Lesson plans phonics ing to 2nd grade

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/This_Musician7165 posting in TwoHotTakes
User account has since been deleted
Concluded as per OOP
2 updates - Medium
Original - 15th January 2024
Update in a comment - 16th January 2024
Final Update (Link no longer accessible)- 16th January 2024
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My Step Dad purposefully ruined my $900 prom dress by washing it! Is there anything I can do such as take legal?
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Edit: Sorry for some reason Reddit took my original post down. This is my first time using Reddit
’ve never posted on here, but I really need advice because I’m so distraught and have no clue what I should do I’m only 17 and don’t know if there’s any legal action I can take. So for a little background I live with my bio mom and her husband since my dad and mom separated and were never married. I originally lived with my dad since I was 2 he won custody during the custody battle. However he later lost custody of me after having a bad work accident that made him paralysed and he wouldn’t be able to take care of me but I still see him every weekend and the whole summer. I moved in with my mom and her husband and their two sons ,1 stepbrother and 1 half brother, when I was 10. And ever since then my stepdad basically directly and indirectly says that I’ve disrupted their lives by coming back into my mother’s life, because I’m an extra person they have to take care of.
I’ve been working since I was in 10th grade and saving up for my senior yeacollege since last year with the money from my job since my mom and her husband let me know that only my mom would only help me with the basics such as my graduation cap and gown, senior dues, and senior class photo. Anything else I would have to pay for myself such as prom.
I get paid about $400 every two weeks from my job which Ive been saving in full, and then making extra money doing nails about $100 a week plus tip which I use as my spending money. Since it’s my senior and last year of high school I’ve been wanting to go all out for prom so I set a $800 budget for my prom dress. My prom is in April and I wanted to get my prom dress early since most of the actual cute ones sell out quick. So I went prom dress shopping in December and found a beautiful dress that’s costed $890. It’s dark green with a long train with rhinestone imbedded into it with glitter in the dress.
When I first showed my mom and stepdad the dress they asked how much it was, which I told them the amount and my mom said that she wouldn’t be paying for a dress that expensive which I replied it’s okay because I have more than enough money saved up to buy it, and I’ll still have a lot of money left over (23k to be exact but only my mom knows that) mom said I could get the dress and that it was very pretty, however my stepdad said that it’s irresponsible and a waste of money and I should use it for better things like helping out the family and paying some of the bills. And get a dress cheaper that’s max $300. Mind you both his son’s own PS5 and multiple $200+ shoes.
Long story short my mom disagreed with him and I ended up getting the dress in the end and she even put $150 toward it.
However ever since then he constantly brings up that I help pay for things around the house since I have so much money to throw away but my mom always shuts it down saying that I work hard for my money to save it and I already help about with paying the Netflix, Amazon prime, and Hulu bills while my step brother (18) don’t pay anything.
Anyway last Saturday we got into a really big disagreement because my stepdad suggested I should help my step brother pay for his prom to which I responded with no. He later called me selfish and said that it’s not fair that I get an expensive outfit while he doesn’t. And I guess I said with in a snarky way I responded with that’s not my child or my problem. He later tried to complain to my mom and she said that I was right and that if anything he should pay for his own prom.
Well today when I woke up from a nap I noticed my prom dress was missing from my closet since it’s in the very front of my closet and looked around for it. I then asked my stepdad if he has seen it since my mother was at work. And he said he had, and in fact he was washing it, while giving me a condescending smile. I immediately ran downstairs and saw my dress being washed on the heavy duty cycle I immediately cancel it and it was ruined. Majority of my rhinestones came out and the glitter was washed out the whole dress had been mangled.
I took one look at it and then threw it a trash bag and left for my friends house with the dress. I texted my mom and sent her pictures but I’m currently at my friends house and laying on her bed. My friends parent hanged it outside to allow it to air dry so my stepdad can’t put the blame on them if the dried it in the dryer. What makes me know he did to spite me because he never washes clothes, cooks or anything since “he’s the man of the house so he shouldn’t have to”, so there was no viable reason he could have for washing it, even if it needed washing.
Is there anything I can do? I know neither of them can replace being they are tough financial situation? I’ll update you guys when mom gets home. So far my stepdad has called 2x but I haven’t answered him. And my mom’s at work and can’t receive calls.
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Comments
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Fancy_Association484
My heart hurts for you. Get him to admit it over text then file small claims court.

OOP: He’s not gonna admit I don’t think imma try to get audio but we also have cameras with audio imma try and use them when my mom gets off

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Rhodin265
I didn’t see this suggested, but since you’re paying for the streaming services, change your passwords and log out all devices. Giant toddlers don’t get their tanties rewarded with their stepkid’s Netflix.
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Fromashination
It would be a dastardly shame if Step Dad's favorite shoes were accidentally left on the porch in the snow all night.
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Update - 1 day later
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Edit 1:I don't know how to add updates so imma just add an edit but my mom and me just got off the phone and she's pissed and otw home. She's currently otw home so me and my friend and her dad are otw to my house and my mom said she was gonna call the cops as soon as she get off the phone so they may be there by the time I get there. We've taken pictures and the uncle (my mom brother) will be over there by 8 bc I contacted him while at work. I've listened to all your suggestions about withdrawing my money out of my account so I thinking and I talked to my dad about that as well and told me I can stay with him
Edit/Update 2:When I got home my friend stayed in the car while her dad walked me in, and my step dad was already gone. However police were at the house. As of now police said they can’t really arrest him because it’s not like he broke the law of stealing (I don’t know how to explain it basically this theft isn’t breaking the law bc he washed it and didn’t keep it) they suggested I can get a confession and get him to pay or take him to small claims court. Also the dress is non refundable if damaged so I can’t return it or anything. While explaining to my mom what happened I kinda fumbled my words and started crying and she hugged me as I cried. And she said that he’s gonna pay for this, this financial issue has actually been a on going disagreement and I think he just pulled the last straw bc she is PISSED. Also I talked to my uncle and he’s actually off work and over his way over here.
Him and my stepdad apparently have a rough history since my dad has had a smart mouth towards him in the past. While explaining to my uncle what happened he said that it would be alright and if anything he’ll buy back the dress before it sells out, so I’ll have my dress by prom but he does expect my step dad to pay me back one way or another so I’m basically probably gonna get my dress for free. Maybe that’s a little win. I’ll update more probably later tonight. But things seem to be good.
Edit: Also to clear up some confusion I pay the streaming service bills bc I really want to watch the shows on those services and my mom works hard but doesn’t make enough to have those services on top so I’ve offer to pay them so we could have them. She not a horrible “I’ll pick my husband over you” mother and she always defend me and he’s never pulled a stunt like this just tries to convince her to control my money and savings. And she’s never spent my saving either. I feel like thats why they always clash because he has a mindset of we have all these financial troubles and your daughter could solve them with her savings and you have access to them.
Edit/Update 4: Okay so my uncle came over and he and my mom had a little argument bc he blamed her for enabling my stepdads behaviour by not leaving him and thats why he felt comfortable to do what he did. And she argued back saying she always defended me against him and has never taken any of my money (which is true). We all talked about it a bit and she revealed that last night they had actually had a argument about paying off a car payment because she made a comment about how all these bills are taking a toll on her, and he made a comment about how it wouldn’t be that much of a toll if she used my savings and didn’t allow me to spend it on foolishness and she got mad and defensive bc he keeps bringing it up.
He also said that the $900 I spent could’ve payed off that car payment for the next 2 months. Btw he only know about my savings because he know how’s much I get paid and that I’ve been saving all of it. So we think that’s what triggered him to throw my dress in the washer.
My mom and stepdad has also been texting back and fourth and he admitted that he washed it to teach me a lesson that I shouldn’t spend that much money on a dress that can be destroyed that easily but he put the setting on heavy duty so he obviously intended to destroy it. My uncle has also offered to replace the dress so I don’t need to worry about not getting to wear my special dress. We called the boutique and explained it to them and they say they can order another dress although it won’t be there until Feb 23 which fine tbh.
My mother sent my step dad a long threatening message basically calling him out shes kinda heated rn so imma try and ask for a screenshot later. Her and my father also spoke and decided that it’d be best that I get my own bank account so that my step dad can’t use the excuse that she has access to my account so that’s also great. My mom and I had a talk about what gonna happen after this and she said shes not sure as of just yet bc it’s all a little too much for her bc she seriously contemplating leaving him, but i guess she don’t wanna actively discuss that right now. Also my stepdad is currently at a friends house. I’ll continue to update possibly may get one tomorrow. My friends parent are gonna keep the dress over their house and imma pick it up tomorrow to have as proof.
Edit:I apologise for not being to update since Reddit took down my post because of a “no walls text rule” that I was unaware of but it’s all good now
Edit/Update 5: My uncle has transferred me $1000 for my prom dress and I’m actually planning on using the money for replace the dress and buy new shoes. He’s very well off, which was one reason I contacted him in the first place.
So I plan on just calling the boutique and seeing if they can reorder it and I’ll just pick it up from there sometime in February. However my step-dad still must pay in some form, or at least we are trying to get him to. My uncle has called my other uncles and aunts (with my permission) to basically vent about the situation.
So majority of my mom side who all live in GA knows about what happened. I woke up to a lot of text about the situation given sympathy, as well as money to have for prom which have totalled to about $300. So this is great. My mom has also contacted my step-in-laws who then spread the news with pictures and I guess most of them are shocked as well other than his mother his is buying his claim that it’s just a dress and it was a accident despite evidence. I got a call from my step-dad sister sympathising for me.
And through conversations with I learned that my step-dad has also been asking a lot of his family to help him with his finances. Because for some reason the dude has bought so many things to pay off he can’t keep up with them.
My mom called my step-dad for answers which we recorded. And he’s basically trying to blame her bc if she didn’t piss him off last night then he wouldn’t have done it. And that he was trying to show me why I shouldn’t be irresponsible with money bc I guess he planned to lecture afterwards.
Also my mom has broken up with him bc he blamed her for caring more about me than him, which is weird. Which ensured in a argument with her saying “you think i care about her more than you, your gonna see just how much I do”
Also they’ve been on a rocky relationship since he can’t manage money and this was her breaking point.
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Comments
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TaffyAppl
Just saw this update!! Now that you have the text, please show the police as confession as destruction of property and/or take him to court to pay for it. It’s not fair to your uncle. Once you get your step dad to pay up, you can pay your uncle back. Girl Good luck!
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sherbear97124
What your step-dad did is called malicious mischief and is a crime. With the confessions and proof, there probably is a case. Just know that because of the monetary value, it's most likely just a misdemeanor charge. Regardless, you definitely have a small claims case against him. Sadly, by the sounds of his financial affairs, you'll be lucky if he ever pays, but it's still worth pursuing. Good luck!
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Update - same day later
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Edit/Update 6: Sorry to post on here Reddit keep telling me to try again later so sorry again
Okay so a lot of bs has transpired. Firstly we’ve place an order for my dress, and they are shipping it now and it should be at the boutique by Feb 23 so all that is taken care of. My SD and mom are officially broken up and my mom said she doesn’t now if she’ll move on with divorce proceedings yet bc everything is still fresh and lawyer are expensive and she can’t afford it rn.
Also they have a prenup so they don’t share assent and the house is my mother dad house she inherited (she had a different dad than all her siblings and all her siblings share a dad).
So my step father showed back up with his brother after a while and my step father decided to do and buy me a new dress from Macy that looks similar to dress in color and length but it’s very tacky and ugly. And look nothing like the original.
He then tried to apologise and said it wasn’t his intention to ruin the dress. he said that he was simply gonna wash it and say “see this is why you don’t buy things like this” and then he would’ve bought me another dress…. But that’s make absolutely no sense.
Also my uncle came back to my house after I texted him my step dad came back (he was at the store) and they got into a big argument where basically my uncle demanded to know why he destroyed the dress
And my step dad said he not gonna walk up in his house demanding shit, and my uncle called him a bitch. And then my SD said to call him a bitch again which he did and they ended up fighting. (My SD lost) he threatened to call the cops but we reminded him that he swung first
After that my step dad went on a tirade and cussed us out and left and took the dress with him.
We are actually planning on taking y’all advice and taking him to small claims court given the evidence and the damage. And hopefully we win. Also my SD is staying at his parents house currently.
Lastly for all curious about my brothers they are 15 (half) and 18 (step) .The 15 was at his girlfriend house since Friday so he wasn’t home for any of the commotion but did reach out to me today, I love him so much. And the 18 year basically sided with his dad so that all there is to say.
Also those who suggested changing the streaming’s passwords I have change them. And me and my mom are gonna get me my own bank account later today. Thank you guys for all the support I’ll continue to update as thing come and our plans of action and the verdict and all
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Comments
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I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP.
Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments

