Traveling as the Bean Tortilla

It has been a while. Some things don’t end up finished, after all. But that’s okay. It’s the quality of life that matters in the end. My life has changed so much over the course of this year. Positive ways. Great ways. Enlightened, perhaps. Circle K made me find my true calling. It brought me closer to people.. wonderful people. Some of which i’d expect never to meet anywhere else. As DCON slowly approaches.. I feel like i’m dying.  A death.. necessary for birth. It’s a good kind of death, one that makes me capable of what I was sought out to do.

 I’m extremely thankful for this year, and I’m truly happy to say that all this hard work will pay off in seven days. Not just for me.. but for everyone. With that said.. I’m ready to face death in the face. My soul is reaching it’s end.

July 15th 2014

A goal in mind. Something we wish to achieve in our lives. In reality, there is already someone in this world with something we want. Carer paths, fitness paths, leadership position paths... There's many options when it comes to the rest of our lives and we have many different ways to approach it. Copying isn't necessarily a bad thing. I believe it's just like making mistakes. If we follow the things that successful people had did right about achieving their goals, we'd without a doubt achieve them as well, and faster, even. We fall, time and time again with our obligations in life, yet, we are still able to assess and achieve.

That's why I believe that rolemodeling is always a plus. Finding someone you can personally look up to will always guide your road to success. It gives you a real visual of where you want to end up. Those rolemodels you have? Their success is not defined by one thing that they achieved. What you don't see is the many times they have failed to get there. Understand this, and you will go places.

July 14th, 2014

July 13th, 2014

July 12th, 2014

July 11th, 2014

July 10th, 2014

The morning. We get up, moped our way to the Make a Wish foundation. Together, we made countdown chains for kids whose wish was to go to Disneyland. For Kids to receive life-threatening, terminal illnesses.. it's a devastating feeling. It's nice to know that an International Service Initiative like Make a Wish Foundation works together to provide $10,000 in order for a child's wish to come true. These chains were made out of paper, designed in familiar Mickey Mouse buttons (and or Minnie) and a huge mickey mouse head on the top. The kids would rip the chain cuff by cuff every day, until the day of their wish. It's nice to know that Circle K-er's acted as the behind-the-scenes elves into enhancing a child's wish one day. Makes you really think about what kind of difference you make in the communities outside of your own. But Disney music, friends, and service… What better combination could you ask for?

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 Exploring downtown with fellow Circle K members.. Learning about the humuhumunukunukupua'a.. taking pictures near the Statue of Kamehameha.. trying the local Pitaya bowls (aka crack in a bowl..) Parting ways with HPU made me almost tear up. "WE'LL MISS YOU" I shouted… But I knew that HPU would be sending a great chunk of their members to District Convention. A year away. Less than a year away. As I will say again, the reunion will be absolutely amazing. Finally, watching the sunset by the beach, indulging in poke bowls, scooping some local dole-whip while enjoying a good game of Cards Against Humanity… it was a great way to end the visit here in O'ahu. Parting ways with the mopeds, and trekking back to the hotel.. I sit here, look at the three, knocked out soundly.. as the waves crash and bid their final goodbyes to the four of us as we prepare for our visit to Hilo. Here we come, UH Hilo. Part II, onward.

