Seas the Day

As I take a momentary break from my travel diaries I wanted to talk about our everyday struggles. Sometimes life gets hard, and sometimes it seems unbearable, but sometimes you have those moments that make you thankful for every goodness this world has to offer. Lately, as I have been packing for my second year of college, it seems like it’s tougher; yet easier to leave home this time around. At this point I’m experienced  in saying my goodbyes, having friends that are more like family, but I’m also old enough to be thankful for family and home cooked meals. The other day I went on an adventure with my cousin and it was by far the best thing I could of done before going back. Sometimes all you have to do is travel far to reencounter who you are. It’s so easy to forget amidst all the chaos of our everyday lives. We went snorkeling down south and found our private little cove. It was so amazing to forget about the outside world and to become one with the waves. We got lost for hours exploring the reefs and caves.

I find it funny how when I was growing up I used to hate the beach. I hated the sand that stayed between your toes, the salty hair, the tan lines, but now it’s all I ever think about. Maybe it’s because I go to school in a place where the ocean is no where to be found, and now I know what to appreciate. I don’t even mind the long drives or the traffic (maybe a little bit). I don’t mind the salty hair or the uneven tan lines. My point is that sometimes we have to leave our place of comfort in order to figure out what we truly do love. We’re bound to make mistakes in life, but if we learn to focus our energy on the good this world has to offer maybe, just maybe we won’t miss what life is supposed to be all about.

You Know Me

He Knows Our Hearts ~

Today I sat in a coffee shop for hours inspired yet at a loss for words. To think that the creator of the universe knows each and everyone of us by name. It’s so easy to get caught up in life and our everyday problems. I think it’s so crazy how the simple sentence “How are you?” can really break the walls people put up. For the longest time I have dealt with my problems silently, always hiding the truth from those who actually cared. I thought that people didn’t really want to hear how broken I actually was. Is it so crazy to think that life was never meant to be done alone? Why are we pretending to be okay with our struggles when we’re not? Why are we giving society the “perfect impression” when people were never meant to be perfect? The hardest part for me was to understand the fact that God wants us how we are. He wants our hearts, he wants our complete surrender. We come before God as broken vessels, yet he calls us beautiful. I think that once we begin to comprehend the love of the Father we start to love people. We start to act like Jesus would act, we begin to build community.

God has really been showing me this season of my life how putting our faith and trust in people is always going to falter, but how putting our faith and trust in Him will be the answer we have been praying for. We shouldn’t be running to our Father when life is falling apart. It should be an everyday relationship that builds trust and shows love. A relationship that overall portrays the same love and grace we are shown by Him through His Son Jesus.

Coming home from college was much harder than I expected. I was so used to seeking God in my everyday life that when I got back home it was weird to have someone else take care of me again. Going away to college in a different state really tested my faith and pursuit towards Him. When I moved to Phoenix last fall I had no church, no family, and no community to become a part of. It was in that time that I really leaned in to God the Father. He knows the desires of our hearts, and is longing for a relationship with his Beloved. Traveling has opened my eyes on how blessed we are in America. There are people dying to know the name of Jesus. People who are broken, killed, taken, and all for a faith that we are shown in freedom here in America. To look at the eyes of children that are beaten and mistreated by their own parents all for money. People have asked me a lot “If their is a God then why is there so much suffering in the world?” Honestly I have no right answer because I don’t know everything, but I do know that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 says; 18 “For the message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe” (NLT). Every time we see someone who is homeless, suffering, or broken and our hearts break, how much more does God’s heart break over His children? When we feel moved to give money to the poor, love on people, or simply smile at someone who is having a bad day, it is God working through us. We can’t begin to understand who God is, but we do know that God’s grace and mercy endures forever.

It hurts me to think that I complain about the minor details when there are people that have less than I, yet have so much joy. When we look at the cross and what Jesus did, it gives us a different perspective on life. It makes you want to go and share the Gospel because of how it has changed your life. It makes your heart break over the lost. It makes you want to read your bible for hours just to get a glimpse of who Jesus is. It makes you want to quit your addictions because you realize your worth in life. It makes you want to love those that hurt you over and over, because someone loved you enough to forgive you at your darkest. It makes you want to get up and do something for your faith. It can be as simple as stopping, looking up, and listening to what He is saying to you.