As the title suggests, i am quite young, not sure i should share my exact age though. I am not trying to brag,
I have always been incredibly smart, and found many gifted classes too easy in my childhood, eventually to the point i viewed them as nothing more than extra work for the same boredom for 40 minutes(this will relate a bit later). And in any classes that weren't specifically for gifted students, i could normally keep my head down the entire lesson with headphones on, and glance over at what we were doing and understand it almost entirely, this kind of talent and ability left me completely without any need to study for the first 10 years of school, and as such, i never learned HOW to properly study, after about 4th grade, i decided to deny teacher requests to move me into gifted classes altogether, because i didnt want the extra homework for in my mind, the same amount of learning. I think this may have impacted me, because i find myself constantly worrying if it would have helped my future if i were to be in these classes.
I studied human behavior and earth science as well as physics from an incredibly young age, if i can remember as young as 5, and have always enjoyed math, i remember being able to do my sister's math homework in my head, which was four grade levels above me, and until incredibly recently, i hadn't learned a single new thing in math, or science classes, since i was in 1st grade.
I've tried to take multiple free IQ tests(dont judge me im broke) and well i know these aren't always accurate in measuring intelligence overall, i maxed out two of them, and got the second highest score possible on the third. Often times i feel like i am some sort of anomaly, and everybody else is an idiot around me, and i know this isnt necessarily true, and each person has their own talents, it seems like i am better than most people at just about everything.
Overall, i know i am smart, and i have always been talented in anything logic, or thinking, and i am confident in my own capabilities, however, i am starting to worry that my lack of development in terms of actual learning skills, may have a devastating effect on my high school career and into college, i am as my name suggests, planning on going into animation despite my zero skills in art, so i dont know how much studying will help in an animation college, but i am incredibly worried for my high school career!
P.S: if this post is weirdly written, or doesn't make sense at some parts, first off sorry for bad punctuation, second off, sorry for the bad writing, i hate going through and polishing text blocks.

Hi,
Sorry if this is an inappropriate ask, but I'm wondering if anybody could help! I'm a history teacher who is planning a lesson looking at current Native American culture for a Year 7/6th Grade class. I want to explore, to an extent, the impact that historical trauma still has on Native American people today. I'm wondering if anybody could point me in the direction of testimonies from Native American people I could use as source material in the lesson? Again, my apologies if this is an inappropriate ask!

