a healthy dish that won’t overfill you. When you need a break from the turkey, roast beef, or ham, just reach for the corn. It balances the diet perfectly offering the vitamins and minerals you need in your Thanksgiving meal. Corn allows you much leeway in terms of ways to cook it, it just depends on your preference. However, I think everyone should grill it and sprinkle some salt on it.

Pumpkin Pie

You have to have pumpkin pie at an American Thanksgiving. It is one of the original dishes in every fall feast and is the perfect dessert to end your night off with. It fits the fall aesthetic perfectly and allows you to get hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin all in one bite. Yes, the filling of the pie is important, but what can make or break the pie is the crust. If the crust is unpleasant, it ruins the dish completely and can in some ways ruin your whole Thanksgiving. But if you can perfect it or get it close to perfection, you have yourself the perfect Thanksgiving.

Now the reason I didn’t include turkey on this list is because I wanted to offer vegetarian friendly dishes that still complete the Thanksgiving meal. So as you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast this year, be sure to keep these (side) dishes in mind.

Parking is difficult. Some would even consider it the most difficult part of driving. For me, at least, I would have days that I considered a “good” parking day, and would have other days that were a “bad” parking day. Throughout my driving life, I have experienced a plethora of parking opportunities in a variety of different places.

Below are just a few of my documented parking experiences along with a rating, explanation, and the lesson I learned from each:

Easily a 7/10. Between the lines, not angled, and enough room on both sides. Simple. Easy. 

This parking job came from the Edward’s Hospital parking garage. Yes, the spots are angled which makes it easier to park, but I still consider it a decent parking job. However, my only problem with this parking is the experience. Personally, I dislike parking garages because I always feel like there’s not going to be any parking spaces or that some person is going to drive recklessly and run straight into me. Not likely, but possible. On this particular day however, everyone seemed to want to take a visit to the hospital filling up so many of the spots. Luckily though, I was able to find someone right as they were leaving to steal their spot. 

This taught me more of a moral lesson- be patient and a spot will open up to you.

A solid 5/10. Although close to the line, backing up into the spot was the key to this ranking.

I didn’t start backing up into spots until this year, in order to pull out of the school parking lot easier, and I quickly realized this has actually made my parking life a lot easier. In this situation, because I am too close to the line, I learned that I need to either pull up a bit further, or turn my wheel more. The location of this very mediocre parking job is in the Taco Bell parking lot after the disappointing loss of the crosstown football game. So accordingly, this automatically sinks the rating. So this parking experience was more of an actual learning opportunity for actual driving rather than an emotional learning experience.

Definitely a 3/10. Although I was in between the lines, the fact that the car is slanted annoys me. To be fair, the car right next to me also did a poor job so I could always say I was just following the lead of others. This is in the parking lot of Chipotle during the lunch period so it was a rush to eat and park so there is a valid excuse for my poor parking. As I pulled in, I got many sideways glances with people being extremely judgmental. This parking experience taught me to not rush and take my time when parking so I will not get completely judged and looked down upon for my parking.

Absolute worst experience. Definitely rate it 0/10. Less if I could. This parking job features my old car which is now most likely getting ripped apart for parts. Unfortunately, she is no longer with us because of the damages she endured. 

First of all, this parking is rated as low as it is due to the parking itself. It’s parked in the middle of the road and blocking all of the other cars from driving past. Slightly angled and in the way. The parking technique was so off that the police officer had to ask me to re-park the car along the side of the road. Second of all, the context of the crash itself plummets the rating. This was taken the second to last day of school junior year when I was on my way to my hospital volunteering. As you can see, the car took a hit where the airbags went off and the door was completely dented. From this experience, I learned to never turn in front of another car and crash. Trust me, you don’t want to park like this.

In the end, each of my parking jobs taught me valuable lessons- some better than others, yet lessons nonetheless. They have provided me the opportunity to grow from each memorable parking experience, and I hope to use my expertise to improve my parking in the future.

Since I was 2 years old, it has been a tradition for me to pluck the ripe apples off of the fruit trees at Kuipers Family Farm. At this point, I could become a professional apple picker with the amount of time I have spent in solitary at the apple orchard. Yes, I go with my brothers and parents, but throughout the time among the apples, we eventually drift to find our own path, our own apple row, leaving me in solitary to look up at the apples and the bright sun.

During these seasons (August-September), I would walk through the rows of apples: Honeycrisp, Fuji, Empire, Jonagold, and too many more to name. I have had years to taste test almost every apple in the orchard, gaining the knowledge of the texture, the crisp, and the taste of each apple in order to create a perfect ranking. Keep in mind, none of the apples ranked on this list consist of the disgusting soft texture of the apples they serve at school or Panera, so if that’s what your preference for apples are, this is no place for you. So without further ado, I present to you the top 5 apples served at Kuipers Family Farm:

5. Golden Delicious

Up first, coming in last place on the list (definitely not least), are the Golden Delicious Apples. These apples take after their name extremely well: they’re golden, and delicious. If you like apples that are less tart, this is the perfect apple for you. When ripe, they are extremely sweet and have comparatively little acidity. What makes it even better is the honey, sweet, pear-like aroma that can make almost anyone fall in love with any pie, salad, or sauce you make. Another benefit from these apples is that when making pies or sauces, you can add less sugar because of the natural sweetness!

Personally, Golden Delicious apples are decent for what they are, but if you are like me, I prefer the apples that are crisper, more tart, and are full of flavor.

4. Empire

Next up we have Empire apples. Developed at Cornell University, we know these apples must have some sort of excellency. From personal experience, these apples are best when eaten straight from the tree since they have the right combination of sweet and tart with a very crisp, creamy white flesh. With their beautiful deep red skin, they are extremely versatile and are perfect for apple pies in the fall. Definitely one of the ideal sizes to bring for school lunches.

3. Sweetango

SweeTango, also known as Minneiska, was developed through cross pollination research at the University of Minnesota. With parents of Honeycrisp and Zestar, the apple consists of a sweet apple taste with a slight touch of citrus, honey, and spice, and can ultimately make a delicious cider. Renowned for its strong flavor, Sweetango apples are perfect for cheese boards to make the perfect, most delicious, charcuterie board.

To me, these apples are one of my favorites to pluck off the trees and eat fresh, and can quintessentially satisfy any apple cravings.

2. Pink Lady

Let me say one thing: these apples are gorgeous. Glossy, red, and smooth. They almost blush on the tree. In my opinion, they have the best aftertaste, and what makes it even better, is that these apples have the slowest oxidation rate. Meaning, it takes them a while to turn that icky brown color. These apples also seem to have the longest life of them all: always the first to blossom and last to be harvested. They tend to fall towards the tart side on the apple scale, making them much more refreshing. 

1. Honeycrisp

And of course, the one everyone’s been waiting for, at number 1: the Honeycrisp apples! However, unfortunately, Kuipers took honeycrisp off of their apple picking menu since too many people would hound over them destroying the paths and trees in the process because they were just THAT GOOD. It’s just a known fact that honeycrisp apples are the number one because of their crisp, their flavor, and their juiciness. The flesh of the apple has the perfect crisp that isn’t too dense along with the ultimate flavor combination of sweetness and a trace of tartness.

These Honeycrisp apples are both a personal favorite and a worldwide favorite, and when dipped in caramel, this is what true perfection tastes like.

With over 7,000 apple varieties, choosing the top 5 was an extraneous task. So whether you’re searching the store for apples, trying to grow your own, or even better, actually at an apple orchard, keep these favorites in mind and you’ll be especially happy with your results.