A new year, a same desire...

2014 is over... what next? 

 Can you believe it!? Today is the last day of 2014! 

This year has gone by with many memories made. Even though I want to go back to some, I am excited and ready to see what lies ahead! One plan that I know is going to happen is 2015's mission destination for CEF will be in Indianapolis, Indiana! It may not be the mountainous west, but still a place I never been too! 

 That will be in July of 2015, so keep a eye out for that! 

What is the first thing that you think of when someones says "travel"? 
You may think of car rides, airplanes, camping, hiking, and all sorts of stuff. What first comes to my mind is seeing what God has blessed this earth with. How he constructed the sky (like the Northern Lights), how rivers flow and help sustain life, etc. 
But to me being a budding geologist, I also see destruction. "In what ways?" you may ask. Me being a Christian, I believe in a world wide flood. I also believe that to be the cause of landscapes such as the Grand Canyon for example, was the cause of the aftermath of this catastrophic event. 
When I look at the mountains, valleys, and landscapes its always a consent reminder.But is also a consent reminder how God, even though we still don't always obey Him, blesses us with the beauty of nature! 

You may be struggling with a certain question that may go somewhat like this- "God, where do you want  me to go next?" This has most definitely been a common question for me!  

After each missions trip or hearing about other places in the world, I always ask myself that question, "God, what next?"  

Isaiah 58:11 

"The Lord will guide you."  

But again, how do you know when He is guiding you? Well, step one is to wrap yourself in His word. When you look at the armor of God, one of the parts is the belt of Truth! To read it, think about it, and most importantly pray! When you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. He tells us He will make known the plans He has for you! 

 "In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall Direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:6

Another element that I think is important is trusting Him with your life. His plan may be way different than what you planned. To put your trust in Him to take the lead and guide you is the big step to knowing His plan. 

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Jeremiah 33:3

This year will be an amazing year for you, and for me. When you look out your window and wonder"What next?", when you feel like you are trapped at home or in one place remember what Philippians 4:6 says;

" Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  

I am very curious to see what plans God has in store for me in 2015. I thank God for the many places I have seen and wonderful people that I have met along the way. For those who know me I do say this a lot, but isn't it absolutely wonderful knowing that God has everything planed out for me. He is the ultimate multitask-er! Like I mentioned before, a new year a same desire. I hope that desire will never fade in my lifetime.  Have an AMAZING start to 2015 and travel hard!       

Portland , OR! 2014

Portland, Oregon

Portland Oregon had taken place in July 2014 this year. I absolutely loved this state! 

I was captivated by it even before I got off the plane when we flew over Mount Hood. 

Mount Hood from a birds eye view

     During the first week the weather was very odd considering what the "normal" Oregon weather should look like (yes, I did my research!). Normal weather would be like wearing sweatshirt and shorts weather. But the first week was very hot and humid (which made me miss Colorado even more!). But the second week we got a break. For the big trip they had a little cruise boat trip planned up and down the Colombian river.

 I really enjoyed this part! To get there we took the public metro system, and man! Was that a blast! The cruise we went on was about three hours and afterwards went through downtown Portland. 

When you look at Portland (or when I did at least) you see a very cultural city. SO many different people in one area at once! Russian, Ukrainian, Mexican, Hungarian, and so many others! The vibe I got from it was a very "hippe", or "free spirit" vibe. But really it was its own kind of city in good ways and in bad ways. Other locations we visited were "Cartlandia" or "Cartopia", Powell's book store, Seaside beach, and Multnomah falls. 

Multnomah Falls

 This was my favorite destination that we went to!One, the rocks! This area was made up of mostly Basalt rocks, and a few others that I can't remember on the top of my head. 

The very top from the ground

  This is when we experienced "true" Oregon weather. Within a few minutes on getting there a steady drizzle began. But nerveless, me and my group of friends made a very steep trek of 1.1 miles up to the very top. Yeah, that might not sound like very far for any athletic person. :) The walk was worth it! by that time it was a steady rain and we were completely soaked!        

As you can see from the video I'm NOT the person to call when you need something recorded! :) Plus I couldn't remember what the Falls name was or how to pronounce it either, I was too busy enjoying myself than trying to remember a name truth be told!Plus! Thanks to my wonderful wiping off the lens skills the blur was just too perfect. 

We had fun anyways! When we finally reached the top I was amazed with the beautiful scenery!Despite the rain we stayed a long time on the top of the falls, and took our time going back down. 

Me at the base of the falls 

On top of the Falls we saw Washington State 

Washington State

Basalt rocks 

Me and this rock was made for each other! *note the heart shaped puddle!

