Memory from Valhalla

My high school experience!

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Valhalla from memory; memory from Valhalla

By Sophie Angleton

can I get a V-A-L? 

project below! 10 sections, labelled in the tags

have fun nosy

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This is more of a version of myself I want to forget, where it was ‘funny’ for friends to put down each other and point out their imperfections. Where self deprecating jokes were the norm and insecurity was at an all time high. I want to forget this version of me because she didn’t deserve to be treated like she was nothing to the point of where she felt it would never go away. Home trouble and CPS aided more to this insecurity that I would never be enough and I couldn’t grow from my past. I felt stuck, sad and mean. I want to forget this version of me because I don’t know anyone who would want to remember her. 

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A day I want to remember. Although I was tired and worn, looking up at my surroundings pulled me out of my sadness and reminded me that I am small compared to the world around me. It sounds depressing but I found a weird comfort in that thought. The world is doing what its always been doing and Im just along for the ride. 

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A letter from a friend.

We started out as an egg in the wombs of our mothers, and that is the start of our friendship. Sophie has been with me before either of us even knew the concept of time, and stayed with me through the best and worst parts of life, along with everything in between. We were together for every legoland trip and rollercoaster, during her emo phase and my hippie phase, and now we will be going to college together. Only recently have I realized that people’s best friends change and often times did not start before kindergarten. I am forever grateful to have had a friend like Sophie who has stuck by me all this time, and continues to.

Sophie honestly does not get the credit she deserves, she has a way of writing so that she can clearly get  the point across in a clean and concise paragraph, and stand her ground. She is independent. She taught me how to be selfish, and not to allow myself to be taken advantage of. She is one of the strongest people I know, but you would never know it by looking at her. She has made me laugh every time I have seen her; not because she is funny, but she somehow casts a spell over me that never fails to brighten my day. I can genuinely talk to her about anything whatsoever and know that it’s okay. Sophie is the hardboiled to my scrambled, and she never fails to turn my cracked shell into a sunny side up.

I have watched her transform both physically and mentally into the beautiful woman she is today. Not only has she allowed herself to grow, she has also molded me into a better version of myself. We pick up where the other lacks, and continue to use the other as an example of how to better ourselves.

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I didn’t think that I would ever be excited to go to UC Riverside, but keeping an open mind and really looking at something for how it will fit for you and you alone really helps. Traveling to the campus and seeing the community, I am shocked and surprised to say I am excited to attend UCR next fall. I cannot wait to try my best. 

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Finding the right moment and the right time in San Diego, beauty is in everything, although its not hard to find in this city

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The snow seems so out of place there but these are four memorable vacations taken throughout the four years of high school. Just above we see a drive up to a jungle in Jamaica where I learned in freshman year how unhelpful bug spray is and how to count to 63 since thats how many mosquito bites I had come back with. Above that photo is a concert I went to my junior year for a long time loved band called The Flaming Lips where I learned that a well decorated concert is a good concert. Above that is a menacing statue taken at LACMA with my friend my senior year on a last minute road trip up to Los Angelos at 4 am on new years eve just to see the Rose bowl parade in Pasadena. In this one I learned that driving at 4 am is exhilarating and should be done on occasion just to keep your circadian rhythm guessing. The very top picture is my most recent snow trip to salt lake city where I learned that I am now very scared of skiing even though i’ve been doing it all my life. 

Although all of these are silly and the ‘lessons’ taken away from each experience aren’t lessons at all but examples of my own foolishness and personal opinion, these vacations and concerts given me a taste for my personal interests and desires as to what I want to do in my free time. I’ve learned what I don’t like as well as what I want to do again from these small getaways. These excursions with friends and family have shaped my personality in one way or another and looking back, I am very lucky to not only attend a well respected school, but also have the means to explore other parts of the world and, with that, my personality.

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There are countless memories with grace (the one with a strawberry in her mouth) and all of them just remind me how grateful I truly am to have a friend like her in my life. She has been in my life for as long as I can remember and we have been through thick and thin together. I have grown up with her, grown apart from her, then came back and grown close and inseparable together. She really is a special person, someone who has taught me that no matter what trials and tribulations come my way, I will have someone that will be by my side every step of the way. She has shaped me into a more caring and thoughtful person and has humbled me greatly. A truly selfless, intelligent person who I strive to bring up every time i’m with her as much as she lifts me. This is a person I know with all certainty I will always care for and without doubt will care about me. And honestly I cannot ask for more out of someone. 

I know this just sounds like i’m gushing but this person really has impacted my last four years even though she doesn’t go to Valhalla. I have learned what friendship and caring for someone is, I have bonded over ambition, fears and failures in high school, and I plan to do it all over again in college with her (when we actually go to the same school, finally). 