Chapter Two - Part One
First Half
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Outposts sprang up on Mercury and the moons of the Kuiper Belt, each a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance. The harsh landscapes of these worlds posed new challenges, but they also offered new resources and opportunities. The ability to leap across the galaxy using faster-than-light travel encapsulated the dark, relentless drive of the human spirit to explore, expand, and survive.
The network of colonies became interconnected, serving as launch pads for further exploration. The new FTL technologies transformed the galaxy into a neighborhood rather than an infinite wilderness. Each jump through space brought humanity closer to its neighbors in the cosmos, for better or worse.
The universe, once a vast, lonely place, was now a landscape of potential new homes and new challenges. As humanity spread out from the Solar System to the stars, the stage was set for new conflicts and new stories, written not in the light of the Sun but in the starlight of distant worlds.
__________________
Humanity's march to the stars was driven by necessity and survival, stark against the backdrop of Earth's dwindling resources and rising conflicts. After World War I, the foundational theories of rocketry emerged, setting the stage for the later technological leaps that would propel humans into space. The brutal rivalry of the Cold War accelerated these advancements, pushing the Soviet Union and the United States to compete in the space race, a silent war fought with satellites and lunar landings.
The practical applications of these early missions were not just about planting flags but also about testing human limits and technologies in the harsh environment of space. The moon landings of 1969 were a global spectacle. Yet, they also underscored the sheer isolation and vulnerability of human life suspended in the cosmic void.
As the decades rolled on, the international focus shifted from competition to cooperation. The space shuttle program symbolized this new era, with nations coming together to build the International Space Station and to send joint missions to Mars. These efforts turned sci-fi dreams into reality—establishing bases on the moon and sending manned missions to Mars laid the groundwork for future colonization.
The drive to inhabit Mars and the moon grew out of a blend of fear and fascination. Habitats expanded into fully functioning colonies, tapping into local resources to create self-sustaining environments. Technologies developed for extracting water and producing air on these barren worlds were critical for long-term survival.
In the shadows of these achievements, the Alcubierre Warp drive emerged as a revolutionary breakthrough, allowing humanity to leapfrog across vast stellar distances in a blink. The UNV Pathfinder and its sister ship, the UNV Exploration, were equipped with this technology to reconnect with colony ships sent out decades earlier in the Great Exodus. These vessels carried not just new drives but also vital updates in agriculture, medicine, and communications to ensure the colonies could thrive.
Each successful mission with the warp drives was a lifeline, not only physically connecting distant colonies to Earth but also weaving a web of interstellar human culture. Resources and knowledge flowed freely, bolstering each colony's chance of success. These ships were built to endure the extremes of space. They were equipped with advanced life-support systems and autonomous navigation, and they were fortresses navigating the unknown.
Meanwhile, Earth and its solar system colonies were pushed further into space. Massive construction projects like O'Neal Cylinders and space elevators dotted the celestial landscape, marking human progress in the cosmos. Each colony, from Mars's rugged plains to the cloud tops of Venus, developed its distinct culture and identity, united by their shared heritage and mutual challenges.
Space travel was fraught with hazards. Asteroids and solar flares were just the beginning; the cosmos was a place of deep unpredictability and danger. Despite these risks, during this era, not just hundreds of thousands but hundreds of millions of people chose to leave Earth. They embarked on journeys aboard new colony ships. These immense vessels were comparable in size to or even surpassed the O'Neal Cylinder habitats in scale. These ships were behemoths, carrying the very essence of Earth and the seeds of future colonies.
The exodus reached systems like Alpha Centauri A and B, Proxima Centauri, Sirius A and B, Barnard's Star, Luyten 726-8 (BL Ceti and UV Ceti), Ross 154 (V1216 Sagittarii), and Wolf 359. These stars became the bedrock of the United Nations of Sol, the precursor to what would be known as the "Human Sphere." It was a time of unprecedented growth and prosperity for humanity, expanding further than ever before in its history.
As humans settled in these new worlds, they faced not only the physical challenges of new environments but also profound isolation and the psychological burden of being light-years away from Earth. Each colony developed its own way of life, adapting to the unique conditions of their new worlds. The challenges of establishing a foothold in these alien places were immense. Local resources were harvested, and technologies were adapted to create habitable atmospheres and viable ecosystems.
Communication between the colonies and Earth was sparse, limited by the vast distances. Each message took years to travel, even at the speed of light, making each colony effectively isolated in its own right. This isolation led to a variety of cultural evolutions and deviations from Earth's norms, which in turn led to a tapestry of diverse human experiences spread across the stars.
The technologies that allowed these pioneers to travel to and settle new worlds were monumental. Fusion drives, quantum computers, and terraforming equipment were standard on these ships. Life aboard the colony ships was a mix of awe at the cosmic vistas and the mundanity of daily life in confined spaces. Generations were born and died in transit, with only stories of Earth as their legacy.
Each new home was a gamble against the cosmos, and not all were successful. Some colonies failed tragically, and their populations were lost to space or were unable to survive in harsh new environments. But for every failure, there was a story of remarkable success and resilience. The human spirit, driven by a need to explore and expand, thrived in adversity. Humanity never gave up and, over the next century, continued to send colonists to each of these star systems and began the process of colonizing each system.
In the stark expanses of space, every new settlement humanity attempted was a stark challenge against the cosmos, and the failures were as common as the successes. Many colonies were lost—whole populations vanished into the void or succumbed to the inhospitable climes of unfamiliar planets. Despite these setbacks, for every outpost that fell, others sprang up in defiance of the odds, showcases of human resilience and determination.
This relentless push into the unknown was not powered by naïve optimism but rather a hardened will to forge a path, wherever possible, to lay claim to the stars themselves. Humanity's spirit, unbroken by repeated failures, continued to drive its expansion across galaxies. Over the decades, this resolve only hardened as each failed colony became a lesson in survival, a step towards mastering life in the cosmos.
The stark realities of space tested human resolve to its limits. Beyond the safety of the Solar System, the universe emerged not just as a vast place of exploration but as a harsh environment of extreme conditions and existential threats. The initial failures taught valuable lessons in logistics, life support, and sustainable living on alien soil, which were crucial for future endeavors.
Colonization efforts became more sophisticated over time. Humans developed technologies that could convert inhospitable terrains into somewhat livable habitats. Advanced terraforming equipment and life-support systems became standard in new colonies. These tools represented more than mere survival mechanisms; they were symbols of humanity's unyielding quest to inhabit the stars.
As colonies spread further into the galaxy, each new venture was underpinned by an increasingly detailed understanding of interstellar travel and survival. The experiences gathered from every failed settlement informed the next, creating a cumulative body of knowledge that bolstered human persistence. The drive to expand took on a rhythm of its own, a cycle of trial, error, and success that slowly but surely extended the reach of human civilization.
This cycle was reflected in the evolution of colonial policies and technologies. From the early days of rudimentary habitats to the development of massive, self-sustaining complexes that could house thousands, the growth was palpable. Each successful colony served as a proof of concept for the next. With each launch, humanity's footprint in the galaxy grew larger.
The colonies themselves varied wildly—a testament to human ingenuity and the diverse environments encountered. Some were burrowed into asteroids, others sprawled across red Martian sands or nestled in the volatile cloud tops of Venus. Each presented unique challenges and required bespoke solutions to make them habitable.
Interstellar ships, equipped with the latest in warp drive technology, ferried resources between these colonies. They were lifelines essential for maintaining the flow of essential supplies and personnel. These vessels were also carriers of culture and connection, linking distant humans across the void of space.
Despite the vast distances and slow communications, a network of human presence began to stitch together disparate points of light into a coherent tapestry of colonies. This network was more than a mere chain of outposts; it was the backbone of a burgeoning interstellar society—a network that held potential not only for survival but for a new era of human prosperity.
However, this expansion was not without its darker aspects. The harsh conditions of space required strict governance and often harsh penalties for breaches of colony protocol. Life in these new worlds was rigidly structured, a necessity to maintain order in environments where even a small mistake could be fatal.
Each new settlement was a dice roll against the vast uncertainties of space, and many did not survive. Failures were frequent; entire colonies vanished into the void or succumbed to the inhospitable conditions of their newfound planets. The loss of life was substantial, casting a shadow over the ambitious interstellar expansion efforts. However, each disaster also hardened the resolve of those who remained. The cumulative knowledge gained from these failures informed future endeavors, refining the protocols and technologies needed to endure and thrive in alien environments.
Despite the high stakes and frequent setbacks, human resolve remained unshaken. The determination to push forward, to establish a foothold in the cosmos, was fueled by necessity and the innate human drive to explore. As each failed colony became a lesson learned, the strategies for survival evolved. More robust life support systems were developed, and habitats were designed to be more adaptable to the unpredictable conditions of new worlds.
The stark reality of these endeavors was that many who left Earth would never return. They journeyed knowing the risks—trading the safety of their home planet for the promise of a new start on distant, uncharted worlds. This was the cost of progress, paid willingly by those driven by a vision of humanity's future among the stars.
With each new wave of colonists, technology and experience accumulated, reducing the risks and increasing the chances of success. Ships became more advanced, equipped with better navigation systems and life-support capabilities. Colonization techniques also improved, with genetic engineering playing a crucial role in adapting human physiology to extraterrestrial environments.
The harshness of space demanded a relentless pursuit of efficiency and sustainability. Resources were scarce, and logistical challenges were immense. The vast distances between colonies meant that each had to be largely self-sufficient. Communication lags, sometimes spanning years, forced these communities to develop a high degree of autonomy.
Over the centuries, this relentless expansion forged a new breed of human. These spacefarers were tough, adaptable, and fiercely independent. Their lives, spent on the frontier of human existence, were a testament to the species' tenacity. They cultivated their new worlds, turning barren landscapes into bustling colonies. These settlements eventually grew into hubs of culture and technology, distinct yet still connected to their ancestral home by shared history and common humanity.
Yet, the expansion was not without its darker aspects. The isolation of distant colonies often led to psychological strain and societal breakdown. In some cases, governance structures collapsed under the weight of external pressures and internal conflicts. Pirates and marauders, drawn by the wealth of fledgling colonies, became a significant threat, leading to the establishment of militarized zones and the deployment of defense forces.
As humans adapted to life in space, they also had to contend with the presence of other sentient species. Initial interactions were cautious and fraught with tension and misunderstandings. Some encounters led to conflict, others to alliances. These relationships were complex, shaped by a mix of diplomacy, trade, and, occasionally, warfare.
Humanity's venture into interstellar space fundamentally transformed its cultural and identity landscapes. As humans spread across the stars, encountering diverse environments and nurturing colonies on planets ranging from Mars to far-flung systems, the challenges of survival and the ethical dimensions of expansion pressed hard on their collective psyche.
Values long held sacred on Earth were reevaluated in the face of new realities. The discovery of life—fauna and flora—on other planets during these colonization efforts marked a pivotal shift. While no sentient alien species were encountered, the existence of alien ecosystems was profound. It highlighted not only humanity's isolation in the cosmos but also its responsibilities.
On Alpha Centauri, the first successful integration of Earth's lifeforms with alien biomes set a precedent. Genetic manipulation technologies were refined, allowing Earth's organisms to coexist with and enhance these extraterrestrial habitats. Conservation efforts were paramount; preserving the integrity and diversity of alien ecosystems became a moral imperative as much as a scientific endeavor.
Each colony, from the red dust of Mars to the lush jungles of distant exoplanets, became a testbed for these principles. They were microcosms where human ingenuity, ethical considerations, and ecological stewardship intersected. Through these experiences, humanity did not just spread through space; it grew, evolved, and redefined what it meant to be human in the vast expanse of the universe.
Through all these trials, the human spirit's resilience shone brightly. Never deterred by the enormity of their challenges, humans continued to push the boundaries of their known universe. Each colony, each ship, and each life represented a thread in the vast tapestry of human endeavor in space—a relentless march toward an uncertain but ceaselessly pursued future.
Chapter Two
Beginning of Entry…
StarDate: Redacted
Perspective: Noah Stark
Species: Human, Humanoid Mammalian Species, no tail.
Description: 5 feet 2 inches [1.6 meters] to 6 feet 9 inches [2.1 meters] average height. 185 lbs [84 kilograms] average weight.
Longevity: 70 to 500-year life expectancy with life extension medical tech.
Unique Trait: Resilience and Indomitable Will.
Vessel: ICV The Argonaut
Location: New Eden Star Cluster
Noah, his gaze locked on the viewport, watched the ancient ship float aimlessly among the asteroids. The ICV The Argonaut, under his skilled control, edged closer, enabling the deployment of EVA suits for inspection. Behind him, his mother, Gwendolyn Stark, and his sisters, Jane and Joan, prepared for the walk, their movements a blend of anticipation and professionalism. The ship, a silent relic of a bygone era, revealed no signs of life, a fact confirmed by both Shinra Hinaba and Serenity, the Argonaut's AI.
This discovery, hidden among the celestial debris, was a treasure. It wasn't just a ship; it was a gateway to unparalleled recognition for the Shinra-Stark-Daiwa Mining Group. While the Argonaut and its crew focused on this historical artifact, the rest of the fleet mined the surrounding asteroids, harvesting resources critical for the survival of distant colonies.
Hinaba's voice, laced with a mix of excitement and concern, snapped Noah back to the present. "Focus, Noah!" she said, her fist-bumping Noah's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "We've got a lot riding on bringing this ship in intact."
"I know, I know! Just relax, Hinaba! I've got this," Noah assured her, his attention riveted to the controls. His reputation as the fleet's top pilot wasn't unfounded, a fact even the skeptical private military contractors had come to acknowledge. Almost as if summoned by their conversation, the Director's face appeared on the communications screen next to Hinaba, an uncanny timing that suggested he was closely monitoring their progress.
It was then that Director Shinra Senzo's image flickered onto the communications screen, his timing almost too perfect. "What's your status, Noah?" he asked, a brief glance toward his daughter betraying his deeper concerns. Despite his reservations about Noah's closeness with Hinaba, he was willing to see where their partnership might lead, a stance influenced by discussions with Noah's father.
"We're in!" Gwendolyn's voice crackled through the comms, marking their successful approach. But their moment of triumph was shattered by a distress signal, a desperate call cutting through the static. Elaine and Beth Frost, Noah's cousins, scrambled to decipher it, their faces etched with growing alarm.
After a tense moment, Beth's face drained of color, but it was Eliane who eventually shared the grim news, which was dire: "An unknown force has attacked New Eden. Their defenses are falling…" The weight of their words hung heavy in the bridge. An unseen adversary had breached the colony's defenses, leaving them vulnerable. The realization that any hope of immediate assistance from the USSA or SFR was weeks or even a full stellar month away if at all, underscored the gravity of their situation. With the defense fleet in ruins, their only hope lay with the ICV Ishimura, and the hired PMC mercenary group onboard, initially engaged to fend off pirates, might now be their only hope against this new and formidable threat.
Silence enveloped the bridge as the magnitude of the crisis dawned on them. They were alone, far from help, facing a threat of unknown proportions. Noah felt a tightness in his jaw, anger and resolve mixing in equal measure. The prospect of what lay ahead was daunting, yet there was no room for doubt. They had to act swiftly.
Gwendolyn's voice broke the silence, her command clear. "We need to act, and quickly. Our priority is the safety of this crew and ensuring we can lend aid to New Eden. Noah, plot a course back. We have to prepare for what's to come."
Hinaba, her usual levity gone, nodded. "We have the Ishimura, and we're not defenseless. Let's make sure we're ready for whatever's out there."
As Noah adjusted the ship's course, a sense of determined urgency took hold. They were heading back, not just to confront a threat, but to defend their home, their people.
Director Senzo's voice crackled through the communication channel, his tone tinged with impatience yet seeking reassurance. "It would be great to know what the status of your progress is, Noah," he pressed, his words carrying a sense of urgency.
Noah could sense the weight of expectation in Director Senzo's inquiry. Despite the pressure, Noah remained composed, and his years of experience in the field allowed him to maintain a calm demeanor even in the face of such scrutiny. With a steady voice, he replied, "We're making steady progress, Director. I'll provide you with a detailed update shortly."

