Snapshots of Germany

This past February I had the opportunity to go visit my brother and sister-in-law in Germany. Germany never fails to draw me in with its magic. I could spend forever walking along its cobblestone streets with my face up towards the sky staring at steeples. I adore peeking into crowded bookshops, even when every book is in German or French, or finding tea shops that smell like a million different flowers. And I haven't even gotten started on the food.

But most of all, I love my family there. My brother and his wife. Their love for Christ overflows in their love for one another and the love they have for those around them. Being with them is being at home, which makes Germany feel like a little sliver of home. I just adore anytime spent with them and always leave feeling refreshed and encouraged.

Where/who is a little piece of home for you, away from home? Something or someone that feels just like on giant, warm hug. I dearly hope we all have a place or person like that, and that we can be that person for others. 

Praying you have a peaceful week,

Elizabeth

How Eating Snails Changed My Life

As I grabbed my backpack and walked toward the van taking us to SeaTac, my friends and I were surrounded by crying, fear struck family members. There was this nervous air surrounding us, yet I didn’t quite understand why. Was going to North Africa really going to be that scary? 

When I get asked as to why I like to travel, the first thing I say is, “To experience new cultures and meet amazing people.” Having lived in America all my life, I started creating this safe little bubble. The starving kids or hurricane-ravaged cities seemed so far away. Those countries and people living in them started to become “others” to me.

When I began to tell people I was going to North Africa back in March 2016, the first thing they’d say to me was normally along the lines of, “Is that really safe?” Or “You should probably go somewhere more welcoming.” Yet, not one of these people had visited the country I was going to. 

While on my trip, some of my friends and I visited a woman living in one of North Africa’s larger cities. Without even knowing who we were, she welcomed us into her tiny home with open arms. Right away, we were sat down and given food. We laughed together as we watched Saudi Arabian soap dramas and drank mint tea. Through a translator, she told us her story, crying as she held up pictures of her loved ones. Her story was a sad one, with her husband having another family he lives with and the struggle to provide for her children, yet there was so much giving in her. Even with the language barrier, I felt so connected with this lady. Leaving was the hardest part, for as she gave me a kiss on each cheek, I couldn’t help but think that I would never see her again. 

This woman was one of the people my friends and family were telling me was unsafe, merely because she lived in North Africa and didn't have the same privileges many of us in Western cultures have. 

This is why traveling is so valuable. The people I met along the way showed me just how ignorant of a life I had been living. Suddenly, they became real people with real problems, feelings, and families. People with real lives. No longer was I an outsider, living on the other side of the world, pretending to know how these people live, act and interact with one another. Instead, I was being welcomed into their homes and treated like one of them. And not because I asked to, but because they wanted me to.

As I prepare to leave for North Africa once again in the fall, I call out the crying and the “it’s not safe over there.” I tell my friends and family about being welcomed into homes of strangers and being taught how to make traditional meals, or being brought to “secret” local places and tricked into eating snails. I talk about the friendliness and love I experienced by almost every single person I met. The laughs, tears, hugs, and blessings. But most of all, I urge them to go. 

I urge them to go out of their comfort zones and greet the world like friends. To not deem places of being unsafe because of appearance, the media, or prejudice. I urge them to go experience the world outside of the tiny bubble the people of America have created for themselves. Because that is what changed my life.

Will you let it change yours? 

What will you do? Don't feel like traveling is scary, or even unattainable. Go experience this beautifully diverse world we live in. Don't shy away from sharing the gospel and loving the people in every corner of the world you travel to. Step out of your comfort zone. Do it! You will never regret it.

If you would like to learn more about my upcoming travels, shoot me an email at whimsicalthoughtss@gmail.com

Happy Traveling!

Elizabeth

Backpacking Through Ireland

Hello friends,

As you may know if you follow me on Instagram (go do it), I went to Ireland over spring break. I'd always wanted to visit everywhere and anywhere in Europe, so after I found out my friend Chloe would be there over my spring break, I knew this was the time to go. My friend Sasha, who has been living in Russia the last few months, also was able to meet us. Honestly, seeing these girls and getting away from work and college was SO needed.