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This is an old friend who convinced me to try gymnastics my freshman year. Although I had no experience in the field and neither did she, we tried out for the team anyway. I remember practicing on my backyard trying to do a simple handstand and failing, falling on our backs in wonky, very un-gymnast poses. We were bad, very bad, but we stuck it out and tried something new and terrifying. Trying new things even when it seems like the odds are stacked against you is maybe the bravest thing you can do as a 13 year old freshman. Valhalla gymnastics was the most intimidating thing when I was living through it but I don’t regret signing up at all. Putting yourself out there in scary new situations is something I needed to learn because although it was just a sport, It taught me to face your fears head on, and it’s better to try and fail than to not try at all. 

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same soup just reheated.

jesus, probably 

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it was the best of times it was the worst of times

Charles Dickens

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Throughout my 4 years in high school, I have gotten close to as well as drifted away from people I never imagined in a million years I would. I know this story has been told many times before, how friendships don’t last and how people change and grow but I didn’t realize all the regret that came with change. Of course there are obvious things I regret, becoming friends with certain people and letting them take advantage of my insecurities and quiet manner for instance. But more importantly, I regret never speaking up when it came to someone I care about drifting away or me wanting to drift away because I feel like I don’t belong with their new friends. Its crazy to think at there are people at Valhalla I once came to for everything, I would hug and invite over, I would go over to their house every weekend to the point where their mom would treat me as their own... It’s crazy to think that there are those people just walking around Valhalla and I pass by now without so much as saying hello to them. It’s not a bitter end for the most part, it’s more of a ‘I don’t know you anymore’ kind of thing. I regret not making an effort to keep that friendship alive or at least to ask how they are every once in a while before that person no longer resembled the one I once knew. 

From that regret however, Ive learned to nurture new friendships and find people I will talk to for the rest of my life, or at least remember fondly. I will make mistakes sure, but the best part of living is learning from living. These four years at Valhalla have been an eyeopening experience into what a friendship needs and whether to pursue one with someone and for that I am forever grateful. 

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3:00 am, makeup off, hair up, PJs on. My friendship with Annie solidified at 3 AM. One of my best, and most cherished friendships made in the early morning in my room with none other than September by Earth, Wind, and Fire playing on my phone while attempting to create a poorly made choreographed dance (I have two left feet and Annie is an amazing dancer so this was a train wreck on my part from the start) about remembering the 21st of September. And every 21st we celebrate our friendship and how lucky we are to have someone who cares enough to stay up all night synchronizing our twirls to unforgettable music. 

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Being in the Valhalla Choir program for three years has broadened my taste in music in a way I could have never imagined, I have grown to love watching Operas with my best friend, stumbling into choir concerts and singing latin pieces. Choir has given me an appreciation for the classics, I’ve used the pieces given to us to sing as a stepping stool for further exploration down the never-ending rabbit hole of classical works whether that be famous pianists, operas, musicals or ....requiems. 

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I came into my freshman year with this band being my new obsession, specifically this particular song, Harlem or bad girl in Harlem. However, other than being a catchy pop song with a hint of an edgy alternative sound, this song reminds me of a memory I will never forget that happened the end of the summer before my Freshman year. Yes, one of my most treasured memories of freshman year was actually a few days before school had started, odd I know. I hadn't seen my father in over 2 weeks due to the Europe trip to Italy and Greece with my aunt; I remember getting picked up from the airport and my dad was playing this song in the car and told me he wanted me to hear my favorite band when I saw him again. We put the album on shuffle and enjoyed each others company. Although the songs meaning and lyrics have nothing whatsoever to do with the memory associated with it, I will always cherish and think of that car ride back home whenever I hear the peppy alternative pop song, Harlem (which looking back is not that often since id like to think my music taste has evolved). 

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Pride.

letter from my dad: 

Every parent has a unique journey in raising their children. One thing we all share is a sense of pride in our kids. My daughter Sophia is growing into a fierce, principled, independent young woman.

From a very early age, Sophia has stood her ground and fought for her beliefs. This often leads to her butting heads with people but I think it is important to stand for something. We have gotten into arguments about issues minor and major and while I do not always feel she I correct, I am proud of her tenacity and willingness to stand up for herself.

Honesty is one trait that I value very highly. Sophia has always been a very honest person. From an early age, I have had confidence that if I asked her something, she would not lie to me. Even when she knew she would get into trouble, she always told the truth. Honesty is the core of integrity and Sophia has a great base in this as she grows into adulthood.

Another thing I value is independence. I have always told Sophia that I would not be there to do everything for her so she needed to be responsible for her own decisions. She has chosen her educational path as well as was responsible for keeping her grades up. When she was struggling in Chemistry, she found a tutor and arranged to meet once a week to help her get through it. I very proud that she was able to recognize that she needed help and take care of it.

The most surprising thing to me is her fierceness. I am a bit of an introvert and not prone to taking public risks. Sophia, on the other hand, has overcome early shyness and has put herself out there in public. When she was in middle school, she sang alone in front of a large crowd at Santee Lakes festival. I was so proud of her, especially since I knew how shy she was before. She continues her singing in Choir at Valhalla.

All these qualities make my heart swell with pride and to know that she will leave me and blaze a fine trail as she goes on to college and the wider world.