. Wanderlust .

My little life’s adventures to explore anything and everything.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Explore. Travel. Get Lost.

"Did you know, you can quit your job, you can leave university? You aren’t legally required to have a degree, it’s a social pressure and expectation, not the law, and no one is holding a gun to your head. You can sell your house, you can give up your apartment, you can even sell your vehicle, and your things that are mostly unnecessary. You can see the world on a minimum wage salary, despite the persisting myth, you do not need a high paying job. You can leave your friends (if they’re true friends they’ll forgive you, and you’ll still be friends) and make new ones on the road. You can leave your family. You can depart from your hometown, your country, your culture, and everything you know. You can sacrifice. You can give up your $5.00 a cup morning coffee, you can give up air conditioning, frequent consumption of new products. You can give up eating out at restaurants and prepare affordable meals at home, and eat the leftovers too, instead of throwing them away. You can give up cable TV, Internet even. This list is endless. You can sacrifice climbing up in the hierarchy of careers. You can buck tradition and others’ expectations of you. You can triumph over your fears, by conquering your mind. You can take risks. And most of all, you can travel. You just don’t want it enough. You want a degree or a well-paying job or to stay in your comfort zone more. This is fine, if it’s what your heart desires most, but please don’t envy me and tell me you can’t travel. You’re not in a famine, in a desert, in a third world country, with five malnourished children to feed. You probably live in a first world country. You have a roof over your head, and food on your plate. You probably own luxuries like a cellphone and a computer. You can afford the $3.00 a night guest houses of India, the $0.10 fresh baked breakfasts of Morocco, because if you can afford to live in a first world country, you can certainly afford to travel in third world countries, you can probably even afford to travel in a first world country. So please say to me, “I want to travel, but other things are more important to me and I’m putting them first”, not, “I’m dying to travel, but I can’t”, because I have yet to have someone say they can’t, who truly can’t. You can, however, only live once, and for me, the enrichment of the soul that comes from seeing the world is worth more than a degree that could bring me in a bigger paycheck, or material wealth, or pleasing society. Of course, you must choose for yourself, follow your heart’s truest desires, but know that you can travel, you’re only making excuses for why you can’t. And if it makes any difference, I have never met anyone who has quit their job, left school, given up their life at home, to see the world, and regretted it. None. Only people who have grown old and regretted never traveling, who have regretted focusing too much on money and superficial success, who have realized too late that there is so much more to living than this."

Wunderkammer: Did You Know


Photo by: Jeff Shanes
Photo by: Jeff Shanes, Oregon Coast

Saturday, February 16, 2013

The Future:

Lately I feel like I've been thinking alot about the future... I have so many dreams and aspirations in life and believe personally I've accomplished alot for someone such as myself. I've tried so hard, gave it my all, and don't plan in any way to give up. Because I have so much time ahead of me. I mean I'm only 22...

I really look forward to moving to Portland with my very good friend Tess. To go to school finally at a university rather than a community college will be a awesome step in my life. And to finally move out of my parents house will solidify finally being independent for me. I look forward to this day that's just around the corner so much.

I'm going to miss my family, Eugene, friends, and the many places the city and country here has to offer me. But to a bigger city with so much opportunity for me will be an amazing thing for me to finally conquer. I have so many plans for myself while I'm in Portland. Finally obtaining my Bachelors Degree is on the top of the list, as well as networking with the many amazing photographers and models that reside in Portland, and even possibly changing or adding an agency if its possible.

We shall see.

Oh the places I shall go, and the things that I shall do.

I cannot wait, I'm beyond excited for this adventure and new chapter to start.

A Little Trip.

I went on a lovely little trip to the coast recently and had so much fun! I stayed the night with the lovely photographer and friend Haley Graham! We woke up bright and early and went to pick up a fellow model Megan Markus! Us girlies traveled to the Cannon Beach area and it was such a fun trip talking about modeling, photography, life, and current events. :) I can't wait to be in Portland soon so I can meet up with either of them from time to time! Soon soon soon I shall embark on a new adventure. And I just can't wait.

Here's some photos from our adventure:





Life's Little Adventures