He paused as he focused on the holo-Feed in front of him and analyzed the available data in real-time thanks to his military-grade holo-NeuralSyne Implant. "We're adjusting course," Noah replied, his tone firm yet marked by an undercurrent of urgency. "Heading back to New Eden. We'll be ready." 

In the silence that followed, a collective resolve fortified them. They were facing the unknown, as the derelict ship could bring untold bounty from within its hull.
Director Senzo's command carved through the static a clear mandate that reset their priorities. "Noah, before you depart the asteroid belt, I am dispatching a Porter Tug to commandeer the derelict ship. It's our top priority... Get that ship secure before you Skip Jump back to the ICV Argos-1. That is a Prime Directive!" His voice, a blend of authority and urgency, left no room for debate.
Noah, hands steady on the controls, glanced briefly at the communications panel. The weight of the directive pressed into him, a stark reminder of the stakes involved. He turned, catching the gaze of his crew, a silent signal that it was time to adapt their plan. The crew exchanged quick, significant glances, each understanding the gravity of the order. The derelict ship, an ancient relic floating among the asteroids, was not just another find—it was a piece of history, potentially holding untold knowledge and value. The directive from Director Shinra Senzo underscored its importance, not just to their mission but to the broader ambitions of the Shinra-Stark-Daiwa Mining Group.
Noah's mind went back over the meaning of what such an order entailed. Refusing to follow the directive would most certainly spell the end of his career. On one hand, he wanted to help those in need and who were under siege by an unknown force. The New Eden Star Cluster was not just a single system but a series of star systems in close proximity to one another. Noah and the rest of the ICV Argos-1 collective fleet were mining ore around Eden-159; currently, the planets were still being colonized, but in ten years, that would change. Our job was to mine ore to return to Eden-109, one of the 1,119 star systems in the New Eden Cluster.
The directive was clear: any new discovery in the outer rims of human space takes top priority above all other mandates, and the crew of The Argonaut was ready. Despite the risks, the potential rewards were too significant to ignore. As preparations for the operation began in earnest, the sense of unity and purpose among the crew was palpable. Each member knew their role and was prepared to execute it with precision. Noah Stark, standing firm at the helm, nodded sharply. "Understood, Director. We'll secure the derelict and rendezvous with the Argos-1 as planned." His voice was calm, a stark contrast to the racing thoughts behind his composed exterior. The task was daunting, yet his confidence in his crew's abilities was unshakeable.
Shinra Hinaba, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and concern, shifted in her search. Her fingers were already dancing across the console, setting up communication channels. Her role as the ship's specialist meant she was well-versed in the technicalities of such operations, and her confidence was discernible. "We'll need to coordinate with the tug. I can set up a direct comms link and guide their approach." Her voice, usually light and teasing in their private moments, now carried the professional edge of her role.
Gwendolyn Stark, the matriarch and seasoned explorer, nodded in agreement. "Time is of the essence. Let's secure that ship and make sure it's safe for the tug. We can't afford any delays." Her experience shone through, her demeanor calm yet commanding, rallying her children and the crew with a few choice words. "Everything is by the book. This ship could be a significant find for us," she stated, her voice firm.
Elaine, renowned for her cool demeanor under pressure, exchanged a glance of shared determination with Beth. With a nod, they moved to their stations, their movements precise and efficient, a testament to years of seamless coordination in the face of adversity.
Beth, known for her unwavering focus and quick thinking, shared a silent understanding with Elaine. Together, they pivoted to their respective stations, their synchronization seamless and instinctual. In the heart of chaos, their unity forged a stronghold of resolve, a beacon of stability amid the storm.
"We're on it, Mom," Elaine stated, her hands flying over her console, prepping the EVA suits for another walk.
Beth said decisively, "We'll be ready to assist the Tug team with anything they need." Beth nodded in agreement, both sisters moving to gather the necessary gear. Their well-honed skills in extravehicular activities made them indispensable for the task at hand.
Elaine intonated as she focused on the external sensors: "I'll keep an eye out for any debris or potential hazards for the tug. We don't want any surprises."
Grace Frost, the voice of strategy and foresight, considered the logistics. "Once the ship is secure, we'll need to plot a careful course back. The extra mass will affect our jump calculations."
Jennifer Stark, my youngest sister, a blend of youth and sharp intellect, nodded. Jennifer's hands moved to assist Shinra with the communications setup. Meanwhile, Jamie reviewed the ship's specs, ensuring they had all the data needed for a smooth operation. "Let's ensure we have all the data we need for a smooth operation," she said, her tone serious, betraying the gravity of their task.
Jamie Stark, also my youngest sister, focused on the ship's specs. Her hands moved deftly over the controls as she reviewed the data. "Absolutely," she chimed in, her voice steady as she continued her meticulous review. "We can't afford any oversights if we want this mission to succeed." Her words echoed Jennifer's sentiment, highlighting the importance of thorough preparation.
Jamie added, "I'll run a diagnostic on the derelict's structural integrity. We need to know it can withstand the jump."
Director Senzo's image flickered on the screen once more, a stern reminder of the urgency. "Even if you return now, the fleet can't make the FTL jump until all ships have returned to their hangars and docking bays. You have time to tug the derelict ship back to the ICV Argos-1."
Noah, absorbing every detail, finally responded. "Understood, Director. We'll secure the ship and ensure it's ready for the tug. Argonaut out." His voice, firm and confident, belied the racing thoughts of potential complications and the precision required for their new task.
The directive was clear, and the crew of the Argonaut was ready. Despite the risks, the potential rewards were too significant to ignore. As preparations for the operation began in earnest, the sense of unity and purpose among the crew was palpable. The bridge buzzed with activity, each member of the crew moving with purposeful speed. The Argonaut, once a silent observer among the stars, was now a hive of focused energy, ready to execute a directive that could very well shift the balance of their task. Each member knew their role and was prepared to execute it with precision. The arduous task of securing the derelict ship was directive from above; it was a challenge they were all eager to meet head-on.
"Let's get to work," Noah said, his gaze sweeping over his crew and his family. "We have a ship to secure." His statement, simple yet laden with unspoken responsibility, set them into motion, each person aware of the part they played in the intricate dance of space exploration and survival. Aboard the Argonaut, there was no room for doubt. Only action, determination, and the collective will to succeed in the face of the unknown. Then, they would make the FTL jump to Eden-109 to aid the colonists under siege.
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Hello! I am an Agricultural and Biosystems engineer. I started working as a senior high school teacher at DEPED on May 2 in a nearby school in our town. And I can say na mahirap pala, mahirap in a way na di mo alam ang gagawin mo, di mo alam ano dapat need na ipasa na papers and requirements, no direct instructions kung saan ka magkuha ng mga e lesson mo sa students. Like pagkadeploy ko, nagturo agad. I don't have any experience in teaching, I dunno how to make lesson plans and aside from teaching since alam ng principal salary grade mo bibigyan ka pa ng mga auxiliary work na which is 10 times more sa role mo as a Special Science Teacher I. They would also tend to scrutinize you since I'm just a fresh grad and yan na agad daw salary. May isa pa na teacher nagsabi "Ang swerte mo no, yung iba jan kahit 10 years na sa DEPED di parin makuha kuha ganyan na salary grade" so they will tend to give you a lot of work since ikaw may mas mataas na sahod. I'm just sharing this experience of mine and I hope siguro hindi lang ako ang naka experience ng ganito. Gusto ko lang talaga mag rant guys!!! Huhuhu kasi 1 week pa lang ako dito na school pero gusto ko na umalis. Nevertheless, I'm still grateful na may job ako and ganito salary natin however yung mental health naman natin yung maapektuhan.

I had lesson plans today that gave me instructions to ask other teachers that teach the same grade level if they needed my help with their prep, or anything else they might need, after my students had gone home and my own prep for the next day was done.
I ended up staying a few minutes past the very end of my shift to do what I feel is teacher assistant work, for other teachers that Im not assigned to sub for or assist. The teachers I helped def didn’t refuse my offer and gave me tasks to prep for their classes. It’s a long term assignment and all of the lesson plans, at the very end of the day, say the same thing. For me to offer to help other teachers with their work, even on minimum days! Haha
I’m curious what your guys thoughts are with this? Something about it feels sort of wrong hahah

Hi guys, this is my first job in sales, I'm currently on my 2nd month of trial period. B2C sphere, I sell packages of math lessons for children to their parents, the scheme works in such a way that parents pass a free demo lesson seeing the ads in social media, then they are shown the prices page, and if the parent does not make a purchase in half an hour after the end of the lesson we call with feedback from the teacher regarding the demo lesson and try to sell them a package.
The first month went well, I was making sales, I even came out on bonus, everyone was surprised I had no experience, felt confident.
Now this month I have almost no sales, although I feel like I've just honed my skills and started talking even more confidently to clients.
A lot of potential deals, planned second calls, I feel I manage to interest well, talk about the product, build relationships, make it so that I am perceived as an expert, I try to teach the client something - I took it from the challenger sale book . But sales are still not coming.
I don't want to blame it on the customers or that it's just a "bad season", because then I can't get any better.
So I would like to ask if anyone has been in a similar situation and what could be the reason?
I will be very grateful to absolutely any opinion, even the boldest one.