July 9th, 2014

Today was extremely eventful. Together, we rode to UH Manoa, where we hosted a variety of workshops on the Kiwanis Family, CNH Circle K, hosting an effective meeting, Awards, and our DFI's. Filling the Hawaii board with insights about the changes to our District was truly an honor. It's great to know that the clubs are already thinking in advance about District Convention. Bringing Sunny around and having the members embrace him leave me fulfilled that Sunny had been created in the first place. (Maybe I'll stiitch the CNH logo on the back if time permits..) The DCM was definitely awe-inspiring. As we had members from HPU and UH Manoa introduce themselves to members back on the mainland, strengthening the bonds between our District had truly shined. I'm glad that the divisions have established pen-pal systems to get to know members from all one the District. It really shows members that Circle K-ers aren't so different after all, even when they're over two-thousand miles away. We dedicate ourselves to community service, thrive as students, and participate fully in our fellowship. I feel myself bonding closer and closer to the Hawaii members, and as I do, the saddening feeling of leaving starts to kick in. These amazing members, willing to come out and support and participate in fellowship activities across the island of O'ahu was truly an honor. I guess you don't really know what really good shave ice is until you go to Waiola's. It was like catching flavored snowflakes on your tongue. With the hot sun, humid air, sweet treat, and friends, the four complimented each other so well. We ventured to a Kiwanis Meeting today, and what an honor it was to partake in being introduced by the Kiwanis Club of Honolulu. Meeting Key Clubbers and seeing a former Circle K get officially inducted into Kiwanis was a sight to see. The Kiwanis relations that the Hawaii clubs had were tremendous. The reciprocation of support from both organizations reminded me so much of home. As we downed our Lili'koi drinks and gulped another round of Spam Musubis, we headed home. A tiring day, but a very fun one. Some friends we won't see again until District Convention, but when we do, it will be quite the reunion. The four of us are truly grateful. Besides the Kanak Attack, we already know that that Hawaii is mo' bettah to begin with.

July 8th, 2014

Welcome. The island of Hawaii. Aloha. It was a very rough start at the beginning. We couldn't rent cars from the first two dealerships that we went to. We DID, however, make a spontaneous decision to take an alternate method of transportation. It was truly interesting. From overwhelming car rental prices, to losing my wallet, Hawaii wasn't as amazing as I thought it would have been at first. But as I retrieved my wallet back and we were escorted to the hotel, I saw Paradise. An ocean, so blue, so perfect, so (full of sunscreen apparently) wondrous.. I couldn't take the image out of my head. Jonny even cried at the view. Settling in and enjoying some great Circle K time with UH Manoa and HPU were great. We could see where last year's board had left off, talking about the same jokes and insights that they had in the year previous. It's a really great experience, coming out to support the Hawaii clubs. Embracing the culture and the overall feeling of Fellowship with our fellow Circle K-ers is an experience like no other. It really teaches us that Circle K-ers are full of spunk and joy, no matter where you go. (CHEEEEEEEEEEHU) It's a serene feeling of bliss, sincerity, and a warm fuzzy feeling to make new friends. I can already tell that the days are going to be great. It's time to settle down, work on presentations, and get down to business for some real MD&E tomorrow. It's time to live, inspire, and dream Circle K. This is only day one, Hawaii. Wait until what we have in store for you next.

July 7th, 2014

It's July. The start of an extensive month. No. An extensive summer. We've got Hawaii. Board Weekend. Leadership Academy. Presidents Retreat. District Summer Service Social. Key To College. Whoa. It's going to be such a bumpy ride. Who knew that Circle K would take me so far in my life? (In distance, lulz) It still hasn't hit me that four of us are going to Hawaii tomorrow to go visit the clubs, but I guess it will come to me soon. There's so much I've heard about this trip. Is it really here? I've thought a long time about one day.. achieving my dreams and running for an executive board position, but I never thought it would be Governor.

"It's going to take a lot of traveling. You know that, right?"

I'm very aware. It's nice, being away, on my own, traveling with friends and enlightening Circle K-ers on essentials for running a successful club. It's also about personal development and the development of my fellow board members. What's there in store for tomorrow? I don't know. Time will tell. The next six days.. What will come of it? I've got to make the most out of this trip . Together, we can motivate sorts beyond compare. We've got one shot, and we won't be seeing these individuals again until District Convention. Are you ready July? I sure am. Do you even serve, bro?

