Maria’s space

Thinking back on all the blogging that I have done this semester makes me think about how much I have grown.  At the beginning I was not looking forward to it but I really found it a great opporunity to write about anything I wanted.  I enjoyed looking for articles that sparked my intrest.  I also liked the freeedom of being able to write whatever.  It really did make me a better write because it allowed me to hae freedom of expression, which I often have trouble with.  It is hard for me to just write abut anything, getting a topic from the teacher I find easier but in blogging I discovered I could be creative and think of things to write. 

My three favorite blogs are:

1. Lethal Injection I liked this article because whenI read it I thought, WOW, what a great topic.  I think someone could write a really good essay on this and so in blogging about it, I was able to start some ideas as well as get responses from my classmates. It’s really cool when you pick a topic that gets some responses.  What I like about picking topics is that I can choose ones that I could be creative on if I had to write a lot about.

2. When I wrote about Global Warming I thought that this was one of my stronger blogs because this is something that I am passionate about, as you well know, It’s one of my favorites because I did some extra research to find an article that said something tat I really liked.  That’s what I like about blogging, you expand your noweledge on topics of intrest just by looking up some interesting facts.  It’s GREAT!!!

3. My last blog that I think is very good is the one about the Endangered Species.  I liked this one because I found it particularly easy to pose the question at the end, “What do you think”.  It’s a topic that you don’t need a lot of background information on to have an opinion and the article is an easy read.  I also like that it really let’s readers know the serious threat to these animals and ways to help, or things that need to be stoped in order to help these animals survive. 

There was a post that I, now looking back on, do not find a good job.  It was my post on Slam Poetry.  There are two things that I could have done to make this better post.  One is writing more in depth, it’s very short and I don’t know if I gave good enough background or information to let readers know about it.  The second thing that I should have done is an example.  That would have been really good.  If I could redo that post this is what I would change to make it stronger. 

In conclusion, I find that the blogosphere is a great place.  Here you can explore what others write, in our class, I found it great to be able to respond or just read what my classmates write about.  It’s cool to me that they sometimes write the same way as I do and sometimes they have totally different opinions which is good because it lets me see the issues in a different way and sometimes opens my eyes to facts that I had no idea about.  Salon.com was the best site to visit because you could look at articles or blogs.  You could easily search around and find out information on just about anything and I really liked this.

I probably won’t kep blogging after this but I have to say it was a good expierence and I am glad that it was a part of our class. Goodbye to everyone!! Have a great summer!!

Ciao,

Maria Furforo

Since summer vacation is less than a week away I thought that I would write my last blog on vacations.  I searched for recent articles on google and found vacation spot that I will be sure to visit soon.  There were so many neat facts in the article about tourism as a huge money maker.  Did you know Costa Ricans, or Ticos, have embraced eco-tourism as a major source of income. So many opportunities for adventure and cozy quarters are offered throughout the country it is impossible to explore them all in less than two weeks. Active South America gives you a sampler of the best the country has to offer at a price that could not be duplicated by the independent traveler. More than 25% of national land is protected in 27 national parks and 8 biological reserves, as well as 63 wildlife refuges. There are 27 private refuges that serve as biological corridors for wildlife. The country itself is a land bridge linking North and South America. Although Costa Rica covers only .03% of the earth’s surface, it provides habitat for 4% of the world’s estimated 13-14 million species of flora and fauna. Multiple changes in altitude and temperature create micro-climates that are responsible for the country’s renowned bio-diversity.  Each day brought fresh discoveries and new challenges.    A nice warm climate can do amazing things for a country.

This was the information on my favorite spot, one that I will be sure to visit.  At La Fortuna, the adventure capital of Costa Rica, nestled at the base of Arenal Volcano, we split up. The stalwart embarked on a six hour hike through the cloud forest along the Rio Celeste River topped by a swim in a frosty crater lake. Others went for a chest-thumping eight-run zip line glide through the lime-green tree canopy. I did a bit of birding on an intermediate hike to a lava flow that took place in 1992. One of the beauties of this trip is that people with disparate interests and different energy levels can find the perfect option for any given day. We reunited in the afternoon for a plunge at the base of a staggeringly beautiful waterfall, capped off with a soak in an elaborate labyrinth of pools ranging from polar plunge to 102 degree melting pot at Baldi Hot Springs. By all accounts by those who made the big hike, it was daunting, but worth it to spend the day immersed in green. 

Hopefully this summer everyone goes to their own little vacation spot, it may be to your favorite spot in your hometown but I hope we all find peace and adventure this summer!