Whatever it is you are going through in life, whatever trials that come your way, know that HE KNOWS YOU. He knows your past, your present, and He knows your future. He knows our deepest fears, and what makes our hearts happy, and he is longing for a relationship with us. As I continue in my walk with God I am learning how to find a peaceful balance on how I lead my life with Him guiding my paths.

Firenze/Pisa – Florence/Pisa

La Bella Firenze ~

It was my very first time in this beautiful city and it was even better than I hoped for. The streets were filled with music, and art. It was such an artistic environment that I felt right at home. It still amazes me to see how something so simple like art or music can bring people from different cultures together. I think the best part about Europe is the public transportation. The fact that you can go from one city to another in a matter of minutes is mind boggling. We took the train from our port to Florence and it was a short half an hour.

Firenze / Florence 

Ever since I was a little girl, art and history has always captivated my attention. Maybe that’s why I enjoy traveling so much. I long to see and to experience new things. The fact that cities are old enough to show us through ruins how people used to be just fascinates me.

“A piece of art is a compact form of the universe.” – Unknown.  This explains what I feel when I look at art, listen to music, or travel to a different place. The fact that God in His very essence created us in His image just blows my mind. If we are creative, and artistic, and we get it all from him, then how much more creative and artistic is He? The fact that humanity has evolved over time to who we are now is proof that there is a God watching over us.

I snapped this picture because it amazed me how art students from the University of Florence do their projects. Who needs a canvas when you can use the ground? It inspired me so much to walk around and see the many artists thinking outside the box and being creative.

Florence is also known for its cheap authentic leather. You can imagine in a group of all girls how amazing that sounds. So we spent the rest of our time in Florence shopping till we literally dropped.

La Bella Pisa ~ Pisa Pisa Pisa!

If you should know one thing about Italians is that they are very expressive in the way they talk and move their hands! I love Italians. You can be a complete stranger yet they treat you like family. After Florence we ended up heading to Pisa Italy. Since it was my second time in Pisa, I wasn’t as obsessed with all the dorky pictures everyone takes holding, or (kicking) the leaning tower. I did however have to get the right kicking picture (which still wasn’t good enough) so I settled for something simpler.

Torre di Pisa

The second picture is my favorite because you can get an idea of how every tourist poses for their pictures.

I’m pretty sure I had gelato three times that day, as well as both pasta & pizza. Italians are probably nice because they eat carbs all the time. Carbs make me the world a better place. After  a long day of losing my mother twice in the crowd, shopping till I literally could not carry Any. More. Bags. and stuffing my face with carbs, we headed back to our ship awaiting our next grand adventure.

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is an amazing city. It’s literally like walking into a fairytale filled with expensive cars, famous celebrities, and beautiful French people. We arrived on July 4th early in the morning and took two trains to get to Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was about 90 degrees and with humidity that easily became way hotter; even though, we were only there for five hours total.  It was pretty cool to see the casino where James Bond and countless other movies have been filmed; the first casino where I can legally gamble and drink (none of which I did). It was beautiful to see the French Riviera and to be a part of something I have only ever dreamt about of since I took my first french class back in the 9th grade.

Even though I was the only one in our group to mildly understand and speak French, I loved being in my element. We ate french fries, window shopped in the most expensive stores known to man, and had some pretty life changing crepes while overlooking the beautiful French Riviera. Different country, different language, someplace where nobody knows my name or my story. I just got to enjoy life and forgot about all my responsibilities back home.

In this picture we were already exhausted, super sweaty, annoyed with the humidity, and in desperate need of water. Looking back at this memory I can only help but smile because of the crazy adventures we had that beautiful day.

Life on the Go

Hello World!

So after being 6 weeks away from home, taking 12 airplanes, living out of a suitcase, running on very few hours of sleep, and taking several thousand pictures later, I am finally home!  There is something about being in a different atmosphere that is always so calming to my soul. I started this blog because I long to share my beautiful experiences and the moments that have taken and continue to take my breath away; above all else I want to share how God has influenced my perspective on life through travel.