So this is a long one. Like, I'm going back over it and damn. This is longer than I thought it would be. Throwaway account, I've only made one other post to this relating to what's going on. Instead of updating the other post, I figured I'd make a separate one about the whole shit show I experienced, and the shit circus I uncovered and avoided. I'll try to keep this in as chronological an order as I can.
As the title says, my abusive/narc mom and pos/delusional/golden child brother started trying to reach out to me a few months ago wanting to make amends and build bridges with me again. There were a few people that commented on my previous post in another subreddit that may be a little disappointed in me for how I handled this, and a few that might enjoy that I handled it the way I did. Someone commented to not let them use my good nature. My nature is dependent on who I'm dealing with, and when it comes to that side of my family, I'm more stick than carrot. So their attempts did not go ignored, and did not go unpunished.
Growing up, I was always closer with my Dad than my mom. My brother was the epitome of "pampered mamma's boy". He started having seizures as a child and was diagnosed with epilepsy, which I thought was why my mom babied the absolute fuck out of him long into adulthood. He would go a year or 2 without any seizures, and then there would be a few months where he'd be having them every other day. At Anytime he got in trouble at home or school, my mom would find a way to blame me, for not making sure he knew whatever he was doing would get him in trouble, or she would blame my dad for not being "involved enough in their baby's life." My dad was in the Navy and I remember any time he'd deploy, I'd dread every day until he came back. My brother would taunt me that he knew whatever he did, I'd be the one to get in trouble for it. My dad would always make things up for me when he got back from his deployments though. We'd often have weekend trips just the 2 of us. And then around my 12th birthday, my mom insisted on sitting us all down and explain to that she and my dad were getting a divorce. We got the whole talk about how they still love us and they just can't be together anymore, etc. my dad told us both that he still loved us and he would be there for us whenever we needed him. He explained that he would be moving out, but he would be by to pick us up to spend the weekends with us. I was nervous and honestly scared of what it would be like without him. But I was looking forward to the weekend when I got to see him again. That never happened though, and that was the last time I ever got to see him.
Right before his weekend with us, my mom explained to us that my dad didn't want anything to do with us anymore. There was some news story about a father that killed his kids when he had custody of them and she used that to terrify my brother and convince him that our dad wanted to kill us to start his life over. We left damn near everything behind and moved in with my mom's brother in Florida (from Virginia) a couple days before my dad was supposed to come get us. After that, she went to great lengths to make sure we had no contact from him.
Years went on, my mom seemed more indifferent towards me than ever. She never seemed interested in anything I did unless my brother also seemed interested in it. She didn't show any interest in my wanting to learn guitar until my brother also showed interest in it. Then we got one guitar that we had to share, I'd take lessons on the condition that I taught my brother whatever I learned in them. My brother eventually wound up breaking the guitar and I was blamed for not storing it in the case it came with. I had to share my N64 with him whenever he wanted to play it. I was playing perfect dark one day and having a hard time killing the skedar leader at the end of the game. My brother burst into the room saying he wanted to play his MegaMan game, to which I just replied "give me a minute, this boss fight is hard, once I'm done you can have your turn" He didn't like that. He left the room and came back with a hammer and smashed the console while I was still playing. My fault for not letting him play it. The only thing I had that he could not use was a pair of roller blades my aunt got me for my 14th birthday. I specifically asked for roller blades to get around instead of a bike because my brother and I had different shoe sizes, so he couldn't wear them Because of constant shit like that, I never really put much value in having things growing up. I didnt want to buy something or get something as a gift just to have it fucked up in a few weeks or months. At some point, my "little" brother became the larger one, so my clothes all became "hand-me-ups" as he outgrew everything. So, because I didn't really have any distractions at home, I turned into a high achieving student, rarely got in trouble. made the honor roll all throughout school. But that wasn't something to celebrate as it was expected of me. I had long since decided that I was moving out as soon as I could once I turn 18. I got a job working at a Walgreens as soon as I could and started saving up for a car. My mom however took issue with this and would never agree to take me looking for one and absolutely refused to ever have it put on her insurance. This is where my Aunt comes in. She and her son are the only 2 on my mom's side that aren't some sort of degenerate. She had her son young, but put herself through college while raising him alone and eventually got her MBA and a cushy upper corporate job. She told me to tell my mom I had to go in to work on one of my days off, that she would pick me up and she would take me car shopping. So that's what we did. I couldn't quite afford a cash car, but she helped me with the financing. I put down what I had as the down payment, the arrangement she made with me was that 1- as long as I was in school, she would cover the insurance and payments for me, however, if I got into an accident, I was responsible for paying the deductable. And 2- as long as i was living with my mom, the car remained in her (Aunt's) name. And if anything happened to it, to let her know so she could get the appropriate authorities involved. My mom was PISSED when she found out I now had a car. Her reasoning (that she said in front of my aunt) was that she didn't think it was fair for one of us-either me or my brother- to have something the other couldn't use. Due to him being 13 and having epilepsy, he couldn't drive, so why should i have a car if my brother doesn't? That turned into a long shouting match between my mom and Aunt that basically ended with my aunt explaining that since it was her car, and all paperwork on her name, I was just on the insurance for it so I could drive it. But if anything at all happened to it while I was living at my Mom's, that the police and insurance companies would get involved. My mom still kept track of all the miles on the car to "make sure I was only going to work and school and wherever she told me I could go". Most of the time, when I hung out with friends, I wasn't the one driving. From that that point though, my mindset was very much "keep my head down and nose clean until I can leave." I graduated a month before my 18th birthday. After graduation, my mom and i got into an argument about me contributing to her bills. I eventually dropped the ball that I planned on getting back in touch with my Dad and leaving. She started laughing. Something about that laugh made me really uncomfortable. She then said "well, you can certainly meet up with him whenever you want! I'll supply the gun if you buy the bullet!" And told me my dad had died when I was 15. That. Fucking. Broke. Me. Later that night, i called my best friend and vented everything to him. He was in the DEP program for the Navy and would be shipping out in a few months, he told me to come by first thing in the morning and talk with him and his parents about the whole situation. I basically packed up all of my clothes and left the day after my 18th birthday. I just left my house key and a note that said "I'm not your problem anymore." I couch surfed for a little while until after my best friend left for boot camp, then I was able to move in and live with his parents (chosen parents basically). My only real rules were keep the house and my space clean and make sure I had a job and/or going to school. I spent a few months mourning my dad and kind of in a haze. Since he was in the Navy though, that meant I was reliable for financial aid for school. My second dad helped me get everything put together to start receiving that so I could start college.
Well, after a couple years of this, my brother, who had spent his time at school more as "forced socializing" instead of learning, was expelled from public schools for allegedly setting off a fire extinguisher in a classroom. He had to enroll at an alternative school called "the drop back-in academy" that was specifically for dropouts or anyone that got the boot from the public school system. My mom reached out to me and asked me if I would drive him to this school in the mornings, she'd pick him up in the afternoons, and she'd pay me $20 a week.I agreed to it thinking this was out of character for her, but she surprisingly held up to that agreement. I drove him for a couple years until I was ready to start my bachelor program. My second parents were getting ready to move back to their hometown and I was going to start school on the other side of the city. So, I was moving to that side of town and couldn't really drive out of my way to pick up and drop off my brother anymore. He continued his enrollment at this place for another 3 years (5 years total) and it turned out, he was never attending. I would drop his ass off there every day and he'd just walk home immediately after I pulled out of the parking lot. He'd just tell my mom that he finished his work early and decided to walk home instead of wait around for her. One afternoon, I'm coming home early from work and my brother is just sitting on the steps to my studio apartment. He tells me that he and our mom got into a really big argument and he needs a place to stay. I (reluctantly) let him in. I'm stuck thinking he must be really desperate if he's coming to me for help. But I start thinking at this point, he's 24, jobless, and probably needs to learn some self discipline and responsibility, and our mom just never did that for him. So I try to help. I ask him what their fight was about and he tells me that he started dating this girl at his alternative school. She was 21 and got the boot from the school system for being too old to attend (we actually have several relatives that were kicked out of the school system for the same reason) and that he accidentally got her pregnant and our mom did not take kindly to that. I called my landlord and explained the situation to him. He was okay with it, so I let him crash on my couch for a little bit (until the end of my lease, then I'd be moving) and just told him to clean up after himself, take care of himself, etc until we could all work this out. He crashed there for a few months and did Jack shit. He would complain that I didn't have a computer for him to use (I only had a laptop I bought for school) and I didn't have any video game consoles for him to entertain himself with. So he was stuck there bored all day. I got tired of the complaining and lack of effort and told him he had to go back to our mom's if he wasn't going to be an adult. We started shouting at each other until he dropped this little bombshell. He yelled "I can't go back to Mom's!" And when I asked why, he just blurted out "because it's to close to that elementary school!" That stopped the whole thing. "And why is that a big deal now?" I asked him. I already knew why that would be the problem, but 1% of me was holding onto the hope that he was got jumped by a gang of 5th graders and the trauma was too much for him to bear. I told him he could either tell me what's going on, or I could make a phone call and get every last detail I needed. He confessed that he had been leaving that school and going over to his "girlfriend's" house and waiting for her to get home. And that one day, her mom ended up catching them in the act. I explained to him that he was leaving out important details if that was the reason he couldn't be near a school.
He told me she was 14, not 21. I. Lost. My. Shit. Everything after that is kinda fuzzy, but he was arrested, mom posted bail, and since she lived right around the corner from an elementary school, he couldn't stay there. So they told his parole officer that he'd be staying at my address until his court date.. his PO had swung by a couple times, but I was always either at work or school or out somewhere. At this point, I told him the lease was up in 6 weeks, I couldn't stand to be around him. I packed my stuff early, moved out into a storage unit, and I stayed at an extended stay hotel until it was time for me to move. Called my landlord and told him what was going on, and if my brother was still there the last week of the lease, nail him for trespassing. My landlord was a good guy. I never had any problems with him. I paid up the last 6 weeks and threw him since extra cash for his troubles as I knew I wouldn't be getting my deposit back. That was the last time I saw my brother. After I moved out of state, I cut all contact with everyone in that family except my Aunt who was the only one that ever helped me out or even had my back. But even then, it was just through email. We'd mainly email birthday and holiday wishes to each other. Updates from my side on how life and career are going.
I never had a myspace or a Facebook growing up. I either never had a computer to check it on, or I was just so accustomed to not having any online distractions that I just never got around to making one. I did finally make a Facebook and I did get in touch with my dad's side of the family and reconnected with them. I hadn't seem most of them since I was 4 or 5. Some of them had been in contact with my brother (he fucking knew our dad died) and was spinning some sort of web about how he graduated high school early, had gone to college for pre-med and then got some sort of full ride scholarship to some prestigious medical school in Florida. He told them I wasn't on social media because I had been arrested for selling drugs and that he was taking me in after I got released. He was also using my senior portrait as a profile pic. They were surprised when they saw me and how I "looked just like my brother!" I had set the record straight. They looked dumbfounded when I told them that he couldn't get himself out of the 9th grade in 10 years, and now would likely never complete his high school journey due to the fact he can't be within 100 yards of a school.
So, fast forward to last week. I checked my email for the first time since late January (for my aunt's birthday) and noticed a few from her saying my mom wanted to reach out, then several emails from a new address. It was my mom's first initial and last name. Subject lines usually read "please respond" and "let me know you're okay" and stuff like that. I'd copy some of them over, but holy shit this is already a novella. Basically she got my email address from sneaking my aunt's phone (aunt did not sell me out). She's trying to apologize for how she treated me growing up and trying to excuse it by saying I reminded her of my dad and then she was going through menopause and just any excuse to dishes full accountability it seems. She acknowledges that it was wrong to hold me accountable for my brother's fuck-ups but dismisses that by saying he didn't know any better and she needed me to be a good role model for him. Things have been hard for her since I left, since she "had" to take my brother back in (I would've left him on the street or in jail), she had to sell her house (she was only 10 years into her mortgage) and buy another smaller one further from a school for him. He never did get a hs diploma or GED because how can he? And she's been going through breast cancer treatment for the last several months and just doesn't have the energy to take care of her 33yo baby anymore. She asked me if I lived close enough to them to take him in for a little bit while she focuses on her health. I left Florida 8 years ago and haven't even lived in the same time zone in 6 years. She can only check her email at work since she no longer has Internet at home. She had to cancel her home Internet service because of him. So, I decided to just put my brother's name into a search bar and the first thing that pops up is a FDLE sex offender's page. And holy shit has he gone downhill. He had a second arrest when he was 27 for the same thing, and then was caught in communications with another girl (like Chris Hansen sting) and was released from prison at the beginning of the year. And the mugshot.... You know the pale lady from the scary stories to tell in the dark movie? Think that, but with a patchy beard. Beady eyes, bad skin and all. According to the sheriff's office inmate search, he's been arrested 5 times in the last 10 years. Twice for lewd and lascivious battery of a minor (aged 12-15), once for solicitation of a minor, and twice for probation violations.
The TL/DR: abusive mom took all her frustrations out on me, blamed me for everything my brother did, hid my father's death from me until I was almost 18, and reaches out after 8 years of no contact and wants me to take care of her pedophile son while she's in poor health.
I'm attaching my response to her below.
Hi. I'm alive. I'm well. I'm also not okay with you contacting me, especially under the circumstances that you violated the privacy of your own sister to get my contact information. I have read your apologies and excuses and I do not accept either. You say I reminded you of Dad? He spent more time with me and showed more interest in my well-being than you ever did, and that's including the 6 years he was absent from my life by your own selfish design. Menopause? I find that hard to believe as this went on for the better part of half a decade and not once in that time did your attitude towards brother change. You always treated him with the same coddling infantile obsession and patience that one would show a toddler. It was and is clear that you have a preferred child as that adult-sized pile of shit is still living comfortably with dear old mama. I'm guessing no one else is willing to take him in? Are Uncle and Cousins afraid of him doing something to their daughters or grandchildren? I do believe you when you say you want to rebuild the bridge that you nuked from orbit years ago, but I can't believe it's not for your own selfish desires. And I can't find any reason or way my quality of life could be improved with your presence. The reality is, my life has been far better without you than it could be with you. I've never said this to anyone, but if there is a sense of karma and balance in the universe, your current situation is proof of that. The next time I see your name on my computer screen, had better be for your obituary. But since you and the monster you raised both decided to keep Dad's death a secret from me, and remove any choice I had to mourn or pay my respects, I'll return that kindness to you.
Please die away from me.

