my first post & a bit about myself

 Hello! And welcome to my first ever post on "words for birds". If you're reading this, it means that I finally had the motivation and courage to spill my heart out onto an online page.

Manning Park, 2021

My name is Raymond, and at the time of posting, I am a 15 year old high school student living in Vancouver, British Columbia! If you know me from real life, thanks for taking the time to stop by my collection of thoughts and adventures that I rarely get to share! And if you're someone I have yet to know, hopefully you're not a stalker and just somebody curious to read about my life's journey. 

I created this blog to express my thoughts freely in an organized manner and that the people within my life can get to know me a little better! Most importantly, one of my biggest aspirations in creating this blog is to understand myself better as a human being, accept myself and push myself to be the best of my abilities :). My hope in you discovering my blog is to take a sneak peek into my ever-changing world of thoughts and taking something out of it that can carry on into your own life, whether it be a small or larger aspect. So without further ado, let me introduce myself and share the life experiences that shape who I am today.

Halfmoon Bay, BC - 2022

I'd like to say that I've always been a passionate and enthusiastic individual since I was a wee-little child. From the age of 3, I developed a burning passion for all creatures and forms of nature alike. Mimicking the behaviour of African Safari animals, I have fond recollections of prancing, running and jumping around the house pretending I was one of them too. My parents have told me that I tried exceptionally hard to mimic the elegant gazelle's gallop, and how I almost tumbled down the stairs in doing so. That being said, my favourite movies to watch were the Lion King, Bambi, and various BBC Earth documentaries. I would repeatedly borrow Bambi DVDs from the local library, so much so that basically no one else could get their hands on it! To this day, I still scroll endlessly for nature documentaries on YouTube, hoping to watch one I haven't yet seen before (which is difficult!). In preschool, I would look forward to trips to the Zoo and Aquarium, and have my parents record the whole time with a tiny digital camera that is kept in my drawer to this day. A memory that has never left me is riding the train that goes through the zoo and seeing the vibrant pink flamingoes feed gracefully in their enclosure. My mother recalls to me that I would request to replay the videos on our camera every single day for a month, until we went back to the zoo. I'm not sure why I was so obsessed with that video, but I guess I can see the similarities through my affinity with birds.... 

Manning Park 2021

Another obsession I had was with all different types and varieties of butterflies. I have no recollection of this now, but apparently my grandparents brought several packs of butterfly stickers from China to fuel my butterfly addiction. Many of these stickers can still be found on the bathroom wall, plastered firmly with love, innocence and childhood excitement. 

My final passion that still continues to this day is that of birds. To understand how I fell in love with these feathered creatures, you must know that I loved loved loved to spend my weekends browsing books at my local library. One fateful day, I was browsing again through the animals of the African savanna when I spotted a book that caught my eye. It was Birds of British Columbia by R. Wayne Kennedy and Gregory Kennedy. Flipping through the pages, I was entranced by the sheer diversity of birds I could find in British Columbia. Like a love potion from Harry Potter, I fell deeper and deeper into the world of birds until I was fully captivated. I ended up having to get literally dragged out of my trance by the library staff telling me the library was about to close. From then on my life was about to be changed, literally!

My favourite photo to date!

It took over 2 years for my birding passion to fully materialize, and before I knew it, I was regularly ranting to my teachers, friends and family about different bird species and places that I could find them. To this day, I still feel bad for them because of the relentless babbling they had to endure... Well, technically my parents still have to endure this periodically haha. By the age of 10, I had joined online birdwatching forums and began to start a "life list", which for non-birdy people is a list of all the bird species you've seen in your life. Birding had not only satisfied my craving for the outdoors, but also provided me a safe haven away from the struggles of life I would go through later on. I often like to refer birds as the bright lighthouse beacon that guides me through the stormy and unpredictable sea that is life. I'm eternally grateful for nature and the respite it provides to me and all humans on this planet. I  vow to work hard to give back to Earth through researching and spreading awareness about the need for conservation.

Halfmoon Bay, 2022

When people first meet me, they often think that I'm unfriendly, untalkative and boring. About half of that is true. Despite my extroverted and energetic energy as a child, I've grown a strong mold that has shielded me away from social interactions. I envy people that can socialize with just about anyone and make them feel comfortable, and I yearn to gain that quality some day. However, I'm more than willing to make conversation with anyone and become friends! Like my mother often says, life is like a train; always moving and never stopping for anyone, people will come and go - but always add to your experiences. For this reason, I'm always open for people to enter my life, even if it's temporary. Whether you know me personally or not, if you would like to connect with me, please reach out! Life will always go on, so make memories while you can!

A stunning rainbow 

To end this short introduction off, I would like to share a short poem:

Life is a journey, winding and long

A path we all must walk along

There will be hills and valleys to traverse

And obstacles that may make us swerve

At times the road will be smooth and clear

Filled with joy and love and cheer

Other times it may be bumpy and rough

But we must push forward, we must be tough

Every step we take, we grow and learn

We face our fears and bridges we burn

Each experience shapes us into who we are

A symphony playing a unique star

We make mistakes along the way

And sometimes fall and lose our way

But it's these moments that teach us the most

And help us bloom like a beautiful rose

So cherish every moment, every day

For life is precious, don't waste it away

Embrace the journey, wherever it may go

And let your heart and soul forever glow.

- Unknown Author

Howe Sound, 2022

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day. Stay tuned for more posts coming!

12/30/2024