living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
Does your everyday life seem boring? Does it feel like you're just trying your best to get through the ordinary? Or living for the weekend? Or longing for your next trip or adventure? If you're nodding yes, you are NOT alone. The regular days of life can easily feel mundane and even burdensome, when compared …
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." It's one of those Bible verses I've known since childhood. Such a beautiful, powerful promise from God. But I can't say I fully grasped it till recent adulthood—when I moved to Tennessee and met my husband John. Sure, …
After seven solo international trips, I decided to spill my guts on what it’s like to travel solo. As an introvert, I rarely mind being alone. I’m also fiercely independent, good with navigation, and a cross between MacGyver and Nancy Drew when it comes to figuring stuff out on the go. Basically, I was born …
Grotto Falls is pretty popular. First, it’s the only waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can walk behind. Bam. Instant appeal. Second, it’s a short hike. Only 1.4 miles from the Trillium Gap trailhead to the falls. Minimal effort for maximum beauty. Ironically, Grotto Falls’ popularity and the short trek to …
Continue reading Grotto Falls Tennessee Hike to Brushy Mountain
Friends, I have a confession. I almost didn’t go skydiving a second time. Okay, that’s dramatic. But, I did put it off way, way, wayyyyyyy longer than I should have. And not because I was afraid. Or didn't have the money. Or because I had a mediocre experience the first time. I actually loved it …
Continue reading Don’t Let Your Bucket List Keep You From Doing the Things You Love Over Again
The moment I booked a flight to Sydney, I knew I’d wind up booking a flight to New Zealand, too. No way, José, was I gonna fly to the other side of the world and not visit both countries. I mean, who knows when I’ll be in that hemisphere again. It’s not exactly a quick …
Continue reading Queenstown, NZ is the Ultimate Adventure Travel Destination
Life is an adventure. I believe this to my very core. Every single day is a choice to embrace this mindset: to live with ZEAL. Zeal. Zeal. Zeal. Fun to say and one of my favorite words because I truly believe it captures the essence of how I’m determined to live my life—with enthusiastic diligence. …
A while back, I wrote a blog post on pre-travel anticipation. (Go read that first, if you haven’t already.) And now, I want to add to it. The other day while reading this John Piper devotional, it hit me that the even greater key to living for today and not living for future travels is …
If you’ve ever thought: Gee, I’d like to visit several countries in a week! ...this post is for you. One thing I’ve learned from my solo travels is how much I can see in just one day. All it takes is an eagerness to explore and the stamina to stay in GO mode. Multiply that …
Continue reading One Week in Europe? How to Create an Itinerary for Four Countries
If you’ve ever looked at my travel photos (or anyone’s travel photos) and thought, "Wow. Traveling is easy, exciting, glamorous, living your best life…" well, that’s not wrong. It’s also not the whole truth. Travel can absolutely be easy when you’ve put the work into planning the trip. Travel can obviously be exciting when you’re …
adventure and the girl 