Hi Reddit friends! I’d love some insight or advice. I just got hired for a new 2nd grade job at great school where many friends teach. My new grade level team has started to have a few meetings to plan for next year, and I was asked what things I usually do at the start of the school year. After sharing a few, I was quickly told that I “wouldn’t need to worry about doing those lessons/things, we’ll give you everything”.
I was taken aback by this comment and asked for some clarity. I was told they expect us to all do everything the same, and that apparently this is the principals expectation too (never heard of that throughout all my interviews). They said even something as small as morning work needs to be the same as theirs, but that I shouldn’t worry they’ll just give me the lesson plans and copies I’ll need. Sad thing is, most of it is just boring worksheets that I’m not exactly jazzed about using in my classroom.
I’ve taught for 15+ years but have never worked for a team where every little detail is the same. On one hand the interest in collaborating is nice, but on the other hand I find that stifling. I actually love lesson planning and have lots of great ideas from things I’ve done before! I don’t want to lose all of that!
Has anyone else been on a team like this? Is this normal and I’ve just been unaware that this is what some teams do? I feel so confused and lost. Please share any advice and insight you may have!!!!

I'm planning to stop schooling.
I'm a first year Pharmacy student, I want to become a doctor someday, but now I'm losing hope, I don't see myself capable of being a doctor, I'm struggling with my lessons and memorizing, I'm always insecure about my classmate who's always striving sa classes namin and always mataas yung scores sa tests and exam.. I don't know Kong paanu nila na memorize agad yung lectures habang Ako pinoprocess ko pa lang sa utak ko yung sinasabi nang prof namin, always burned out na Ako ang my mental health is not in a good state na. And na notice ko narin na ayaw makipag group sa Akin ng ibang kaklasi ko and my suggestions was always rejected. Although I did tried my best to pass my subject pero kahit Anong gawin ko Hindi tlaga sya mataas. I'm in the edge of losing my scholarship because I can't seem to maintain my grades. Nag strustruggle narin Ako mentally.
I'm always a top in my class when I was in highschool, but now I'm always behind. I want to stop( for a year) to rest for a while pero Meron talaga sa part ko na ayaw ko rin ma left behind and mag adjust again sa new classmates ko if bumalik Ako. Naguguilty rin Ako sa expenses, nahihiya na Ako humingi. Never nmn ako prinessure ng aking Ina at nung sinabi ko sa kanya yung pinagdadaanan ko, inintindi niya talaga Ako. Meron sa part ko na gusto ko tlang huminto pero Meron din na part na ayaw dahil sayang Yung mga pagod at sacrifices ng Ina ko.
What should I do? Can I ask some advices?

TLDR: My art teacher lied and mislead my year about art deadlines which lead to a lot of my work being left unfinished and my grade being brought down.
Today my art teacher gave me back my mark for art (AQA) which ended up being 344 which looking online seems to be just barely a 7. I'm pretty worried that my grade might be brought down when it's marked by actual examiners and I'm not too happy about getting a 7 anyway considering how hard I worked (I was aiming for an 8)
In year 10 I was sick a lot so I missed a good chunk if work for art and most other subjects which I had to catch up on. Our year 10 teacher then left and we got a new teacher who gave us almost no direction. The year 10 one was telling us what to do for everything so it was a bit of a shock to my class when suddenly we had a new person and we're being told almost nothing about how to improve our work or how to get a better grade even if we asked. She also gave us very tight deadlines and expected us to complete a lot of work outside of class (e.g. completing 3 artist research pages in 2h).
Anyway the exam comes around and our teacher tells us that we have until the exam to complete our last project and that the other three can be worked on after the exam. I just about finish the last one for the exam and plan to finish the rest at home and at school in lesson. Close to the exam my teacher then tells us that we can only complete work at school from now on because she had to mark books, she had never mentioned this before. We have 2h of finishing art on our year 10 and first year 11 projects. I asked my teacher if I could take my work home to finish which she said no to despite not warning us that we wouldn't be able to do this. She asks people who have finished all their work to write their name on a sheet so she knows who's done and says that the rest of us will be able to finish work in the next lessons (she didn't give us a deadline). The next lesson she turns around and says out of nowhere that we can no longer work on our books at all because they all have to be marked.
I'm pretty annoyed considering that I feel like I could've got a higher grade if I either had more time or she'd told us about the deadline. If she'd told us then I would've made sure that everything was done.
Is there anything I can do?

I'm 21, currently studying computer tech & information systems in a small city, in Turkey.
I started antidepressants almost a month ago, I'm a 2nd grader, I've been paying the bare minimum attention to my lessons, I don't feel like doing anything, I feel like I'm gonna fail few classes. I feel like I'm stuck in an autobot mode, I hardly feel anything and when I feel it's mostly depressing, melancholic, loneliness. I have few friends but I kinda don't want to see them anymore. I can't tell my parents a thing, feeling like it will disappoint them, my current days are passing without killing myself but does it count as living ?
I just want to leave the city, it's a small place, I feel like I can't be myself in this environment. It's such a small place that doesn't let you get a fresh breath. I want to leave but there's no such chance about that since it takes a very mental and financial effort that I can not afford at the moment.
I just feel so low feels like it's the deepest I reached, for sure worst can happen in life and sure will, Im just out of function, don't think anyone around me would understand. I just feel lost, everything moves so fast, I feel alienated, isolated in my mind.
I plan on going for a career in game development industry and trying to take action about that but I'm in a phase a slump that is really going hard. I have no one to talk about it so I'm here on a subreddit to get some kind of relief about things that I can't even talk to myself.

I’m in college and student teaching and always have trouble coming up with learning objectives for some of these standards. Right now I need to come up with two MEASURABLE learning objectives for these standards that are for the same lesson plan-ELA: With prompting and support, actively engage group reading activities with purpose and understanding. ELP- Construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade appropriate listening, reading, and viewing. Any tips, tricks, resources, or anything helpful is appreciated. I seem to get stuck on these often and am trying to find a way to make it simple. TIA

Sorry in advance for the long post lol!
I know this subreddit gets oversaturated with these posts but I was really hoping to get some honest feedback on what I should do for this cycle :( I just got my MCAT retake score back and unfortunately it’s not as good as I was hoping it would be, but I still plan on applying this cycle to both DO and MD schools.
For context: I'm an ORM; I majored in biomedical sciences & minored in psychology, graduated in 2022 with a 3.35 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA with a slight upward trend. Latest MCAT score is a 507 (125/128/126/128) which is not as high as I was hoping to get but 🤷🏾‍♀️
I feel like I have a pretty strong theme of communication/language, interpersonal relationships, & community involvement in my app. I'm also very confident in my writing skills, so I'm not too worried about writing a good personal statement. If it helps, one of my LOR writers is a prof whose class I ended up having to retake since I got a much lower grade the first time.
I guess my 3 main questions are: 1) Should I retake the MCAT for a 3rd time? 2) Is it worth trying to do a postbacc or SMP to improve my gpa before applying? 3) What MD schools would be good fits for my gpa/mcat range? For context, here are my stats:
Research experience

• 3500+ hours working full-time in a neuroscience research lab at one of my state's medical schools; 1 pub as a middle author & at least 1 more pub coming probably in the middle of application season. During the cycle I hope to submit an abstract / present a poster to an upcoming conference!

Clinical experience

• 900 hours working as a medical assistant in a psychiatric clinic; I helped administer TMS therapy to patients! I quit this job to work as a research tech, but I really loved this job so once apps are submitted I'm planning to start working here again part-time while also doing my research job part-time.
  
• 400 hours volunteering in our hospital's post-anesthesia care unit
  
• 300 hours volunteering at a free clinic that works with underserved populations
  
• 200 hours volunteering in hospice with dementia/Alzheimer's patients
  

Other experiences

• Volunteering at my temple (~200ish hours)
  
• E-board member for one of my undergrad's mental health awareness clubs (~100ish hours)
  
• Social media chair for my undergrad's pre-health fraternity (~50ish hours)
  
• Website manageevents coordinator for my undergrad's TEDx chapter (~50ish hours)
  
• Co-captain of one of my undergrad's dance teams (~500ish hours).
  
• I also took classical dance lessons growing up for about 6 years and since "graduating" out of the school, I've helped teach classes for the younger kids. (no idea how to calculate the hours for this)
  

Shadowing

• 32 hours neurosurgery (MD)
  
• 32 hours anesthesiology (MD)
  
• 20 hours dermatology (MD)
  

-16 hours hematology/oncology (DO)
-16 hours primary care (DO)
School List [so far]
I used admit.org to start building a school list and out of what they gave me, I’m for sure applying to these schools (and my in-state MD schools):
-Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
-NYIT-COM
-LECOM
-Touro COM
-PCOM

I'm 19M and I've had ADHD and Anxiety for as long as I can remember. I've always loved learning but hated school. I've been running away from anything uncomfortable since I was about 7, when I ran out of my first Piano lesson (First ever regret, not getting good at the piano).
Over the years I have lost girls due to inaction, lost career opportunities, chickened out of School, then at 14 Film School (My greatest regret), then stopped studying, then stopped caring.
At 17 I became depressed due to my failures, and have been that way since. It's incredibly painful because at any point these past two years I could have figured out how to snap out of it, and turned things around. Now, I'm about to fail Online college. This has been my last chance to get back into the flow of education, and now anything that I do will likely not be fun or experimental as my primary chance of feeling better is to get online tutors and pass A-level exams without doing any courses.
It also means that I will lose any chance of entering an academic establishment to make new relationships, limiting my dating and friendship pool to chance encounters and work environments.
I am currently not even at a Highschool/Sixth form level, probably something like 8th Grade in most subjects. The thing is, like I said, I love learning even though ADHD and Anxiety prevents me from doing it or learning properly.
I feel like it's too late to join an institution like college, so I'll probably find a proper, entry-level job and support myself through online education, maybe even join a club to meet some new people. It won't be the same, but in a few years maybe I'll begin to feel like although my past hasn't been great, my future still can be.
For this newest plan to not feel like a completely failure by 25, I need to get my mind right. I always feel like I'm in a Fog, and like I can't do anything. I should be working right now, but have just spent the past hour scrolling through Reddit and whatnot. When I try to focus on work I just can't, my mind is all unfocused and I feel like I might have a panic attack (talking about it here helps I think). If I continue like this, I won't be able to work, have a social life, or ever feel like I've completed my education.
I have so many things I want to do, and could do, if I can just get my mind right. Please, tell me how to fix my brain. And also let me know if this sounds like a viable five-year plan.
Thanks for reading, take care.

First off, I'll say this is a shitpost. But it didn't start out that way. I'm ashamed to say I was genuinely looking into this on Sunday when I burst out laughing, and thought "What the fuck is wrong with you?" And kept on descending down the well to laugh at what would happen. But I think the world needs to know, cause I have lost all reasoning. So I'm sharing my genius, or my madness, or simply a warning to you all to not follow in my footsteps.
I think we can all admit we are a wee bit too invested in what is happening right now. Personally, this feels like the first time in ages that I've listened to top tier rap. To me, rap/hip-hop recently has been fucking dead.
So after hearing a few of these tracks, I found this sub, and you can guess the rest. I took a seemingly harmless tester and now I'm like acting and thinking like Charlie Sheen, Tiger Blood included.
I've not seen much discussion about Kendrick's general concept of leaving little breadcrumbs in tracks that are then expanded into other meanings in later tracks, e.g. "you make music that pacify em" which then could mean kids or like roofies, once he brings up these topics. This is really fascinating to me and I can't think of a time this has been done before? Probably because it's rare to release music this close together. So after hearing these back myself and then seeing other's theories on this sub, I have been paying far more attention to lyrics when I'm listening. Waiting for a chance for aayjayemm, captain of nowhere, to show his quality. Looking back, I think the Ring got the better of me.
With all that in mind, please enjoy the following descent into madness and subsequent mental breakdown (I don't really mean breakdown for the record, if anyone is thinking that and wanted to send one of those suicide prevention things my way). Here we go:
Sunday afternoon, I visited my cousin who has a 5/6/7/8 year old? (I don't know, he ain't my kid. It's a pre-pandemic model, that's all I know) He was talking about a book that he was told to read a bit of, over the weekend, for school. I wasn't catching too much of what he was saying, as kids tend to just sporadically talk at you while you are already mid-conversation with someone else and there's only so many times I can say "What was that, bud?". In the book there was a dog called Wedgie. Now I remember the name because I thought he was unable to say Reggie, when I asked, he said "no Wedgie" then flashed me the cover, and it did say that. So that's now saved into my subconscious.
When I get home and hop on Reddit, I see all this crazy Ebony Prince stuff that had built up throughout the day and have a read through. One of the images looks like a serial killer's planning room with images all over and writing in certain parts. Or like the Pepe Silvia scene from It's Always Sunny. I didn't really look at it too long but got the gist that quite a lot of it was to do with Drake potentially fucking dogs. I think to myself that's just dumb and click off. There was also talk of some disturbing dog video/audio from some guys stream, haven't seen it personally. Again, that is now in the back of my head.
So a bit of time passes and I am listening to Not Like Us and it gets to this "You n*****'ll get a wedgie, be flipped over your boxers. What OVO for? The "Other Vaginal Option"? Pussy" And I go "wait he just said Wedgie and the internet is talking about dogs" and the cogs start turning.
I'll say for the record, these lines were always weird to me. They just seemed pretty random. I got that it implied gay sex, but it just didn't sound like normal Kendrick, at least to me. So personally, I think this would be the prime place for a 2nd meaning.
So straightaway I notice it also says 'boxer' which is a breed of dog. Pretty simple and I think "ok, you could be onto something here".
Then I need to go confirm this Wedgie character from some kid's book. Thankfully I know the name is in the title. I look up books online to see if I can find this, and it is called 'Wedgie and Gizmo' if you want to look it up. It is about two single-parent families becoming one when the parents get married. Each family have a pet and they are forced to now live together. Wedgie is a dumb, excitable dog that thinks he is a superhero and chases after everything. And Gizmo is a guinea pig, who is an evil genius, can read, is methodical, and who wants to take over the world. And Gizmo despises Wedgie, and Wedgie has no idea what is happening.
So not only do I now think this is a reference to dogs, I have now read this and go "No fucking way. Is that Kendrick saying that these two kids book pets are him and Drake?" You can guess which is which. Then I thought "This is dumbest thing you have thought of so far". But then again, Kendrick does have kids, so who knows, maybe he has read it to them and had a similar thought. It seems to be an American book, so maybe? Jesus.
To top it off, the final line is 'other vaginal option' which as everyone can see, obviously means that Drake is fucking dogs. Open-and-shut case.
I honestly don't know what to think, to me it somehow fits, but it is also stupid as fuck and quite frankly embarrassing that I even went this far. So I thought I'll sleep on it. And you know what 2 days later I still don't fucking know. My heart says 'genius' my head says 'what the fuck are you doing?'
I am aware I have lost my mind, but thought it was funny and would make a decent read, so I started writing this up. To present to the world to do with it what you will.
I don't think I have gone full KAnon, like trying to solve all these riddles. Or try to bring down global sex-trafficking rings, as if the FBI don't know how to use the internet. I feel like I'm maybe at a 2018 Kanye level, and they are at a 2024 Kanye level.
I feel I needed to get this off my chest as some form of therapy, counselling, online intervention, or just good old self-deprecation. Thankfully I now know not to go down the rabbit hole, albeit a harsh lesson.
Kendrick, please release another fucking track. Although that might take me back to square one.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk. GME To the Moon.

