My Querencia Graphic

Querencia : Final Draft

  The warm sun shines down on my face as I look at the acres of green grass surrounding me. This was my special place. A place where I can do what I love doing the most and play the sport that I've always loved. Soccer has been my passion ever since I was a little girl. The feeling that I get when I hear the ball hit the back of the net is indescribable. The butterflies that I get before every single game is a mixture of nerves and excitement. I've played hundreds of games, and yet my passion and dedication towards soccer has never changed. The soccer field is the one place I go to, to relieve my stress and anxiety, and to forget about my problems. 

             The main reason why I consider the soccer fields as my special place is because I can just be myself and not worry about what others think of me. Girls spit on the ground and swear at each other, but remain friends after the game. What happens on the field, stays on the field. Nobody remembers how bad you played in a game, or the penalty kick that you missed, or the shot that you didn't take. It's a place that is free of worries, a place that I look forward to every time I come. Never have I ever showed up at a soccer field and said, "I don't want to be here." This special place is where I escape reality and enjoy life without the stress of school, homework, and dramas.             My favorite time to come to the soccer fields is right after it rains. The water droplets on the grass, the sun peeking out from the grey clouds, and the faint sound of swarming gnats makes the fields even more beautiful than it already is. I go there to get my mind off of things and just relax. Whenever I'm having a bad day, just knowing that I have a soccer game or practice cheers me up. 
            I step onto the field knowing that my parents will be proud of me no matter what. They taught me almost everything I know about soccer, and coached me growing up. They helped me to develop my footwork skills, and shaped me into the player that I am today. I know never to be cocky, to be respectful of all my coaches, even if I don't agree with what they are saying, and to be a team player. My mom and dad took the time to coach me, and spend their free time after work at the soccer fields. This makes the fields extra special, because it's a reminder to always be thankful of my parents. It reminds me of the long hours that they would spend watching our games and tournaments, and the times spent at the fields together as a family. 
            Everyone has a special place that they rely on when they are feeling stressed out or nervous. The soccer fields is not only the place that I go to relax, but to have fun! So many memories have been made at these fields, such as caking our teammates on their birthday, or having to use umbrellas to cover the stall when we use the bathroom (no doors)! The soccer fields is, and will always be my Querencia, my special place. 

Picture Frame Paragraph by : Kelci Sumida and Kari Lau

Crash! The sound of the waves are especially loud during the winter season. At North Shore located in Oahu, Hawaii, this is the peak for all locals/tourists to come and observe the waves at its high time. Families like ours love to swim and catch the waves in the cool ocean to refresh ourselves since, it is still hot during the wintertime. Also, the smell of the ocean soothes our souls with its salty aroma. The salty aroma takes ourselves away from the crowded city. Not only that, the Matsumoto's Shave Ice stand, adds more onto the special experience during the winter. When you drive into the North Shore area, there is a barn shaped store with a sign that says, "M. Matsumoto Grocery Store." Then, immediately there's a long line that extends out the door waiting for the delicious shave ice. Our personal favorite to get shave ice are the fruity flavors of strawberry, and green apple. The fruity shave ice tastes invigorating from the tiresome day of catching the rough waves. Last, our favorite aspect of North Shore is the rustic scenery. Since, we are used to the usual landscape of buildings, traffic, crowds, etc a change of scenery is nice. In North Shore, there are old fashioned buildings that are unike the modern buildings we've grown accustomed to. Also, there is no traffic to bother us but, only smooth driving. In addition to that, there is a pure smell of beaches and trees unlike the smell of car gas and people. The pure aroma gives off a soothing sensation that you can't really get in the city. Along with the relaxing smell, there are various sounds that can only be found there. When we enter North Shore there are sounds of chirping birds. The birds chirp faint sounds of tweet, tweet, tweet and adds onto the rustic feel of North Shore. 

These three aspects of North Shore are special to us and our family especially, during the wintertime. In the wintertime it seems as if the following aspects become more enhanced. For instance, the waves become bigger adding more fun into catching the rough waves. Not only that, the feel of the waves become more soothing since the size of it are bigger. Besides that, the taste of shave ice during the winter become more satisfying. Since, the waves are especially big during the wintertime it takes more of a toll on the bodies so, a refreshing bowl of shave ice invigorates us. The fruity aroma of strawberry and green apple add more onto the magical time of winter. Moving onto, the country landscape of North Shore. In our usual setting we always see the same old cities, traffic, and people but, in North Shore its different. The rustic appearance of North Shore includes barn like buildings, many trees, and its just country. Because, of the different setting from the city it is a refresher especially since we don't often visit there. In conclusion, North Shore is a special place we always go to especiallyduring, the wintertime.

Querencia : Rough Draft

            The warm sun shines down on my face as I look at the acres of green grass surrounding me. This was my special place. A place where I can do what I love doing the most and play the sport that I've always loved. Soccer has been my passion ever since I was a little girl. The feeling that I get when I hear the ball hit the back of the net is indescribable. The butterflies that I get before every single game is a mixture of nerves and excitement. I've played hundreds of games, and yet my passion and dedication towards soccer has never changed. The soccer field is the one place I go to to relieve my stress and anxiety, and to forget about my problems. 
             The main reason why I consider the soccer fields as my special place is because I can just be myself and not worry about what others think of me. Girls spit on the ground and swear at each other, but remain friends after the game. What happens on the field stays on the field. Nobody remembers how bad you played in a game, or the penalty kick that you missed, or the shot that you didn't take. It's a place that is free of worries, a place that I look forward to every time I come. Never have I ever showed up at a soccer field and said, "I don't want to be here." This special place is where I escape reality and enjoy life without the stress of school, homework, and dramas. 
            The soccer fields mean a lot to me, because I practically grew up there. Whether I had a game or practice, I made sure I was there at least three times a week. Sometimes,  I would go there on my free time, just to practice and get better. For some reason, just having a soccer ball at my feet is significant to me. 
            I step onto the field knowing that my parents will be proud of me no matter what. They taught me almost everything I know about soccer, and coached me growing up. They helped me to develop my footwork skills, and shaped me into the player that I am today. I know never to be cocky, to be respectful of all my coaches, even if I don't agree with what they are saying, and to be a team player. My mom and dad took the time to coach me, and spend their free time after work at the soccer fields. This makes the fields extra special, because it's a reminder to always be thankful of my parents. It reminds me of the long hours that they would spend watching our games and tournaments, and the times spent at the fields together as a family. 
            Everyone has a special place that they rely on when they are feeling stressed out or nervous. The soccer fields is not only the place that I go to relax, but to have fun! So many memories have been made at these fields, such as caking our teammates on their birthday, or having to use umbrellas to cover the stall when we use the bathroom (no doors)! The soccer fields is, and will always be my Querencia, my special place. 

Words From the Heart Card

My Special Place

The warm sun shines down on my face as I look at the acres of green grass surrounding me. This was my special place. A place where I can relax without a care in the world, and do what I love doing the most. Out of all the sports I played growing up, soccer has always been my passion. The feeling that I get when I hear the ball hit the back of the net is indescribable. The soccer field is the main place I like to go to when I'm stressed out or nervous about something. Sometimes I set up goals to practice shooting at, or sometimes I just work on my juggling and dribbling skills. As long as I have a soccer ball in front of my feet, I could spend hours at the field, trying to improve and learn new things. This special place means so much to me, because I practically grew up here. I would be at the soccer fields at least three times a week, whether it was for practices or for a game. I know that once I'm at the fields,  all my problems go away.