During the my eighth grade year I dreaded the day I would have to leave my small well-known Catholic middle school to a huge chaotic public high school where I only knew two people. Just like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit by J.R.R, I was also an ordinary person before going on my journey. Tolkien the In his cozy hobbit hole, Bilbo Baggins curled up by the fire with a hot cup of tea, two small cakes, and a book titled Dana’s Heroic Journey. She faces challenges and temptations along the way but gets guidance from friends, new and old, and from mentors. This book reminds Mr. Baggins of his adventure with Gandalf and the Dwarves and he relates to Dana when she comes face-to-face with her situations.While re-reading this book Bilbo sees that Dana…show more content… She seeked help from a kind-hearted and sweet middle aged lady. Her name was Mrs. Feliciani and she kept calling Dana down to her office for guidance. The wise lady told Dana of a group that gets together once a week and helps kids meet new people. This is where she met her first group of friends. Mr. Baggins realized that Dana seeked help to find friends, while his unexpectedly came to him. One by one dwarves came knocking on Bilbo’s door. “Then the bell rang again louder than ever, and he had to run to the door. It was not four after all, it was five. Another dwarf had come along while he was wandering in the hall” (Tolkien 9). Sadly for Dana these friends drifted off later in the year to different schools or they just grew apart. Most of them tempted her with drugs and she had to make a choice it was either friendships laced with bad habits or staying true to who she is. “It is true that for ever after he remained an elf-friend, and had the honour of dwarves, wizards, and all such folk as ever passed that way; but he was no longer quite respectable” (Tolkien 303-304). A single tear fell onto the page of Bilbo’s book, he was very blessed and happy that he made so many friends throughout his journey. He would treasure them always and he knew he had a lifetime of long living…show more content… One mentor being Mrs. Feliciani who encouraged Dana to get involved more with the school and join different clubs and activities. She took the advice and got involved with NABA and SADD. Mrs. Feliciani saw that Dana was no ordinary high school student, she saw potential in her. “‘I put it there myself. For very good reasons. You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition, and I chose Mr. Baggins’” (Tolkien 19.) Bilbo remembered when Gandalf picked him as the fourteenth man, Gandalf saw something in Bilbo that the other dwarves didn’t. Dana and Bilbo’s mentors saw potential in them and helped them along their journeys. Mrs. Feliciani was always there for Dana whenever she had questions, concerns, or problems. Also Dana’s middle school friends were constantly by side too. Even though, we all went to different high schools we always made time for each other. They protected each other and were there for each other through thick and thin. “Gandalf and Bilbo rode behind the Elvenking, and beside them strode Beorn, once again in man’s shape, and he laughed and sang in a loud voice upon the road. So they went on until they drew near to the borders of Mirkwood, to the north of the place where the Forest River ran out” (Tolkien 294). Beorn and Gandalf helped Bilbo return home safely after his journey was finished. Gandalf made sure Bilbo was back in his hobbit hole before