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Hello all, this is my first post here. I know this topic in general has been discussed at length but my question is specifically about kids’ promotion time and whether I should be concerned about my kids being promoted too fast. Just some background. I truly believe our school is a fantastic school with amazing teachers. I want to preface by saying that I do not believe at all that they promote adult students too fast. Just using myself as an example. I have been training 2-3 times a week (including a lot of private lessons) for almost a year and I just recently got a 2nd stripe. As for my kids, they are 8 (daughter) and 9 (son) years old and have been training 2-3 times a week for 2 1/2 years now. I know that the NABJJF guidelines say they should be in each belt for at least 8 months. However, I don’t think they’ve actually been in any of their belts for that long. My son (and some other students) even skipped the solid gray belt completely. My son is now a yellow/white (w/ 2 stripes) and my daughter is a gray/black (w/ 2 stripes). They are about to do a tournament this weekend and their instructor told me today that she plans to promote them both to their next belts on Monday (after the tournament). I gently asked “are you sure?” and she insisted they were ready. Their last promotions to their current belts was in December, so about 5 months ago. So obviously this will again be faster than the “guidelines” (and with only 2 out of 4 stripes). As far as skill level, my son is as good as any yellow belts at our school and my daughter I think should be better but she is improving. However, last summer we spent a month in another city and I took them to a school there where they promote much, much slower and my kids were clearly way higher ranked than they would be at that school. They were gray/black and solid gray at that time and it was a little embarrassing at times. All of their gray belts were much older. Some of the kids were making fun of my daughter for being a gray belt and not seeming to know much. My son did somewhat better but was getting beat easily by some of the white belts, but to be fair he did ok against some of their gray belts. Now to be clear I think that school is on the other extreme as there was not one student higher than a yellow/white belt that I saw and only one was in the kids class and two of those were somewhere around 16yo and in the adult classes. It seems a school like that will never even see an orange or green belt.
As for our school, I believe that their main reason for doing what they do is to keep the kids excited about BJJ and prevent attrition. I know my kids do get really excited about their stripes and belts despite my lectures about the belt not being important and it’s all about the learning🤷‍♂️.
Anyway, just wondering your thoughts on this are. Besides asking “are you sure?” I don’t feel comfortable challenging their instructor. Btw she is a black belt in BJJ and Judo with some serious competition history from what I understand. I also train with her and she is a really great teacher. My daughter is a hand full and she has been so patient and has really bonded with her. My biggest concern is we may be moving in about a year and possibly to that other city with the tougher school and I’m dreading that my son might even be an orange belt by then.🤦‍♂️. Would they be demoted? I thjnk my kids would be devastated by that.
Sorry for the long post. Just hoping to get some insight from the larger BJJ community on this topic. Thank you.

I am feeling stressed 24/7 and can never get all of my work (planning) done.. I am constantly rushing/panicking to figure out my next lesson during my prep, and stressing all evening, every evening and weekend, about what is coming the next day. Is this normal???
I have one 60 minute prep a day where I am trying to grade and create assignments, answer emails, stay organized, and (mostly) plan for lessons.. I also use my lunch hour every day for this stuff too, and I go in an hour early and stay an hour late every day, but I teach 4 subjects and I am drowning in stuff to do always.. help!!

Looking for pro tips and recommendations on my upcoming plan.
In August 2026, I will retire from my career at the age of 38 and take an initial six month sabbatical to travel with my family (wife and two kids). In 2026 my kids will be 12 years old (7th grade) and 7 years old (2nd grade) and we plan on using Acellus Academy.
The following is my first draft of the six month itinerary. I must admit that I thinks it’s a bit too much at this point but would only refine it from here on out and most likely cut things and stay at places a bit longer. Remember first draft.
I would love any recommendations and or feedback. We are pretty set on the school and will try it as a summer school tool in order to get my kids used to Acellus Academy. I know that two years out may seem like a far out timeline but in my life, time flies by really fast.
Also pretty key to this would be a monthly budget of $5000 to $6000 USD.
Here is the full 6-month family vacation itinerary:

1. Costa Rica (August - September 2026):
   
   • San Jose (2 weeks)
     • Stay in Barrio Amón or Barrio Escalante ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Visit Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Mercado Central, National Theater
     • Day trip to Poás Volcano National Park
   • Arenal/La Fortuna (4 weeks)
     • Stay in El Castillo or El Forti ($500-$700/month Airbnb)
     • Hike Arenal Volcano National Park, go ziplining, hot springs
     • Visit La Fortuna Waterfall, whitewater rafting Balsa River
   • Manuel Antonio (4 weeks)
     • Stay in Manuel Antonio or Quepos ($500-$800/month Airbnb)
     • Explore Manuel Antonio National Park, surfing, beaches
     • Day trip to Rainmaker Conservation Park, sportfishing
2. Peru (October - November 2026):
   
   • Cusco (4 weeks)
     • Stay in San Blas or Santa Ana ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Plaza de Armas, Qoricancha Temple, Sacsayhuaman ruins
     • Day trip to Sacred Valley, markets like Pisac
   • Aguas Calientes (2 weeks)
     • Stay in town center ($300-$500/month Airbnb)
     • Hike Inca Trail or train to Machu Picchu
     • Hot springs, tour of Machu Picchu ruins
   • Lima (2 weeks)
     • Stay in Miraflores or Barranco ($400-$700/month Airbnb)
     • Plaza de Armas, Larco Museum, Miraflores boardwalk
     • Pachacamac archaeological site
3. Ecuador (December 2026 - January 2027):
   
   • Quito (4 weeks)
     • Stay in La Mariscal or La Floresta ($500-$800/month Airbnb)
     • Old Town, Basilica, TelefériQo cable car
     • Cotopaxi National Park, Mindo Cloud Forest
   • Galapagos Islands (4 weeks)
     • Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz ($600-$1000/month Airbnb)
     • Guided tours, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, wildlife
     • Snorkeling, diving, beaches like Tortuga Bay
   • Baños (2 weeks)
     • Stay in town center ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Pailon del Diablo waterfall, hiking mountains
     • Ziplining, rafting, canyoning
4. Brazil (February - March 2027):
   
   • Rio de Janeiro (4 weeks)
     • Copacabana or Ipanema ($600-$900/month Airbnb)
     • Christ Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Copacabana Beach
     • Favela tour, samba show
   • Foz do Iguaçu (2 weeks)
     • Near Brazilian Falls ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Iguazu Nat'l Park, boat under falls
     • Bird Park, Itaipu Dam
   • Manaus (4 weeks)
     • City center ($500-$800/month Airbnb)
     • Amazon Rainforest tour, piranha fishing
     • Meeting of Waters, Municipal Market
5. Argentina (April - May 2027):
   
   • Buenos Aires (4 weeks)
     • Palermo or San Telmo ($500-$800/month Airbnb)
     • Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, Recoleta Cemetery
     • Tango show, Tigre Delta day trip
   • El Calafate (2 weeks)
     • Near town center ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares Nat'l Park
     • Boat tour of icebergs
   • El Chalten (2 weeks)
     • Town center ($400-$600/month Airbnb)
     • Hike Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre in Los Glaciares
     • Ice hiking, glacier tours
   • Mendoza (3 weeks)
     • Mendoza City ($400-$700/month Airbnb)
     • Winery/wine tours in Uco Valley, Lujan de Cuyo
     • Hiking, horseback riding in Andes foothills

Hi! In a frustrating dilemma right now, and I’d like to hear another person’s perspective on the matter.
I’m a BS MT graduate, currently in a gap year (to take the NMAT and to apply to med school, and to study for the board exam). The plan was always to take one gap year and proceed to med school afterwards. And thankfully, I got accepted into the school of my choice, UERM (which is recklessly the only school I applied to).
And I thought everything was set, and all I had to do was pay the reservation fee and eventually enroll into the program. Except, my parents suddenly told me they aren’t financially ready. Which I understand, but it’s just so frustrating to hear when you’re this close to the goal. (What did I take the NMAT for? What did I apply to the school for? What was all my anxiety for?) My parents have also never expressed any financial concerns beforehand, so I was really upset to have this problem sprung on me. (Note: I’ve already informed them about the reservation fee and tuition long before I was accepted)
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m eligible for any entrance scholarships. I have a GWA of 1.5x and a NMAT PR of 90+, but I don’t hold a laude title due to one failing grade. I’m not sure if there are any other scholarships available. Also, I’m considering bringing up the academic scholarships available 2nd year onwards, but many people on here expressed how difficult it is to maintain it. (And I don’t know how long this financial constraint will last.)
So my options right now are the following:

1. Enroll into med school and try for the academic scholarship.
   
2. I’ll work abroad for a year, in a field that is unrelated to healthcare but earns a better wage than my undergraduate course. Afterwards, I’ll reapply to med school again.
   
3. I’ll simply give up on that dream and start working towards another career as an MLS abroad. (Also: Better wage, better work environment, etc.)
   

It’s just so difficult to accept because I thought everything has been set in stone and all I had to do was follow through. I’ve been debating between med school and working abroad for this entire year, but upon my acceptance (and seemingly nothing to stop me), I hardened my will to pursue medicine. Then at the very last minute… everything became very confusing again.
Anyway, thoughts?