Journal

**Journal 1:**
I am Aubrie and I am sixteen years old. I live in Chaska Minnesota with my father, mother, and brother. I currently to go to school at Sobriety High School West. I like to travel and spend time with friends and family. I love animals and have a 1 year old dog named CoCo. I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate from high school. I am intelligent, caring, feisty, opinionated,and friendly. My best friend is Ellyn and she is very important to me. I have a boyfriend of a year, Wes, and he is also very important to me. My family is the most important aspect of my life.

**Journal 2:**
I work about 12 to 21 hours a week. I really dislike my job but am to afraid to quit, due to the current state of our economy. My boss does not appreciate all the time and hard work I put into my job. I am rarely late and will come in to work if they need extra help. There is absolutely no jobs available out there that I would be interested in. During the summer, I have the opportunity to work at my mother's clinic. I am very excited for this chance and I am going to work really hard to prove that I earned my position. I hope by working for my mom, I can earn some extra money, have fun going to work, and have my hard work appreciated.

**Journal 3:**
I feel like the weather has been driving me crazy. I do not like the rain and the past couple days it has rained a lot. Today, it is warm but there are puddles everywhere and nasty little worms. I don't like the smell that rain brings either. My dad is excited for the rain so that our yard will return back to normal. I feel like summer cannot come fast enough. I am very excited to sleep in and bring in the nice weather. I have a pool in my backyard and I enjoy laying out and getting a tan during the day. If i get hot, I can jump in the pool and cool off quickly. I also enjoy summer because there is no stress. All I have to worry about it my job and taking care of myself.

Journal 4:
I really enjoy traveling with my family. Each year, my family and I take a trip to Disney World. It has been a tradition from before I was born. Even though we went every year, it never seemed to get old because there is so much to do. We travel to Florida at least twice a year because my mom's family lives in the "pan handle". Recently, we have been flying down there for Christmas and the 4th of July. My parents are building a house about an hour south of my grandma's house. I was considering going to college down south but I have not yet made a decision. I would like to go to school where it is warm but I would also like to stay close to my friends. In the end, I need to make the best decision that will benefit me the most.

Journal 5:
I wish that money grew on trees. I am constantly running out of money because I buy things I don't need. It is very frustrating when a couple days after pay day, I'm dead broke. Although, I can argue that I don't get paid enough to do my job. If i learn to manage my money, I will have the ability to hold on to it for a longer period of time. When I want to buy something "dumb", I will remember that it all adds up. Buying fast food, coffee, and cigarettes takes up a lot of my pay check. By eating healthier at home, I will benefit myself by being healthier and spending less cash. My mom is sick and tired of my constant over-drafting. By thinking before spending, I will build up trust with my Mom so she is not worried about me spending money I don't have.

Journal 6:
I am starting to get very frustrated with being sick. Every time I recover, I get sick again with something else. I am beginning to think that I have a very weak immune system. I am getting very behind in school and it is a pain. I know that if I quit smoking, it would increase my chances of a full recovery. Although, I do not have a lot of self will and am unsure if I could quit or not. My brother quit and has not smoked a cigarette for over 4 months. When I asked for his advice, he told me try and quit smoking when I'm sick because you have less of a desire to smoke. I agree with him and really want to try and quit because I know it will benefit me in the long run. My mom performs acupuncture and says she can also provide me with a treatment to quit smoking.

Journal 7:
I really enjoyed this course. I was interested in taking psychology courses in college so this gave me a little insight into what it will all entail. I enjoyed journaling because I love to write. It comes easy to me and I have always considered a career in journalism. I thought the material in this course was very interesting. I found some things to be difficult but I always asked for help and made my way through them. The research project was kind of fun to do because it revealed a lot of information about others. All in all, I really enjoyed everything and I thought it was all organized and very well put together. I do not have any negative comments.