Category: Places

Life as a Middle Schooler!

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As a middle schooler at Draper Park Middle, there’s a lot to take in every day. I normally like school well enough, but I’m here to break down into the good and the bad!

The Good

I’m going to start off positive, because even though middle school has its problems, there are some awesome things about it too.

  1. Friends. No matter what you think about the academic part of school, it’s easy to admit that everybody looks forward to seeing their friends all the time. I’ve found that most people I know go to the same school as I do, and it definitely helps to have somebody to ask questions to about a class.
  2. Different classes. Having your schedule separated into periods helps the day to seem more exciting. At the very least, it lets you look forward to the end of an awful class! You also have the choice of lots of fun electives that fit your interest.
  3. Different people. Whether you’re in the same friend circle or not, middle school provides the chance to meet lots of different kinds of people. It also gives you an array of teachers!

The Bad

  1. Homework. You all knew this was coming! Middle school typically has a lot more homework than elementary does, and it ends up taking away a lot of your free time.
  2. Bad teachers. Even though, as I mentioned above, you can get some really awesome teachers, you can also get the complete opposite. And normally, if they’re bad, they’re really bad.
  3. Stress. Middle school can definitely give students a lot of stress. Stress about being on time to your next class, stress about studying and making good grades in all your subjects…the list goes on and on.

My Name

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Hi! My name is Ashlyn, which means dream, vision, or a meadow of ash trees. I got my name for no particular reason; my parents just liked it. I also like my name, because it’s not anything crazy, but it’s not super common either. Here are some pictures I took around the school that spell out my name!

Travel Review: Oahu, Hawaii

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Hello! One of my family’s favorite vacation spots is in Oahu, Hawaii, and we always have so much fun! I really like it there, and would go back every time. Here’s a short review of my stay there, telling what to do, where to stay, and what to eat!

1. Hotels

The best place to stay is definitely the Ko Olina Marriot. Each room has a little kitchen, living room, and beds, so you have plenty of space to dump your suitcases. It also has a little private beach, which is so nice! It doesn’t really have any waves (or sharks), so it’s great to sit out on an inflatable tube and relax. In addition to this, the resort has several pools that are well-lit: perfect for hanging out on a late night.

2. Things to Do

Besides hanging out on the beach, one of our favorite things to do is go to the swap-meet that they hold every Wednesday. They hold it at an arena, and lots of people have booths filled with things that they created. You can get fresh coconut water, wooden turtles, and jewelry. That’s not all, though. There are lots of very unique little trinkets that you can get for souvenirs. There is also a hike that we love, where you go up to Waimea Falls. It isn’t a hard hike, but wear your swimsuit! Once you get to the end of the hike, there is a little cove with a waterfall that you can swim in. Beware, though! The water is very cold. Another stop is the Dole Plantation. You can take tours to see their pineapple fields, but mostly we go there for the Dole Whips. Tangy pineapple soft serve? Sign me up!

3. Food

As we have six people in our family, instead of going out to eat every day, we normally just go to Costco and pick up staples like pineapple, pancake mix, and guava juice. There are lots of places that are really delicious though! We love to go to Ted’s Bakery in order to get one of their famous pies and loco mocos. They’re amazing! Along with that, there are lots of shrimp shacks along the North Shore that are also very good. As aforementioned, the Dole Plantation is always a great place to go if you’re looking for something sweet!

Restaurant Review: Penguin Brothers

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Hello!!! This is my review of The Penguin Brothers, an amazing ice cream sandwich shop. Recently introduced to Penguin Brothers, they have two main venues: one in Provo, Utah, as well as one in Salt Lake City. Now, what is so special about their food? They serve ice cream sandwiches, pizookies-a heavenly warm, half baked cookie served with a scoop of ice cream on top-or regular ice cream! Though there really is nothing regular about it; it’s thicker and creamier than you could ever imagine. They have lots of unique (and delicious) flavors, including Strawberry Nutella, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, and No Bake Cookie. Here’s a link to their menu.

S’mores Sunday Pizookie

 

My personal favorite is their pizookie: which is so good it’s hard to describe. I like the combination of their double fudge cookie and their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt ice cream. Rich and chocolate-y, it is absolutely divine! The warm cookie is very thick and doughy, which allows the ice cream to melt on top of it, creating rivers of ice cream goodness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Luigi’s Mansion Ice Cream Sandwich

Next up, value. Some items can cost about seven dollars, especially if you choose toppings. However, the money is absolutely worth it. Even their ice cream cup comes with about four large scoops of ice cream. The place itself also is very fun and charming. Pink walls, penguin doodles, and workers dressed in bow ties, Penguin Brothers definitely has a fun atmosphere. All in all, The Penguin Brothers is the perfect place to go to find your new favorite dessert place!