July 6th, 2014

I have a day-to-day schedule. I enjoy certain hobbies, I'm passionate about many things, and I eat, sleep, and poop like a regular human being. I look at the position as  Governor and I don't feel any different than what I was before. I serve my community, I participate actively in my club, and I also go to school and have a part time job. It's kind of nice that I don't feel any different as Governor. It makes it extremely easier to relate to others. I don't want to be intimidating nor a bad person. I seriously just want to be myself and support others as much as I can. To me, it's not a position of prestige that makes us different from one another. I don't think I'm better than anyone else. I was raised with morals with giving respect to others. That's always my main priority. I mirror actions, usually. If someone treats me a certain way, I usually reciprocate it. If it's negative, I do my best to contain my actions and decide positively. I voice my opinion, back off when I need to, and handle situations as maturely as I can. I don't want to be treated as different just because I hold this position. In a way, I think it's good to stay humble. I don't want to be remembered as a horrible person that wasn't considerate of others. With my time after Circle K, and even after the time when my life is over, I don't want to be remembered anything other than myself. I just want to be remembered as Byron Montilla. I'm here in life because I want to test my own limits and see what I'm capable of. I have a destiny to fulfill and it's up to me to go and find it. It's up to me to control my life and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I live life with passion and I exist to matter. 

July 5th, 2014

How do you determine what's real, and what isn't? I'm not talking about superstition, nor ghosts. But have you ever thought of something so real that it eventually happened? The mind is an extremely powerful tool. To achieve your goals, you have to make your goals so vivid that you feel like you've already achieved it. if we live in the fantasy where our goals are already accomplished, it will make our reality extremely better. But making our goals a reality is simply the first step. As we have the motivation to achieve what we really want in our lives, the next step is to plan it. I believe this is why S.M.A.R.T. Goals are highly stressed throughout Circle K. We have dreams, we have plans, and we have goals. But S.M.A.R.T is definitely a way to give our plans some structure, and execution would be so much easier. But it's the first step of motivation into making our dreams a reality that jumpstart our way to success. The first step is always extremely hard to take, but if we focus very single day to condition ourselves into achieving the goals that we want to take in our lives, we will only be so much closer to success. Never wait. Always pursue and pursue. Find different actions to take and make today a day to remember. Small things add up, and if we really dedicate ourselves into improving our lives, they will most definitely improve. Even if they're small goals such as dieting, working out, or learning a new language, taking one step closer every day is better than spurts of doing it. It's like working out or playing a sport. Every day you don't spend achieving your goal, you've got to make up two days more of work. It adds up over time and it isn't pretty. It just leads to procrastination and being unmotivated. Take what's yours! Make your dream a reality even if it hasn't happened yet. Get into that mindset of motivation. Circle K has given me the tools. The tools necessary to prepare myself for the rest of my life.

July 4th, 2014

Count your blessings. The land of the free, and the home of the brave. Today marks the day of red, white, and blue. The country that we serve, the communities that we reside in. We are privileged to live in a place with little prejudice and a society where we are all equal. You are accepted, wherever you go. In Circle K, we accept everyone for who they are. No matter how you look, what you wear, or what country you come from, we all come together as one big melting pot. We connect ourselves with one another because of the importance of Service, Leadership, and Fellowship. In South Park, kids like Jimmy and Timmy may be different from the other kids, but everyone treats them just the same. There's no discrimination. Everyone is just simply part of one big world. It's something to happy about. Glad that we can live in a country that engulfs many different cultures into a single one. it's great to be part of an amazing country. It's great to be part of an organization that serves the communities within it. 

Tonight, we sit back, watch the fireworks, and enjoy another day of being a servant leader of America.

July 3rd, 2014

"The City of Rome wasn't built in a day." It goes for a lot of things. Usually, people associate it with working out. People learn through consistent repetition. A piano is tuned through stretching it's strings, regularly. Your body needs to train constantly to keep it's shape. We're forgetting about a particular aspect that needs to be thoroughly conditioned. Something that didn't come with an instruction manual, and isn't user friendly. The brain. Circle K is something that took tons of conditioning to learn the ropes. Becoming a leader took tons of conditioning to truly understand what it took. We become sociable because of the way we consistently talk to people. Every event, project, and fundraiser, we talk to people. Tabling, for an example. It takes a lot of guts to create a flyer, stand by with your colleagues, and talk to faces that you've never met yet. Some people just swat you away, and some become actually genuinely interested to talk to you. We have good days, and we have bad days. Those who've tabled for a long time have to accept that not everyone is going to be "super Circle K" right off the bat. Even if you think that you're not making a difference when you recruit, it's because you've conditioned your mind into thinking that way. If you associate tabling with people not reciprocating your cause at all, then you've given up. "People will never respond, nor come out anyway. It's just a waste of time." It's worse enough to be thinking this way. It's better if you start noticing that something needs to change. 

