Gateways to Adventure

As I sat at the airport last week waiting for my flight to Seattle, Washington, I realized just how much airports captivate me. 

Perhaps it’s the noise of baggage wheels clacking on the moving sidewalk, the rip of a boarding pass being torn off, or the sound of a passport being stamped. All are comforting reminders that I am either almost home or soon to be somewhere new and exciting.

 Perhaps it’s the atmosphere. Airports are filled with so much raw emotion. Joyful reunions. Tearful separations. Anxious faces.

Perhaps it’s the feeling of being surrounded by other individuals who are also leaving their homes behind, hungry to discover what else the world has to offer them.

For me, an airport serves as my escape. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life at home, but there is always something exhilarating about leaving what you knew behind and discovering something new. A change in scenery, if you will.

To put it simply, airports are my happy place. I’m the girl who likes to show up at least three hours before her flight — international or domestic, it doesn’t matter — just to spend a bit of extra time in the terminal. I could probably spend the entire day there and never get bored.

You see an airport begins, continues, and ends a journey. They are gateways to infinite possibilities. Gateways to something else, something exciting, somewhere new, and maybe somewhere better. We start in one city to end in another hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Enter from a desert and exit into a blizzard. In from familiarity, out into something completely foreign.

As soon as you step into an airport, a whole new chapter to your story begins.

Dear October,

Dear October,

It's really good to see you. Don't tell the others, but you've always been my favorite. Your warm, golden tones and crisp weather fill my heart with nostalgia and my mind with memories of pumpkin picking and cool nights curled up with a blanket and hot apple cider.

In only two weeks, I turn twenty one. Goodness. Where does the time go? I thought I would feel a little apprehensive. Twenty one sounds like an age where I'm supposed to have everything together, know what I want in life and where I'm going. 

But alas...I don't have everything together, I still have no idea what I want and I don't know where I'll be an hour from now, let alone the years to come. 

But I think that's okay. Instead, I feel incredibly appreciative. I'm happy to be where I am. To be able to appreciate the fall breeze that is softly brushing through my hair as I write. So here's to the little things. To being here. To appreciating every second.

I'm ready for you October, lets make twenty one the best yet.

When You Find Your Passion

I think its a pretty big deal to look in the mirror and be able to say “I have found my passion.” Often, it’s not that hard to figure out — it’ll actually be pretty obvious once you come upon it. 

I can pretty much pin point when and where I was when I discovered my love of photography. It was the summer going into my 8th grade year. My family and I had driven out to Montana for our third year in a row and we were stopped at a lookout point; taking in the vast, mountainous scene that was before us. It was then my dad handed me his camera and told me I could try taking a few photos.  

After just a few shots, I found myself filled with pure excitement. Excitement that was slowly turning into adrenaline. I was confused. Why was my heart beating so fast? Was this stress? What was there to stress about? Or was it just adrenaline that was fooling me because my heart was beating too fast? 

Then I got it. 

Maybe this was what it felt like to be passionate about something.

Eight years later and that feeling of passion for taking pictures has only grown. 

Here's a look into what I've been up to lately…

Happy Friday!

Confessions of a People Pleaser

It’s time for a confession... 

  Okay so it's not really a confession, but just something that has been on my mind today. 

I am a people pleaser. Give me a moment of discontent and I’ll jump in and fill the need as fast as I can in hopes of both harmony among those involved as well as positive feelings toward myself. 

But you know what I've learned? 

People pleasing is exhausting. Utterly exhausting. 

It's taken me a while to understand that you aren’t responsible for anyone’s happiness except your own. You aren’t responsible for always being on, always looking good, always being there when someone needs you. 

Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making people feel good, but when you spend a majority of your time trying to accommodate everyone, you in-turn forget to accommodate yourself. And before you know it, you end up losing bits and pieces of yourself because your neglecting to do the things that make you happy.

So sometimes you just need take a day for yourself, head to your favorite coffee shop, put your headphones in and escape the world around you. 

The way I see it, there are two options. You can either spend your days worrying about other people's wants and needs, or you can bravely follow your own. If you live a passionate, honest life, it won't and shouldn't matter what other people think or want or need from you.

Where to next?

When the travel bug bit me years ago, it bit hard and never let go.This feeling is like an all-consuming metaphorical wave that invades your being, coating each and every cell and nerve and every electrical impulse flowing through your body with this resolute desire. To backpack across Europe. To camp out under the stars in Montana. To ride around Italy on a mint green moped and eat pizza, lots of pizza. 

Sometimes, I am overcome with this sudden desire to stop whatever it is I am doing, drive to the airport, and buy a ticket for a destination chosen by a game of 'Eeanie meanie miney mo'. 

And while my next destination wasn't picked by playing some childhood game, the plane tickets have been bought and the countdown has begun. 

To where you may ask? I'll give you a few hints.

Lots of rain, coffee and mountainous backdrops. 

Also known as the city that gave Starbucks life…

Seattle!

Source

In a little over a month, I will be traveling to Washington to visit my one of my best friends, Meghan, who recently moved out there for school. Seattle has been on my "must visit" list for quite sometime now, so a big thank you to Meghan for finally giving me an excuse to go!

Only 40 days! But who's counting?