"This little heart of mine
was made to travel the world"
I traveled a lot as a child...
I primarily lived with my Mother in Indiana, while my Father lived in Iowa. I traveled at least once a month back and forth between the two states. At first, when I was really little, it was road trips to meet half way in between the two. I loved getting snacks for the road, and then reading, drawing, and talking while we drove. When I was twelve, I began riding Amtrak by myself once a month. That was the start of my love for traveling, even though I didn't love the reason for it. I met some of the coolest people while traveling. I always would see Army soldiers coming home on leave, or they would be leaving their loved ones to return back to wherever they were stationed. These years I spent traveling changed how I viewed the world and everyone in it.
Los Angeles, CA: 2011
Traveling to LA had two purposes. The first was to move my uncle back home to Indiana since his health was starting to fail and it was important for him to be home near family. The second was to have fun while having some responsibility of helping him pack and load up a U-Haul. This was my first flying experience, and I didn't do so well. I didn't freak out, but I got air sick. The high altitudes were something I had never experienced before. I was really dizzy, light headed, and nauseous until about 2 days before we came home. It was a blast *insert sarcasm*. The only good picture I managed to get was the one below. Though having a layover in Denver, CO was really cool because I had never seen any real mountains and the sight was really pretty!
Boston, MA: 2012.
My first big trip I ever took was when I was sixteen. I was really into music then. I played my flute all the time. I was in everything my school offered. I did marching band, pep band, solo and ensemble, and I helped out after school with whatever they needed. I was committed. While most kids my age wanted a car, I choose to travel across the country on my own for a music program. I spent the weekend at Berklee College of Music in Boston. It truly was an amazing experience. I traveled around the city with my friends from the program and got to really see what the city had to offer. I learned about improving in music, and I played at the performing arts center.
It was awesome.
Northeast, Maryland: 2014
When I was eighteen, I went on a missions trip to Maryland. This is a ministry close to heart. YFC Ministries was the reason I became a Christian and helped me so much throughout high school. It only seemed right to give back to them just the way the ministry had given to me so many times. It was truly a humbling experience to be able to be on the other side of this. I was able to really see how everything worked and how much went into preparing for the kids to arrive. This traveling experience was road trip style, in a van that was completely packed with people and our belongings. On the way back, it was decided that since I was the only one that was from Northwest Indiana, that I would travel back with the campers instead of the team. That would make driving easier for the team to just go to one place instead of having to go two places. I traveled back with an entire bus full of campers, no air conditioning, in the middle of July. I got to go to states I'd never been to (West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio) and adventure the East Coast with some of the coolest people I've ever met.
I documented some of the adventures here.
Orlando, Florida: 2015
Traveling to Orlando was quite the adventure. Last minutes changes of plans, and staying in another city outside of Orlando was actually really nice. The calmness of being outside of the city was just my kind of style. Visiting Harry Potter World was amazing, and felt like I was stepping into the movies. The whole trip was really fun and laid back. I had a great time just hanging out in Florida, as well as going to Universal Studios.
"This little heart of mine was made to travel the World"
I really do have a heart for traveling. I strongly desire to see the world and experience new cultures. I want to jump right in and see everything and experience everything I can.
The new year will bring new adventures and new places to see. 2017 will bring adventures and traveling that I've never done before. I'm ready for the challenges and the experiences that are yet to come!