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A two way street on a mountain. Steep, scary, and you have no idea if some idiot is going to change lanes and crash into you. But you trust that the other cars will stay at their end of the road. They needn't reciprocate the same feelings that you give. It's never about what we get in return. It's about the fulfillment we get from giving something that we are passionate about. It's about sharing our passion with others and becoming a leader. That's what makes people grow into selfless individuals. If we take control of our minds instead of letting our lives control how we feel and how we act, we can change instantly. We change because we feel the need to. If we don't put up some leverage to notice that there's a problem in the way that we think and just accept it with a "That's just the way I am," then there's an apparent problem there. No one said that change is going to be easy. But if you know that your lie would become better with this necessary change, you'll definitely start to become more happier with yourself. Condition your mind to think positively. If change needs to happen, don't do it in a day and expect something to happen. Do it over a course of time until it becomes your lifestyle. Condition yourself to tackle any problem that comes your way.

July 2nd, 2014

Today, I looked at the importance of our actions, and how it affects us as people as a whole. We've all been in a relationship of sorts. It could be a boyfriend or a girlfriend. A best friend. An acquaintance. Someone that you knew for a long time and eventually, became complete strangers. The association that people put with their S.O. is usually a good thing at first, but something happens. Down the road, people tend to sabotage the relationship they have because they anticipate something bad is going to happen. You know that entering a relationship you receive tons of pleasure, but anticipate pain. This kind of mindset can not only affect someone's relationship, but also affect the way that they think about their own lives. This is something that I've realized in Circle K. You can look at something going completely great, and anticipate the downhill. But I believe that this is utterly off target. You can decide to get along with your board, keep up with your work, and do great things. Yet, if we continue to associate creating relationships, positive values, and actions that eventually equal to receiving any sort of pain, it will ultimately happen. We can't continue to sabotage the commodities in life that give us tons of satisfaction. I believe that if we completely sabotage this way of thinking, it would lead to more positive energy. "What comes up must come down" is only a fixed way of thinking. If we rid of the negativity that comes with all the positive things we do, we can exceed our limits. As long as we are happy, living in the moment, and enjoying ourselves, there is no reason to make the situation worse. Live in the moment, and worry less about what MIGHT come.

July 1st, 2014

"Hello everyone. I'm from the Antioch Kiwanis. If you come to our meetings at 7AM, we'll buy you breakfast. Come out and learn about service."

"Sounds fun. Wanna come with me?"

"I mean they're giving free breakfast."

"Why not?"

Sophomore year. High school. I sat in that room of adults. I was a timid teenager, uncomfortable even around my own age group. But growing up as an only child, adults were the only people that I could really relate to. I came inside, with no expectations. Everyone was eager to meet me. Their meeting was just like our meeting, with a discussion about service and some reports on the local Key Clubs. We came back from the meeting, ready with some service options for our home club. With that said, we kept coming back. They helped us go to conventions and different conferences, and were always willing to lend a hand to host service projects together. My home Kiwanis club has always had a special place in my heart.

Circle K had ceased to exist from ever being on an agenda until my first year of college. Having the opportunity to be part of another great SLP was amazing.

Six years later. I came to the meeting today. By my usual self. Sitting there, I felt at home. Felt the warmth from my fellow Kiwanians that always had believed in the things that I could do. From a mere, timid Key Clubber, to someone who could speak in front of a crowd.. I've definitely grown. I still feel like a Key Clubber. But the feeling is the same because.. I'm helping out people whom I love. People who have always been here to support me and the clubs that are willing to do tons of service in the community. That's why I'm here ever so often. I come back because my Kiwanians and I share a common goal. To serve and better the youth and communities around us.