So I've decided to resurrect the travel blog from the dead. So Hi! (to my mom and the two other people who actually read this.) This blog started out as a school assignment when I was abroad in the Czech Republic- and I pretty much only did it so I wouldn't fail and get sent home, but I'm so thankful that I did! It's been 8 whole months since I got back (literally, still crying.) I have always wanted to travel the world, and I mean duh, everybody says this. But a lot less actually get to go out and do it. As you can imagine, my European adventure sparked a passion I didn't know was hiding inside me. I gained a heck ton of perspective, some amazing friendships and learned several important lessons along the way. And when I got home, all I wanted to do was to keep moving.
But duty called, and these past months have been full of a lot of work, a lot of school, and a lot of figuring out my the next steps of my life. It's been nice to be back in Nebraska with my friends, and settling back into routine - but I'd be a liar if I said I didn't check the price of tickets to Prague about every other day. That being saiiiid - I do have some super exciting things in store coming up - and I want to do a better job of documenting things to have something to look back on in the future. :)
First on the list is spring break (which is officially less than a month away so please excuse me while I squeal in excitement.) to CANCUN. This is a big one for me because I've never been a trip like this to a resort - so we'll see how it goes. I have no idea what to expect but I have some great people coming along with me so it should be super fun. A trip without a thousand things to figure out and worry about is kind of a foreign concept to me, and I don't know what to think about it just yet... But I guess we'll find out. My bank account is also currently in a depression so pray for her please.
In May, when the semester is over, I'll be taking a school trip to New York City for Art History. If you didn't know, I'm a design major so art is a big part of what I plan to do. I'll be visiting a lot of museums, seeing shows on Broadway, and then I also plan to branch out a little and hopefully visit a graphic design firm while I'm there just as a personal trip. In October I visited L.A. with Megan my trusty travel buddy, which was my first trip to the west coast, and this NYC trip will be my first trip the east coast - my travel confidence has really improved ten fold over this past year which I find really exciting.
Lastly, and perhaps the thing I'm MOST excited about is my mission trip that I will be taking to Peru in July. Doing mission work has been something that has been on my heart for years, but it was never something that I had the courage to say yes to. When this opportunity came up, I knew I couldn't let it slip. Traveling is amazingly rewarding - but the thing about my travels up until this point is that they've mostly been about myself. Not that that is a bad thing, I actually think it's been super important to my growth as an individual - but I really would like to something that isn't about me. This summer, I have a wonderful opportunity to go and make a difference. I will be spending most of my summer break in Puerto Maldonado, Peru on a FOCUS missions trip. Other college students, three FOCUS missionaries, and a local priest will accompany me to Peru serving and working alongside locals. We will be working directly with the religious community: Family of Jesus the Healer. We will be ministering to the material and spiritual needs of Peruvians, as well as simply visiting people who may feel forgotten and insignificant - honoring their dignity as sons and daughters of God. Through this mission trip I hope to grow closer to God as I serve His people in Peru.
There are so many reasons why this trip is scary to me:
1. South America is something that I've never experienced before and wayyyy out of my comfort zone. The climate and the culture is going to be a 180 degree flip from what I'm used to. Not to mention I'll be 7,000 feet up in the mountains in the middle of the Amazon, but no biggie right?
2. Immunizations. Shots have terrified me since I was a little kid. I'm now 21 years old and if you think I can handle them any better, then you're wrong.
3. Fundraising. This is the first trip that I won't be trying to completely fund by myself. The thought of fundraising is scary to me because it's so hard to put yourself out there and ask people for money. Trying to stay positive, however $3000 is no fickle task. Taking a biiiiiig leap of faith here Jesus, catch me if you're listening.
So anyways, I'm hoping to blog a bit more frequently - possibly talk about things like what I'm packing, how I'm preparing, and sharing stories from the trips. If you made it this far in the blog - thanks for caring! If not, then this can just be for me and that's okay too. :)