passion

i love traveling and experiencing other cultures, meeting new people from around the world, and seeing God's love outside of my homeland.

i remember the first time i left the united states and went to europe by myself.  it was a scary and exciting feeling sitting on the airplane realizing that this was it, there is no turning back because i'm stuck on the plane in midair.  as soon as i landed in austria it finally sunk in; what i always knew but didn't fully believe was now apparent that there is life outside of the united states.  it sounds ridiculous, but the feeling was overwhelming.

as i traveled in europe my passion sprouted and has been rooted in my heart ever since.  i made relationships with people from many countries, saw sights that caused me to pause and take in God's beauty and even attended a service in which i heard worship songs sung in 16 different languages at the same time and realized that this is where i belong.  traveling.  changing.  growing.  trying.

when i graduated college people asked me what i was going to do with my life.  my response was always, "i don't know, i want to travel."  everyone said, "do it now before you're stuck like me."  these were people who were married, or had children or were progressing in a job that they found and couldn't leave.  i was scared and wanted to fit everything in that i could before all that happened.  but as i got older i realized that i don't have to squeeze everything in.  i met people abroad who were traveling with children, married and involved in a job that they were progressing in.  

recently one of those people told me, "when you have children you don't have to stop traveling.  my wife and i would make our children carry around their diapers and wipes in tiny back packs when we traveled." this family has moved all over the world together.

the purpose of my blog is to inspire others to do the same.  whether it is traveling abroad or traveling in your hometown, to get out and experience life, meet new people and see what the Lord has done across the world.  my hope is that my blog would encourage readers not to try to squeeze everything in, or feel like they have to stop traveling or doing something they're passionate about just because they are married, stuck in a job or have children.

find your passion and continue to grow in it, whatever it may be.