Assignment 8- Davis Mattingly-

Fears: Spiders, secretly having a disease a rare incurable disease no one could possibly discover until it was already too late, being alone, the dark
Annoyance: silence, people who tell me to "just suck it up" when I complain
Accomplishments: plays I've been in
Confusions: why highschoolers think they can act Like That
Sorrows: Organization, time management
Dreams: Travel, profession in marine biology
Idiosyncrasies: I'm usually calm in most situations
Risks: Getting my driver's license. Me behind the wheel is always a risk
Beloved Possessions: A painting made by a penguin from Newport Aquarium
Problems: Writing :)

For my birthday earlier this month, my mom would be out of town for about a week. So, we decided that the weekend before she left, we’d do something to celebrate. Knowing my love for all things marine biology, she found an overnight stay at Newport Aquarium, where we would get to see the usual tour, as well as some behind-the-scenes information about the animals and how they were cared for. It was a dream come true for me, as I’ve always been extremely interested in marine life and how they’re cared for. Even better, after learning about their coral propagation chamber and the species of fish with teeth that can eat frozen vegetables, we got to settle in for the night, in the tunnel where the fish swim above you. When the lights went off for the night, there was still a single, tiny light above the tunnel, just enough to see the shapes of the various fish and cownosed stingrays swimming and dancing above me as I fell asleep. When I woke up, the tour, of course, quickly led us to the gift shop. I decided to actually buy something this time- a picture, painted by a penguin stepping in various paints, then onto the canvas. The penguin’s name was Green Bean. I don’t have a frame for the painting yet, but once I do, I plan to hang it above my bed.