Then, Now & Later

Hey everyone, or how we would say it from Guam, Hafa Adai! My name is Vincent Salas.

Taking it back to middle school (I'm in the back)

To simply start I had an interesting past, and of course like most things, it had its ups and downs. I was born in Guam and was raised there until my dad was stationed elsewhere. From Guam our new station was to Virginia, where I spent my elementary days. Then off to the place where pizza, mopeds, and castles are well known, Italy, a place where I have seen a lot, not just what my surroundings had to offer but my middle school. Most of everyone's life changing experience happens during the middle school years, and yes indeed, this was a time where I experienced them all. From friendships, to heartbreaks, the whole drama package, but we all go through it sometime in our life, and it happened to be mine, a time when I started having more freedom, and started to make my own decisions. Then my eighth grade year I moved from Italy, to the golden coast, where there is mostly sunshine and a lot of "California Girls" who are unforgettable, like Katy Perry would say. So coming from an island full of Chamorros, to Virginia Beach that had a big percentage of African Americans, to the infamous boot full of Italianos, and now Oxnard, with a big influence of the Spanish culture, I can say I experienced A LOT of cultures!

Pacifica High School c/o 2010

Today, I am in my first week of college, and I am finding it just a little difficult to move from the High School life to the Adult, make your own decisions, college life. Of course I love the freedom, but starting to rely on myself instead of my parents, can be difficult. I am starting to recognize that these Professors do not play! However, college is a fun experience, and like the rest of my life, it will fly by, and next thing I know, I am a wiser and older adult with a career of my dreams. Well in continuation of myself right this moment, I am not afraid to say that I am a proud gay, 17 year-old, college student. I spent many years withholding myself, not showing who the true Vincent was. People's opinions, thoughts, and comments, always prevented me from being who I truly was. I always had to fit in with the "in" crowd and please people, but I recently learned that life is too short to start pleasing people. So I started living life as if tomorrow would never come. And I can proudly say that life is GREAT! Like the famous saying goes, when life throws lemons…you make lemonade, or you can throw it back, but I won’t waste my time!

 

The Fashion World

My future...now that's a tough topic. As a young adult I have many ideas of what I want to be, who I want to become, and what things I want to have, the whole nine yards. But as of right now, right this second, I am really interested in the fashion/business world! Have you ever seen "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" or "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" or even “Daddy’s Girls”? If not, just picture a world full of fashion, and business, and decisions that keep you on your toes, that can either hurt you or help you in the future. A world you have to love to enjoy. I love the risks. Therefore, after I finish my two years, and get my General Ed. I will, apply to both the Art Institute and FIDM. And location is a really big issue through my mind. Choosing a place that you would love to live and trying to find a place where your future career could possibly be is tough for my age, well at least for me. But like any other kid my age, I have dreams; it is just up to the decisions I make today that will affect its outcome. Who knows where I will end up or where any of us would be a couple years from now...we will just have to "do what we do" meaning do what we think is best for us, and find out!

(I was playing around and decided to add some links to some good songs that I love, and I find them very inspirational.)

Still Standing-Monica (A song about suviving, through thick and thin, nothing can bring you down!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWyG39k_0Jg&feature=related

Fly Above All the Haters-Kandi (Yes the word "haters" may be seen as a slang term and yes it may seem inappropriate, but its not. It has a message of ignoring everything negative said and thrown at you, and just living YOUR OWN life. Something I barely learned to do.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnWsvcOtVYQ