Alaska Bound with Little Man

We can't seem to stay put anywhere. It's just me and my little man for a few weeks until we start driving to Alaska to meet Rory. Rory and I met in Alaska, and we've always talked about getting back up there, but it never seemed like a reality. I haven't told anyone, including my family, because I don't really believe it's happening until I'm there.

I say that because I was excited for California at one point. We were moving to the sierras, and I even put my notice in at work, nailed down a house and a job but a few days before was Talon's surgery and they wanted $1,250 up front. That killed our move, and kept us here for a bit longer. Then Rory got a job offer in Ketchikan, and they paid for his move up there. Things will work out in their own time. I'm sure I'll see warm weather again some day.

I like Colorado - it's been great living here if you can get past the -40 mornings in the winter. But man, summer has arrived and it is beautiful. I'm ready for sunny and 75, but that will have to wait until shoulder season for an escape to Mex. Southeast Alaska isn't exactly warm and sunny all the time, but I'm excited for something new. 

Talon is 14 months old, getting into EVERYTHING. Some of his most recent endeavors are:

• Collecting and eating rocks
• Driving home from the store on the back roads, moving the steering wheel side to side and yelling at random people
• Eating his first booger and I almost gagged watching it 
• First camping trip and slept like a champ
• Had to be re-circumcised at Rocky Mtn. Children's Hospital, and the worst part was watching him go under anesthesia. I waited to cry until he fell asleep.
• Pacing around the house calling random people on my phone and having conversations for minutes at a time until I realize he's actually talking to someone (it's more like jabber)
• Watching us pray at dinner, and putting his hands together smiling until I'm done
• Playing drums on all the pots
• Wanting to cheers after every sip
• Doing yoga with me (more like laughing at me)
• Walking up to me just to give me a hug, and go on about his business 

So that's the short version. I was watching him sleep this morning and couldn't help but see him as a little boy. He's not a baby anymore. Part of me is excited for him to grow up and go on adventures with me, but there's always that part that wants time to stop.

Here are some recent photos of life here

Quietly enjoying his dairy free brownie while everyone else eats cake :-/ 

Fell asleep "talking" to Grampa

5th winter showed up with 4 feet of snow in late April WTF

Little Drummer Boy

Butterfly Pavilion in Denver

Don't worry mom, I got this

Sorry, were you trying to concentrate?

Rory snuck in this gem. Love sleeping next to T.

1st Full Moon Bonfire Campout. Eerie, CO

Spaghetti at daycare

Pre-Op before he got snipped up

Be the Duck. And then Go Fishing.

John Tilly, manager of one of the many fine dining restaurants in Orange County. The best boss I ever had. He was the perfect duck; visibly cool, calm, and collected but I imagine he was paddling like crazy underneath.

I'll never forget John's response to frantic food servers and bartenders. You'd think the place was on fire as they spit out their emergency.  Yet, he always just stood there with a soft, reassuring smile and ended every encounter with, "hey, I'm here for YOU." He never lost it, he only reassured.

As I'm entering the life of motherhood, I often wonder if I'll be able to be a good duck. Constantly in demand, give give give, hold it together, don't break down, and if you do - don't let the world see it. How do the John's of the world do it?

Maybe I'll be like Peter from Office Space. Just cruise around with selective hearing, wearing Birkenstocks because I can, often times zoning out from everything around me.

Or maybe I'll just increase my wine intake. Pour it in a coffee cup and hope my kid never figures out my tricks. Unless of course, he's like my 3 year old niece, who watches as I pour my 3rd cup of "coffee" for the afternoon and says with her head cocked to the side, "hey Bebba, can I have some vino too?" Yeah, that's probably not going to work.

And just like that, I've written about absolutely nothing relevant. Writer's block at it's best. It's all about perspective I suppose. I wrote about nothing, but you read it - so who wasted their time really?

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles." -Doug Larson

Montana Livin... in a Yurt Down by the River

A lot has happened since Easter and in short, I left Alaska to live closer to Nonnie and place roots somewhere besides the road. I now live in a yurt in the sticks of Montana where all my neighbors grow what you buy at the farmer's market. "Farm to Market Road" is literally the name of my street. I drive 30 minutes to work down country roads with views of the mountains and wildlife. With visits from a black bear, deer, faun, and millions of mosquitoes, life is good in the mountains (even if I no longer have a view of Mt. McKinley). 

Some photos of life in Montana. 

Spirit of Alaska | Let it Run Through Your Heart

Everything is still frozen up in Denali National Park and without running water, I've learned to simplify.  Until driving up to Fairbanks yesterday, I'd been living off Cliff Bars, peanut butter sandwiches, and red wine. One of our retail ladies invited everyone up to her house for a bonfire and a proper meal. This is a photo from her front yard overlooking Denali Village. The river behind it, is the frozen Nenana River where I'll be working primarily once it breaks.

Temperatures have varied anywhere from -5 to 35, and I got to see the northern lights for the first time a few nights ago. It was so beautiful, I almost cried, but I held back because I didn't want my tears to freeze. I couldn't even take a photo; I just wanted to take it all in and enjoy it in that moment. One of our maintenance guys, Brian Straus, snapped this shot from behind the village.

Last night, I escaped to my favorite place while it's still without guests. This photo was taken on the deck overhanging above the river. The sun set around 10pm as a near full moon took over the sky. Before the ink in my pen froze, I took time to journal, write letters, read scripture, and enjoy the silence which nature offers without demanding anything in return.

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." -John Muir

Life in Alaska

"You can kiss your friends and family goodbye, and put miles between you. But at the same time, you carry them with you in your heart, in your soul, in your stomach. Because you do not just live in a world, but a world lives in you." -Fredrick Buchner

Last night with the fam. Totally normal. 

Two summers ago, I met Pat down in Mexico. The way he described where he lived in Alaska made me want more. I made it a personal goal to visit but never did I think I would be working and living here. Flying over the lights of Anchorage Friday night, I knew I belonged in Alaska. I can't explain the feeling I have being here and who's to say for how long, but for now, Denali is home.

One thing I love is how present everyone is. No one is ever on their cell phones, but instead enjoying the scenery and people around them. It's a lifestyle people in the city can't appreciate anymore. Being "connected" has taken over being present and alive.

Saturday morning, a crew of us including Pat, Molly, Kyle, and Vicki (another couple who just moved up here from AZ) went on a hike into Portage Pass which starts in the town of Whittier. Whittier is very... interesting. It's a port town for the Alaska Marine Highway and the population is under 200. All of the city lives in one building and I'm pretty sure weird stuff happens there. Pat and Molly wanted to start us off at the low end and insist we can only go up from there.

The building behind the sign is where the entire town lives

...and this is where they used to live... 

The hike on the other hand was out of this world. Along the path were footprints for a lynx and we searched everywhere to find it but apparently  it didn't want to be found. We were consistently in shin to knee deep snow and the sun finally broke through by the time we reached the glacier.

Getting to the glacier, we had to walk across the frozen lake that wasn't so frozen in some spots. Molly reminded me that Pat, being on Alaska's Search and Rescue Team, has a higher tolerance of sketchiness than most. Regardless, he tested the depth, gave his approval, and we went for it.

Kyle, Pat, Molly, Me 

Once we got to the glacier, I realized then just how small I was. Looking at my surroundings, I couldn't help but wonder about everything else around me. What was behind that glacier, and behind that even? It seemed as if we covered so much ground and saw such a huge piece of earth, yet when I looked at the topo map back at the house, we covered nothing. Alaska is huge, and so much of it has yet to be explored.

On the plane I watched, "Secret Life of Walter Mitty." I loved the quote and motto of LIFE Magazine that was consistent throughout the movie. I hope to live out their motto while living here in what I consider God's country.

"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life." -LIFE Magazine

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." -Hillsong United

The Good Life > American Dream

The American Dream. What is it? Living the good life. What does that mean?

I've lived the high life, making plenty of money, going on weekend getaways, enjoying happy hour three nights a week, going on 10 days of vacation because that's what my "good job" allotted me. All I needed was a sexy husband and two kids, and I was living the dream. Oh, the American Dream, it's what we all strive for.

Except, I don't want the American Dream, I want to live my dream.

I want to live the good life, finding beauty all around me. Seek love, and hold on to it. See the world, and share it with those around me. Let God speak to me through nature. Be drawn to tears in awe of the magnificence we call earth. Breathe in clean mountain air. Sleep outside. Share conversation with a stranger. Invite the world to change me so I can change the world. Do things that make me feel good. Isn't that the good life?

For the next 6 months, Alaska is where I'll be. Welcome to Denali.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul." Psalm 23:1-3 

Third Time's a Charm - Vinny {Part 3}

After last night's hour of heart break with Vinny, his anger, doubting of God, and giving up hope, I really needed a night  to catch my breathe. 

Getting onto the freeway, I looked back to the offramp to see if Vinny was there. I had red vines, cereal, and a bike lock to deliver in hopes to make up for his previous night of despair. He was there, so I was excited to catch him on the way home. 

So I went to Barnes and Noble,  picked up the book I've been meaning to for over a month, and looked for a corner to sit on the floor and read. I can spend hours at the bookstore, and I often times do, reading a book to see if I actually want to buy it. No open corners. It was crowded. I had a happy delivery to make anyway so I bought my book and headed home. 

I got off the freeway only to find empty sidewalk. Where the heck? I drove around, went to Rite Aid for a chocolate chip ice cream cone (I love solo date nights, dontjudgeme), then finally went back around full circle. I started at the 76 station and decided I'd make my way back and if I didn't see him, then maybe tomorrow. 

I drove by 76, and saw a green shirt inside the store. Jackpot!

I pulled up to Vinny, Sam (the attendant), and another guy with a van. He has just been delivered a new bike. When Vinny saw me, he yelled back to Sam, "Look! She's here! I told you she'd bring me a lock!" Sam and his friend turned around to me but I was looking at Vinny's face. Pure joy. 

I told him Stacey went straight to Target after hearing about his bike being stolen, and she bought a bike lock along with half a tub of red vines. He told Sam we were like two daughters looking after him. 

"Well," Sam said, "that's good and I'm happy you're in a better mood because last night you were so angry." Apparently I wasn't the only one who got the cold shoulder. 

But you know what Vinny said?

"Yeah I was... but hey! Today is a new day for new beginnings and I'm going to focus on that." 

This is a photo of Vinny, Sam, and Vinny's new bike (and bike lock around his neck so he wouldn't lose it.) I should really get a camera, but until then, enjoy the flip phone photo. 

 

At home opening my new book, The Irresistible Revolution, the first line caught my attention:

"While the voices of blockbuster movies and pop culture cry out for a life outside the matrix of numb efficiency, Christianity often has offered little to the world, other than the hope that things will be better in heaven."  

I dunno, why can't we make them better for people like Vinny today? 

______

"There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help." -Jan Schakowsky

"If God's love is for anybody anywhere, it's for everybody everywhere." -Edward Lawlor

Conviction Meets Calling

Three months ago, on June 2, 2013, my life was changed forever. All because of one man.

Stace and I had just gotten out of church to meet my dad for dinner. We were running late, and she wasn't paying attention when she rear ended a limo driver who spoke very little English. Frazzled, she spoke with her insurance while I kept the man in good spirits. 

We were on our way after 20 minutes or so, had dinner, laughed it off with my dad, all was fine. Except Stacey was still beating herself up for having been so oblivious to the car in front of her. 

It was late, we were tired, both in need of a mood lifter. 

That's when we saw a homeless man, sitting on the ground, not really paying much attention to people driving by. All day, every day, someone is standing on this corner begging. This man couldn't be bothered. He didn't even look up. 

We got the green light. "Whew" is usually the sigh of relief for most people. No one likes to be the person stopped at the red light next to a homeless person looking you right in the eyes, hoping for something. Not us. This was what we needed. 

Stacey looked over at him as she drove past him. Then she looked at me. 

"I feel like we need to get that guy something," she said. 

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I dunno, let's go to the gas station." 

{As a side note: I am a total softy when it comes to homeless people. You might disagree with this next statement, but in truth, I simply don't care. My Nonnie taught me that God put that person in front of you to give; not to judge. Whatever they do with it afterwards is between them and God. It's not your sword to swing, you did your job. Take that however you want; it's not for everyone} 

We parked, picked up some red vines (because who doesn't love red vines), water, and some other random things we both thought we'd want if we were on the streets. We asked the attendant if he wouldn't mind us parking at the gas station for a bit while we walked down the street. 

We were on our way to see the homeless man, in hopes to maybe pray over him and shed some light on a dark, lonely evening.  We were not prepared for what happened next. 

He appeared to be on the streets for a while. He was in his late 50's sporting a massive beard, long grey hair, a hat, and a serious runny nose. 

He was happy to see two young ladies heading his way, and we... well we were all of a sudden in a hurry to get out of there. He spoke fast, but not jibberish. He was educated. Very educated. Clearly he was on something, but we didn't know what. "I LOVE red vines!" Well, at least we nailed that one. 

We gave each other the "let's give this five minutes and get out of here" look, but he just kept on talking about this and that. He told me, "I bet you don't last 20 minutes talking to me because by that time, this snot will reach the bottom of my nose and you'll be so grossed out, you'll run." 

He was right. It was gross. But something happened. We stayed. We listened. We quietly prayed. 

An hour later, the snot reached well beyond the bottom of his nose. He was becoming very passionate about his rants and with every word, I would just stare at it... waiting for that slimy goo to come flying across and hit me in my own mouth. 

We found out his name was Vinny. He was 57 years old and had been on the streets for 26 of those years. We wanted so badly to just pray over him, and be on our way, maybe to catch him again on a sober day. This wasn't turning out the way we had planned... does anything? 

Late turned into really late, and we needed to get going. That's when a friend of Vinny rolled up on his bike. His name was Randall. By this time, Vinny was tired of talking to us, so he want back to his post, sat down, and continued rambling to himself. 

Randall was well kept, very sober, and didn't appear to be homeless (he told us later he has a place to stay, but that's about it). With his bike and cigarette in hand, he asked how - and what - we were doing in the area. 

We explained our night, how we saw Vinny, and felt the pull to come meet him before heading home.

"Vin Dog is a real good friend of mine," he said. "That man needs a lot of prayer." 

Stacey looked at me, with eyes lit up. 

"Actually, that's why we came over here. We were hoping to pray over him," she said. 

"Well," he replied, "why don't we do it now?" 

Wow...

Stace and I looked at each other, completely taken back by his response. 

"Absolutely," we both said. 

Without hesitation, he put his bike down, along with his cigarette, grabbed both our hands, and he prayed right there with traffic flying by us. I squeezed Stacey's hand in disbelief. 

"Dear God, I thank you for this night. I thank you for all the beauty in this world and for people like Stacey and Rebecca, for stopping by and spending time with Vinny. He needs your help and we ask for you to watch over him." 

We were both weeping. I don't even remember what else he said in his prayer, and it didn't matter. I was blown away.  We left, moods beyond lifted, knowing we'd be back to visit Vinny, even if he didn't remember talking to us. 

Two weeks later, Stacey passed him off the freeway, with red vines in her hand ready to pass off. 

"Hi Stacey!!"  

No. Way. He remembered. 

She called me and told me to go see him. So I did. And he was sober. 

He apologized for that night, and he opened up to me about his life growing up in Huntington Park, his daughter Heather (somewhere out there), the day his cousin offered him methamphetamine in his teen years to kick a migraine, and how he wished it never happened. He hates when people drive past him just to yell at him to get a job, he loves mixing every kind of cereal he can get his hands on, pouring milk straight into the box, and eating it just like that. He told me he'd rather have 20 minutes of conversation with someone than $100. 

I've seen him a number of times since then, and the gas attendant now knows who I'm going to visit, bringing him a few of his favorite things, and meeting some of the other guys (and girl) in the neighborhood. He lives right behind Sandals Church, and my hope is to one day have him accept my invite to a service. 

Today, I went to the Woodcrest campus and it was the most powerful service I've been to in years. God reached right into my heart and tugged on the strings. So much so, that I wept the entire time. It was a service of prayer. Pastor Matt asked us to write down a name that only we can reach (Philemon 1:4).

I wrote down Vinny. 

He told us to pray for the following: 

- Make God real to them, no matter what it takes.

- Block the enemy from them (God doesn't change hearts, he only softens them).

- Ask God to help me pray for them. (2 Corinthians 4:4) 

This man is the focus of my prayers, and if you see him standing on Blaine off the 215S, tell him I said so. 

