My name is Ashley. I live in River Falls, Wisconsin. I have a medium sized family, and I work in Hudson, the next town over.
      I have a part time job at a pizza place called Papa Murphy's. I have been working there for a year and a half. Recently, I was promoted to shift supervisor. This means that not only do I continue making fabulous pizza, but I do have the authority to make people clean the restaurant and so forth. I enjoy my job; the work is easy and the people are kind. I plan to work there over the summer.
      After graduation of high school I will not attend college. I plan to move into an apartment with four our other friends. Some of them are currently in college, and on of them is in my senior class. It will be a fun challenge to be on my own, supporting myself. Without school, I will have much more free time. Because of this I will find another full time job. In the future, I hope to not be working at Papa Murphy's. My dream job would be traveling. I wan to be in South America There are many ancient cultures buried there that I want to uncover. I want to decipher the Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula, but right now I'm living in the Midwest. I would love to research and experience other cultures on every continent.
      This is why I love studying Japanese. It gives me a chance to study a language and a culture all at once. Over the summer, I had a great opportunity to leave America and visit Japan. I worked as a camp counselor in Osaka. The trip was a life changing experience. It surprised me how easily I could make a positive impact on other people's lives. This was happening even though my campers and I couldn't fully understand one another's language.
      The location of camp was beautiful. It was humbling to be that close to towering mountains. I climbed one once, with another counselor, between camp sessions. Traveling up the path, we passed a small graveyard scattered with statues. Further up, there was a small opening in the trees and the sunlight broke through to reveal a scene of mountains, blue valleys, and rivers. It was nothing compared to the very top. There were large rocks to rest on and a tall pole with twenty something locations pointing out into the scenery. I was eye level with the clouds and the birds flew so close I would've touched them. It was a place where one could sit for hours and not be bothered by neither person nor thought.
      That night, after a tedious camp menu cycle of cabbage and mystery meat, the camp treated us to barbequed meat and vegetables. These are the nights that brought the counselors closer together. Between putting out stray fires from the splattered grease and swatting away giant flying bugs, we became friends.
      However, a month and a half later, I was on a plane back to America. It was strange to see my family again after having been gone for so long. It was difficult to adjust all over again; driving on the right side of the street, overweight people, blondes, and my car. I was so jet lagged by the time I got home. I spent the entire night driving around my old neighborhood. A few short weeks later I was starting my senior year at high school.
      This is a large step in anyone's life. It becomes increasingly scary for me given that I have no plans for college yet. Instead, I'll be spending my time working. My mother works in the medical field. She is one of the ladies who calls your name while you are sitting in the waiting room and then takes your temperature and blood pressure. She is a wonderful woman. She plays the piano and sings for our church. She keeps herself very busy now that my sister moved out of the house.
      My sister, Rebekah, moved with two friends of hers to Bellingham, a city on the other side of the country. She moved because her dream was to become a photographer. She is very skilled in both photography and music. She plays the guitar very well and even had the patience to teach me a few chords.
      I have many plans for my future, and for my family. Right now, I plan to enjoy life as it comes to me in the following years.