sheltered

"Children, 

obey your parents in everything, 

for this pleases the Lord."

Colossians 3:20

Hey guys!! I hope you are all doing well. I have been soooo busy lately, and I actually love it a lot more than I thought I would. I cannot wait to show you all everything I have been working on. Hopefully, in the next blog, I will be able to share TWO exciting new things. The biggest project will still remain a secret for a little while longer!

Today's topic is another blast from my past lol. I have mentioned a few times that I was homeschooled from 4th through 8th grade with my sister, Anastasia. However, I have not gone into any real detail of what that was like. It is also important to note that I come from a very religious family. I want to talk about what it was like from being "sheltered" to having to go to high school, and seeing the "real" world. I also want to answer a question... Just how sheltered was I?

I want to make it clear that I think the way my parents raised me was great. My parents are not perfect, but no parent/s are. So, I am not saying that either. I am thankful for everything they taught me, and it did not feel like I was living in a prison or anything haha. For the few people who once tried to claim that my family was in cult, I was / am not, and I am here to say exactly what my childhood was like. (Although, I do find that a hilarious claim, and whenever, I think about it I always laugh. I have no idea what exactly was said or done to lead them to draw that conclusion.) I also am writing this blog to show that growing up in what many would consider a very religious household is not what most people would think (specifically from different backgrounds). It's also an excuse to talk about my childhood which I always enjoy haha. I will also talk about what kind of churches I have gone to, rules I had growing up, and my experience with "culture shock". 

(This was the "word of the week" post on instagram from this past Sunday. So, I am just popping in again to remind everyone to be nice to everyone. We do not always know what they are going through. Challenge yourself to do random acts of kindness this week! You never know who could use it!)

Let's talk about life right before being homeschooled. I am taking it all the way back to when I was just a baby. I went to "mother's morning out" (a couple days a week where I went to a little school for a couple of hours). Then, I went to preschool which was a half day for only a few days a week. Finally K5, my kindergarten class was five days a week but still only half days. For first grade, my parents put me in a Montessori school. They hoped that a more peaceful and hands on environment would be good for me (because my anxiety was getting worse and worse). While I was in third grade, my family began the adoption process (read "adoption - sister's perspective pt 1" and "...pt 2" to hear about that wild ride). When we adopted two girls from Ukraine who did not know any English in 2009, my parents decided that it would be best to try to catch them up by homeschooling them. Since school was so hard on me, they decided that it would be good for me to be homeschooled as well. I was overjoyed with that decision. 

So, there is the reasoning behind me being homeschooled. Now, let's talk about what it was like. My mom taught us, and we were taught to teach ourselves as well. We took tests, had homework, wrote papers, and did everything else that other students had to do. We just did it all at home. We were taught through a christian curriculum. So, books we were assigned to read were usually religion-based. We had to learn about every religion, and we had to learn ALL about evolution. So, I use the term "sheltered" lightly, because my parents wanted us to know about other religions / cultures / views. Homeschooling was great for my circumstances, and my sister, Anastasia, was able to catch up. (My other sister did not stay homeschooled.) It is also important to note that throughout my later elementary / middle school years, I was involved in various sports like basketball, a little soccer, and a little swim team. We also went to various Bible studies. We were definitely NOT at home 24/7 haha. 

As for churches I went to growing up, my family went to a regular Methodist church up until I was five years old. Then, we switched to non-denominational, and have stayed non-denominational to this day. Currently, I go to a little non-denominational church in my neighborhood every Sunday morning. Non-denominational is probably one of the most relaxed denominations out there, but if it had to be compared to another denomination, we are most similar to baptist.   

(This picture was taken from my backyard!! I will never NOT be in awe of how pretty God makes sunrises.)

Going into high school, I knew that not everyone would be like me, and not everyone would have had the same upbringing. There would be different cultures, religions, and views. I was not oblivious to what it would be like at all, but there were other things that did surprise me a little bit at first. Cussing flowed from people's mouths like it was nothing. Vulgar jokes were said almost constantly. I mean... you know how high schoolers are. Looking back, I would say that there were not a whole lot of people like me and Anastasia, but I also would NOT say that I did not fit in. I had no problem adjusting to the way others were (adjusting but not following / doing. [Such as cussing, vaping, etc.]), and I was able to have a ton of fun. The adjustment period was probably no longer than a month (maybe even just a week or two) my freshmen year. 

Now, let's discuss rules that I had growing up. (I am not going to list out every tiny rule I had growing up. I am just going to talk about the important / relevant ones regarding this blog.) The rules I had growing up were basic. Cussing has never been tolerated in my house. My parents do not cuss, and so, we do not. When I was like seven years old, I said "crap" over and over. I was told to leave the room. Other than that lol, I never used words my parents did not like. To this day, I never developed the habit of cussing. We were very encouraged to listen to only Christian music (this lightened up a bit as we grew older). Up until I was about nine, I did not know that there was other music out there haha. There were a ton of movies and shows I was not allowed to watch. Even through part of my sophomore year in high school, there were PG-13 movies I was still not allowed to watch. I was almost 18 when I was allowed to start watching any kind of movies without asking. (I watched any PG-13 movie by then, but I am referring to R-rated ones.) I did not get my first phone until I was a sophomore in high school. (I did go through a couple of iPod touches from the age of 12 till I got my phone). 

(Minutes after I had taken the picture right above, I saw from the window the sky had turned pink. I ran outside, and absolutely had to take another picture. How could I not post both???)

I was allowed to date. I had my first "crush" when I was three years old hahaha. All through elementary and middle school, I would happily announce to my family that I had a "boyfriend". Then, I was in a serious relationship throughout all of high school. My parents were also lenient on curfews. Once I was able to drive, I would stay out till after midnight sometimes with no problems. I had gained so much trust that my parents had no problem with Anastasia and I going to parties in high school.

So although, some may think it is a little extreme to not be able to watch a certain movie at fifteen years old, I really was not that sheltered (especially considering my circumstances... like being homeschooled for five years). I would say I had a very fun childhood. I had friends to hangout with, and had plenty of sleepovers. I don't feel like my parents kept me from having fun. My anxiety definitely kept me from having more fun than my parents ever did. In fact, my parents encouraged me to have fun. They give me pep talks throughout my life on how to get through my anxiety... So that I could go out and have fun. They have always encouraged each of their children to enjoy life. Setting boundaries never stopped the fun. I was taught to hold tightly to my beliefs, and I did everything I could to do just that. I don't feel that much different than I did when I was in homeschooled and "sheltered" (in terms of faith and values). I was able to learn a lot about the ways of other people more than I could have being homeschooled (obviously lol), and I am very, very thankful for that. I am happy that my parents pushed me and Anastasia out of our little bubble at home, and made us go to high school. 

(This was such a gooddddd coffee. It was a cookies and cream (blended aka frap) with almond milk from Moxie Java. This picture was taken on my android, because I forgot to bring my iPhone, but I am pretty proud of the quality considering the phone I used. Coffee is my favorite thing on planet earth. One of my many boards on my Pinterest is dedicated to my love for coffee. You could always check it out (; ) 

Last but not least... you ALL are soooo loved and appreciated! <3 <3 Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Also, please keep praying for my grandmother (heart failure + other health complications) and my cousin (recovery from brain tumor removal). 

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : Newkindofliving

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com  

PEACE OUT UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!