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Acts 20:35

To Be Broke, Brown, and Barefoot

Recently the conversation came up with my mom about the title of my blog. She asked when it started and I laughed, remembering exactly when it happened.

In 2009, Costa Rica was home base and I was traveling up to Nicaragua for a quick, one-week trip. The day before we were supposed to head back to CR, the border shut down. Fantastic.

I had $5.00 to my name until the border opened up three days later (no ATMs in Popoyo, FYI). In the meantime, I snuck into the internet cafe to assure my family I was safe, the surf was pumping, and I had plenty of money (uh-huh that's right).

Business was done, I snuck out, got halfway down the dirt road, and heard a man yelling after me, "You pay, you must pay!!!" All I could do was yell back "I'm soooorrrryyyyy!!" as I ran down the road in my bare feet with such guilt that I stole two minutes from this man's internet cafe.

While guilt struck, yet laughing, I realized I was literally broke, brown, barefoot, and I was happy. I spent the last $5.00 on a bottle of Flor de Caña (which I shared with the hostel staff in exchange for meals), got some of the best waves of my life and I wouldn't have done it any different.

The End.

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." -Ralk Waldo Emerson

Santa Cruz and Sonoma Coast

I'm writing from the Co-Op in Gualala, where I've been greeted by every person who walks by. While sitting here at the window, drinking my vanilla latte, a homeless man walked by, stopped to make sure he got my attention, smiled, waved, and kept walking. Before here, the lady at the fair trade gift store, gave me a tour of the entire shop with stories about where everything came from. Apparently when your town population is under 200, a tourist is the highlight of any day.

 I stayed in Sonoma County last night after spending two days with Mike in Santa Cruz. Surfed both days and thought my life was over when I mistook a seal for a shark. Other than that, the cold water was bearable and the waves were pretty fun! Photos below are of 26th street where I had the better of two days surfing and Mike putting air in my tires which pretty much captured his personality at it's finest.

The drive up through Sonoma was so pretty, it was hard to keep my eyes on the road. From lush trees near Samuel Taylor, to the Tule Elk Reserve at Pt. Reyes, over steep cliffs through Sonoma Coast State Park, I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of this coast! 

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." - E.E. Cummings 

Ozzies, a Kiwi, and Montezuma's Revenge

Oh My...

We met some amazing boys here at Adventurec in Vera Cruz. Two of them are from Australia (Riley and Marlow), one of them from New Zealand (Sandy), yet all three live in Canada which I’ve come to find out is very common. I don’t know if it’s their positive attitude, politeness, accent, or all three combined, but I love these boys. Riley in particular is always just so stoked on life. 

Every time I look over at him, he’s grinning from ear to ear and I have no idea what goes on in his head. He also rocks a sweet mullet so how could I not love this kid? Marlow is always without shoes and can’t smile without his tongue hanging out, and Sandy kinda just cruises around, open for any conversation and never turns down a beer. Everything they say ends with “ay?” and it’s become quite contagious around here.  

We’ve only been here a few days and the boys are already walking zombies with bodies sore from head to toe. The other 7 of us in the hostal are getting over a two-day Montezuma’s Revenge and we’re guessing we all ate the same thing but no one is sure. I walked out of my room yesterday on my way to vomit, and Smiley Riley says “WOW you look like shit, ay?” Five hours later, he was in the same boat. Gotta love Mexico.  

Top Left: Riley charging Meat Locker, Andrew scouting the 40ft fall into Silencio
Middle Left: Marlow scouting the 62ft Tomata 1, Boys at Big Banana Falls, Chris at Meat Locker
Bottom Left: Smiley Riley, Marlow 

The Difference Between Knowing and Understanding

My Backyard/Playground

Two weeks of unemployment have been nothing shy of amazing; however I must admit this whole  living on a budget has never been my strong point. I've been blessed my entire life not having to worry about money and it's definitely not because I'm good at spending wisely. Growing up, we weren't exactly well off until my teenage years but my dad always took care of us. I always felt bad about him buying the bag of beef jerky and lemonade I really wanted from Costco every Saturday morning, but his response was always, "don't worry about it; if you want it, get it." Well... you really messed me up Pops, because that mentality stuck with me for the next 20 years and now that I'm unemployed ::ahem:: voluntarily quit a very well paying job, I have no idea how to live on a budget.

