If I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life, it would have to be James Cameron's Avatar. It's stunning visuals and special effects emphasize its core message, which drew me to it upon reading the prompt. Avatar discusses environmental problems like over-industrialization and deforestation, social concerns like prejudice and removal of native peoples, and topics about mental health, such as grief, anxiety, and dissociation. At the same time, it shows viewers examples of cultural open-mindedness and acceptance, actionable euphoria, and the beauty in having something to protect. Avatar feels like a realistic possible future for humanity - a potential Earthen dystopia - where humans have depleted their resources and must utilize alien planets. Frankly, such a scenario isn't too far-fetched, as humans tend to be short-sighted when it comes to precious resources. At the same time, Avatar's characters help to drive the story and deepen the message. They are unique and well-rounded to where they feel almost human. They are beautiful and broken at once, which makes them feel more personal. Each character experiences loss, triumph, and growth differently, translating to a unique story arc. While the film's protagonists are noble, so are the antagonists. Cameron wrote Avatar's villains as relatable, detestable people, yet they still feel like motivated individuals rather than personified story tropes. The relationships between characters, such as the relationship between the main protagonist and the main antagonist, are fluid and feel authentic. There is deep romance, a betrayal of history, and the discovery of unexpected friends spread across a massive cinematic masterpiece. It feels like a reflection of real life through media. When I watch Avatar, I feel both a connection to the nature surrounding me and my home, yet I yearn to escape to Pandora and experience the lush forests and exotic creatures it has. I want to learn about and interact with nature, study the intricacies of life, and celebrate the beauty in what I see. It inspires me to help preserve and protect our planet. When I finish the movie and the credits start to roll, I feel this urge to go outside, take a walk, stretch, move in any way, and appreciate the little slice of Earth I can see from home. That is a feeling I want to experience forever. I never want to lose the rush of inspiration I feel upon hearing Avatar's familiar music. Avatar has a unique way of bringing people together through its universal message, which I hope to experience forever.

My best friend and I love volunteering together and have donated hours of our time to projects spanning the whole county. So far, we've sewed bags for the Little Lambs Foundation, helped shelve books at a school library, donated clothing, and helped at the Stokes Nature Center. So far, I believe that working at the Stokes Nature Center has been my favorite project. We purchased a new glass aquarium for their turtle and fish, complete with all the trimmings, and drove everything to the nature center. Then, the two of us brought our younger sisters and spent an afternoon emptying and cleaning the old tank and replacing it with the new aquarium. First, we moved the turtle and fish from the tank to a bucket. Then, my friend and I took turns scooping up the dirty water with a large bucket and dumping it outside while our sisters dug out the decor and substrate. This task alone took over two hours. Once we finished cleaning and storing the old tank, we started setting up the new aquarium. We first set up a rock pile for the turtle to be able to leave the water, which took some finagling, and began filling the bottom with the substrate. We split up the work so that while one of us was filling the tank with water, someone else was filling the substrate, and everyone else was stacking rocks and arranging decor. Even though we all wore t-shirts, we laughed about how the dirt and water soaked into the shoulders of our shirts. When we finally finished, we introduced the turtle and his fish to their new home and watched them explore; the turtle seemed to enjoy uprooting the aquatic plants we had painstakingly planted. To celebrate our accomplishment, we took a picture of the new tank and laughed about how the turtle seemed to be staring into the camera.