Sea Side Beach! 

the beach path

When we first got to the beach you could instantly smell the salty breeze. I was very excited to finally see the Pacific Ocean!  I even made sure I had a ziploc bag for some sand. Yes, I'm that type of girl. :)  If I was making the decisions that day we would of stayed there all day, that is how much I loved it! When the grassy area stopped, there it was! A blue line was stretched out with clouds overhead and literally it felt like a mile long beach before you actually got to the ocean itself. At that point we bundled up our bags and sprinted off towards it! Somewhere in the middle we stopped very briefly to drop our stuff and finished the raced towards the waves.  Talk about windy! There was lots of people who were flying there kites on the beach. My hair was all nice and straight before hand but after 5 minuets it was a curly mess. 

the Pacific Ocean! 

 But we had so much fun! The sand believe it or not was almost like cement when you got closer to the water. When I started to go into the ocean about to my ankles, the tide seemed to pull me back out to sea with it. You couldn't stand still when you stood in the water for very long! A couple of my friends decided to go out to almost their necks and rode the waves back to the shoreline. I, however wasn't that brave! Plus I had only one pair of cloths with me. But I found multiple sand dollars, and a few washed up jellyfishes. 

the race began! 

We played volleyball and had a wonderful time splashing in the waves for hours. On one side we saw the waves of the Pacific ocean, and the other side we saw the bluffs and mountains covered in pine trees. I am really hoping that someday in the future I will be able to go back and see more of this beautiful state! 

the beautiful waves

I was indeed on the look out for any interesting rocks and shells. :) I did get a very nice tan from that day too. So that was another added plus for the day! I can't wait for the day to go and re-visit this amazing state! 

Denver, Colorado! 2013

The First Big Break...

Was to Denver, Colorado! Where do I start? This was a amazing year for me and I want to go back and re-visit someday! 

14,115' up in the sky!  

First off let me say this, I love the weather there! Here in Wisconsin the weather is like a roller coaster. Very cold in the winter and very humid in the summer. However, in Colorado there is no humidity! I was in Love.

During the first week we went up Pikes Peak. We rode on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. (link provided down below)

Pikes Peak Cog Railway

   What was my favorite part? Hard to say exactly, but I absolutely loved the aspen trees and the pine trees together.
The weather was perfect, and had a slight cool breeze.  This trip was very much worthwhile my time. The trip up to the top and back down had taken about three hours, so lots of nice conversations with friends and beautiful scenery to look at. When we finally got up to the top, the sight was just perfect! Besides the awesome feeling of being on top of the world, they had a very nice gift shop/restaurant. I strongly recommend taking the trip up If you are ever in the neighborhood!
http://www.pikes-peak.com/attractions/pikes-peak-cog-railway/

very close to the top of Pikes Peak

Garden of the Gods

The next big trip we went on was to the Garden of the Gods. Now, being a geologist freak this was almost like heaven! Again, with the perfect weather (until later that day) me and a group of friends enjoyed free admission, and beautiful walks in this rocky garden. The beautiful red rock against the oncoming storm was just a perfect setting.

My favorite part about this visit? Well, being a poor teenager at the time, I liked the fact that there was no admission fees! That's not the only part I enjoyed, I loved the many trails they had available to many beautiful spots. Most of the trails they had were nice and paved. So we saw many strollers and families having a good time climbing on much smaller versions of the garden. The interesting rocks also gave me a chance to attempt to make an "illusion picture" you can call it. Not too bad for a first go! 

Like the green outfit? Yep, I didn't do laundry on time that day. So, this is a good reminder to get it done before hand!

Here's a link with more information about this beautiful garden;
http://www.pikes-peak.com/attractions/garden-of-the-gods-visitor-and-nature-center/

Let's Get a Move On it! A little bit about me...

My name is Emily and I have wanderlust. Pretty simple.

When did this all start? That is a question I have been asking myself lately. However I do believe that this want to travel started in 2005, at the age of 7. My mother took me down to Florida to visit a good friend of hers. When seeing the Atlantic ocean, smelling the salty air, and experiencing all the new sights put a strong desire to see more places in the world.

This blog is a way to satisfy that desire for now! I absolutely love geological wonders. Yep, I'm a rock lover. This is also a way for me to write about the places I have already been. I never could keep up a written journal.

What would be my ideal destination? That is a good question! I would love to go overseas to Italy, Greece, and Germany. In America? Every state please! 

Another fun fact about me is that I am a summer missionary with a outreach called Child Evangelism Fellowship (a.k.a CEF). So, most of the traveling that I do is usually on a mission trip telling the children the good news about Jesus Christ!  

Being a Christian, I am very excited to see the places God has planned for me! Knowing that God has my life planned out, and will help me stay on track is very comforting at heart! 

That reminds me what He says in Jeremiah 29:11;

"For I know the Plans I have for you," declares the Lord "plans to prosper you and not harm you, Plans to give you Hope and a Future."