Sunrise Bedroom View 

First thing's first.... move home. Yup. I did it. I moved home at 28 years old and I'm pretty happy about it. I was dreading the transition after being on my own for 10 years in Long Beach where the weather is always nice, I'm close to the beach, and I can lounge around in my underwear. Now as I sit here in my room in Riverside, I've been brutally reminded of the heat, snakes, spiders of every damn breed you can think of, and worst of all,  the inability to lounge around in my underwear. The positives of moving home? Well that would be the pool, trail runs in the mountain behind our house, a freezer packed with steak and salmon, a maid once a week, no rent, and best of all, I'm with my family.

I can gripe all I want aome, but in reality, this month is going to fly by and I won't even have enough time to know whether or not I like living at home. I leave for Montana next week to visit Nonnie, then after that, I've got one solid week to soak up my family and then I'm off for the Tour de Suenos. This past week, my girls and I spent three days in Vegas on our final excursion as roommates. We've become more like sisters over the past few years and it was an emotional yet exciting end of an era.

New beginnings and future endeavors are being revealed and I couldn't be more excited to get started. I'm not meant for the working world, and don't know that I'll ever go back to it. I've lived the high life, now it's time to live the good life where I'll be broke, brown, barefoot, and rich with happiness and love.

The difference between knowing and understanding is living.

Enamorado en Baja

The only thing better than quitting my job was telling my boss I needed to take vacation on the 2nd to last week of work. Probably not the most responsible decision, but let's be real here,  one week in Baja changed my entire outlook on life and how I'm going to be living it. 

Reactions from my friends and family have varied when they learn I’ve quit my job to travel. From the “good for you!” to the “I can’t believe you’re leaving such a great job” to the “how can you leave your family like that?”- the answer I have for all of you is-- because I can.

I'm a happy girl on an open road to freedom with good people and amazing experiences ahead. For those of you following me on my travels, keep your prayers high and opinions low. I need all the positive love and energy you can give. 

I love God, I love my family, and I love traveling.  God is with me wherever I go, my family will love me wherever I am, and traveling shapes the core of my existence. 

______________________________________________________________

Psalm 121 “The Travelers Psalm”

1 I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber:

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 the Sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life;

8  the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Beautiful Beginnings

I asked someone a while back if they could change one thing about them, what would it be? The answer was, "I wish I were a morning person." I thought about that and realized I took for granted my ability to wake up with bells on every day (well. almost every day). Part of the reason I love the mornings is because of the sunrise. My favorite time of day is the hour before the sun comes up, when it's still dark but the sky is fading into a lighter blue, sometimes purple and the stars are still bright.

Walking out of my apartment for a dawn patrol surf, I was greeted with the most beautiful morning. The sky was transitioning, and two stars were in perfect view behind the palm trees. This photo wasn't even edited; it's the natural beauty of the sunrise which never gets old. Don't get me wrong, I love a good sunset, but there's something about a sunrise that makes me breathe deeper.

A sunrise symbolizes the start of a brand new day "with new beginnings, open to changes and surprises. New days will always be coming."

II Samuel 23:4

"He is like the light of morning at sunrise

on a cloudless morning,

like the brightness after rain

that brings the grass from the earth." 

In Search of Something New..

Too many people settle for the life they have. I'm not settling and I don't believe I ever will. I am bored, and I need new adventure. After experiencing Central America for a few months, I realize that traveling is my passion. Whether I take a day road trip or a month excursion to another country, I'm craving to explore new opportunity. Yes, I have accomplished a lot for a 24 year old girl, but there is a lot more to be done. I want more school, I want a career that challenges me, and I want a family. When I have all those things, I will continue to search for something new to add to my life.

I don't understand how people twice my age have never traveled. They either have never had the opportunity, or they just don't care to escape their little bubble in Orange County. The ignorance of this world is amazing. People have no idea what is out there. What opportunity lies ahead. They simply don't care. They have their office space suffocation from 8am-5pm, with a 30 minute lunch break, get off work and maybe hit the gym,  go home, eat dinner, go to sleep and do it all over again.

Many don't care what is out in other parts of the world and are happy driving their Mercedes with nothing to worry about. However deep down, there is a free spirit inside everyone. It's only the small percentage of us who chose to pay attention to it.