living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
Who’s the most influential person in your life? If you asked me this age-old question, I wouldn’t hesitate to answer: My grandpa. Though he passed away in 2006—when I was twenty-two—his impact on my life hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s grown stronger! Grandpa: September 2005 I could easily write a book on what I learned from Grandpa—and …
Continue reading The Most Influential Person in My Life: My Grandpa
Have you ever taken one of those Which Disney Character Are You? quizzes? I’m not ashamed to admit that I have. I mean, it’s hard to avoid those things, what with all the quiz variations, plus friends sharing results on FB. I see one, and I just can’t help myself—especially if it’s a princess one. …
Whether you prefer #travelTuesday or #Tuesdayviewsday, today’s post is for you. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I visited Barcelona back in May. It marked my fifth excursion to Europe, second solo international trip, and first time in Spain. To be honest, though, Barcelona wasn’t a high priority destination for me until maybe March—when a …
I broke up with winter in January 2014. It was a toxic relationship that should have ended long before that—but better late than never! Moving from Michigan to someplace warm was a dream I’d had since oh, about the age of four. That’s when palm trees and beach scenes became a recurring theme of my …
Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Florida’s Gulf Coast Beaches
How could you travel to a foreign country by yourself??!! It’s a question I hear a LOT. And, I’m not surprised. Intimidation definitely deters many from solo travel— especially international solo travel! Even seasoned travelers aren't exempt. Preference also plays a major role here. You may have no desire to travel solo, and that’s perfectly …
Continue reading Is Solo Travel for You? Take My Ultimate 7 Question Quiz
If you’re reading my adventure blog, I imagine you have some sort of bucket list. Mine seems to grow longer as I cross things off. The more I do, the more I’m exposed to—and the more I realize I want to do. Please tell me you can relate! Let’s be crazy bucket listers together, k? …
Yes, I can honestly say that skydiving changed the course of my life. It was the catalyst that took me from adventurous dreamer to adventurous doer—jolting me out of some serious ‘someday’ apathy. Suddenly, every single item on my bucket list felt not only achievable, but achievable in the NOW. Since my first skydive, I've …
Continue reading How My First Skydiving Experience Changed My Life
Ever returned from a trip thinking about what you would have done if you’d had just one more day? Of course you have, right? It’s human nature to want just a little bit more. Ok. So we’ve established that you think about this, too. But, would you rather enjoy your favorite experiences AGAIN? Or, cram all …
As promised, I’m sharing my top must-dos in Paris, based on that 48 hour whirlwind trip I took back in January. Having only two days—a day and a half really, and less if you count sleeping!—I conducted extensive research to craft the perfect itinerary. And, I genuinely don’t regret a single second of how I …
Continue reading 7 Things You Must Do on Your First Trip to Paris
So, y’all know that Paris was my dream adventure. Aaaannnd my flight was unbelievably cheap ($467, thanks to one of Scott’s alerts). Still, my frugal self refused to spend more than $1k on the total trip, so I decided to limit myself to just two nights in the City of Lights. I know, I know. Two …
adventure and the girl 