Many lost their lives from Friday’s massive earthquake in Iran. Innocent people died in the small town of Bam. I was shocked by the terrible news, and yet I could do nothing but pray. They lost their loved-ones, their homes, their children, and their land. They might have been sleeping, or simply having dinner. Then a sudden earthquake teared their whole life, their whole future.
Every night when I go to sleep, I am aware of the roof I’m under, and I know I’m safe. That sense of saftey comes from knowing that my parents are with me, knowing that God is there, and many other reasons. But not everyone has that sense or the safety itself. Maybe there is a way to change that. Maybe some day everyone can feel safe and be safe. We should all help make that change.

I turned sixteen today. I can’t believe it. I am truly happy. Very happy. This is the best day. I feel great. I wish everyday could be my birthday.

We drive toward the horizon, calm, yet willing. We are a group of young adults, on our way of becoming important, sophisticated, and brave. We wake up by the sun and go through the day thinking of the future and what will become of us. As we journey on the road, the sun comes out, ready to shine our day. It is not easy to get up every morning, not knowing what will happen in the future, with a wave of uncertainty following us like a shadow. The days are long, yet life is too short. Everyday we make choices about our life and future, and everyday there comes many questions, sometimes with no answers.

I look outside and I feel so good inside. Time is running out and November is almost gone. I have learned so much this year that I feel like a new person. It is amazing how much you can learn in a matter of months. You might not know at first, but when you do, months have passed.
I hate it when I feel that I don’t deserve what I have. I get the feeling that I don’t belong or that I don’t deserve my life. Sometimes great things happen to you and you almost don’t believe that they did. After a while you feel that you didn’t deserve it, someone else did.
School changes every year. One year I like it, one year I don’t. But one thing never changes: I always love learning new things. There are days that I love walking down the hallways and looking at faces that have a thousand secrets beneath them. There are also days that being there disturbs me.
Thanksgiving is only a day away. I am happy. Life is great right now.

This week was both exciting and tiring. The exciting part was the one-day visit of my brother. The tiring part was school and the things I had to think about. One thing you should never do is think about everything at the same time. If you do that, your mind will go crazy and you will think nothing is possible. I am fatigued, but I will still go on.

My 4-day week-end is coming to an end. It was really great to have a break. Report cards come out on Friday. Nothing exciting is going on. I have some bad coughs these days, but it’s getting better. Exactly 42 days until my birthday. This year is going by fast. It is already November, wow!

It has been raining all day. I hate it. It is cold and wet and I have nothing to think about. No, I lied, I have lots to think about. I hope the rain stops. I wish I had someone to talk to. It has been a long yet good day. Everything went well except the weather.

Everyone goes through different emotions, every one of us has different aspects and expectations. One expects a perfect score on a test, the other expects to enjoy a victory. No matter what they expect or feel, life goes on with either a storm or a nice warm breez. Nature is careless towards our feelings and our everyday lives. But no matter what happens, we have to learn to survive and continue our steps towards our goal and what we’re after.

My mom is planning a trip to Iran. She will be gone for a month. She won’t be here for my birthday and Christmas. I wish I could go with her but I can’t because of school.
I will turn 16 on December 16th. I am very excited to be 16. I don’t know how I’m going to feel.
It is Sunday and I have nothing to be excited about except that I’m alive.

A couple of months while I was still in Iran, I said that I felt like a stranger when I walked among the people and that I was a changed person in the eyes of others. Now I know why; it’s because once you know how life is with freedom, your mind starts expanding and begins to think of everything. You begin to question yourself and your beliefs and you start to develop a new view on life. That’s what happened to me after living in America for four years. I think the same thing happens to others. If they live in a freedom-less country, they are not allowed to express themselves and they are afraid to think of things contrary to their society or government. But once they are in a place where they can express their mind, then they begin viewing differently and that is why to others they are a changed person. They are their own self but their inner self has changed.