I've had multiple people ask me "So Liz, how was Ireland?" And honestly, I've never sure how to respond. Awesome. Great. Amazing. Adventurous. New. Tiring. Good, so so good. It was one of those experiences, that the entire time leading up to it, and even while I was there, I couldn't quite believe it. But what truly made the trip so memorable were the girls I spent it with. From getting dropped off on the side of the street in the middle of nowhere at night after missing a bus stop and getting snowed in at our airbnb, to sneaking in a third person into our hotel room (lots of giggles involved ) and visiting a Lord of the Rings themed pub with a "stalker" trailing us, there were so many crazy times where we just had to laugh (and frantically figure out what to do). I was so thankful they were by my side the entire time.

When I was preparing to leave, I knew I wanted to visit the Cliffs of Moher. Let me tell you, they were amazing! If you can get past all the tourists and are daring enough to venture past the walkway (ahem and ignore a couple signs) you will find yourself much more alone and with a better view.

I didn't realize just how much beautiful scenery Ireland had to offer, though, and my friends and I only explored a tiny scratch of it.

Can't get enough from just photos? Want to watch a weird video of my friends and I? Go for it darling.

Wow guys, it's been a long time. I got back from Ireland completely refreshed, but then work started again, and my final quarter of college before I graduate with my Associate's (three more weeks!!) and I just got so tired. Have you ever been so tired or overwhelmed that the things your normally love become a chore? That's what writing was becoming, so I had to take a step back for a little bit. But boy did I miss you all.

Have you traveled anywhere cool lately? Whether it's a camping trip, road trip, another state, or an entirely new country, let me know down below!

Have a wonderful rest of your week dear friends,

Elizabeth

Exploring the North Cascades // SBL 2k17

Hello dear friends,

It's been awhile, hasn't it? August has been a crazy month, full of work, online school, random adventures with friends, and movie nights with the little bro. I've taken a break from blogging because I needed to spend the extra time surrounded by the people I love and having small summer adventures. If you want to stay updated on what's going on, feel free to follow my Instagram, I've been trying to stay fairly active over there. All that being said though, I've missed this small corner of my life and I'm glad to be sitting down and writing again.

If you read my last post, Camping in the Cascades, you would know my friend Demi and I took to one of Washington's beautiful national parks and attempted our first solo camping trip (I would say we quite succeeded too). Because we were so close to the North Cascades, we took a day to drive over the pass, explore places along the road, have a quick hike, and take lots of pictures. I truly believe the North Cascades are an underrated national park, so if you ever have the chance to come and visit, you must take it! It's absolutely gorgeous up their in the mountains, and it just has a way that makes you feel like you're at home, even if it's your first time visiting.

The pass that goes through the North Cascades is super gorgeous. Even without getting out of the car and putting on your hiking boots, there are so many amazing sights. Demi got a few pictures through the car window, and then we deiced to pull over along the road and check out a small waterfall that was right alongside the road. It was almost 90 degrees, so the mist coming off the water was very welcomed.

The North Cascades has many beautiful hikes to offer, but you can get a marvelous view of the mountains and deep blue water without climbing thousands of feet. Demi and I decided to walk/hike Rainy Lake, a hike of only 2 miles. Of course, us being us, we found another trail that strayed off the original path. Next thing we know it, we're climbing down a mountain side to get to this beautiful spot. It was absolutely gorgeous and we got quite a few pictures, but with the sun baking us and bugs buzzing around everywhere, we were quick to leave. Or at least, after being lost for about 15 minutes and trying to find the "trail," were we quick to leave. It was an adventure for sure.

After our little trek in the mountains, we continued down the pass into Eastern Washington and stopped at a cute little tourist town, Winthrop, for some swimming, shopping, and food. I've been road tripping to Winthrop with my family ever since I was a little girl. I have so many fond memories there, including put put golfing with my brothers, fishing in the creeks with my dad, window shopping with my mom, and the many family camping trips where we were all eaten alive by the bugs. Going again, but this time with Demi, was a lot of fun! We of course had to stop and get some ice-cream, which was quite the treat in the extreme heat. We also found a lake to take a dip in and a bookstore to treat ourselves with. All in all, it was a successful stop.

Finally, after a day full of adventure, we started the 2 hour car ride back to our campsite. Trying to beat the sun set, we only made one stop at this beautiful lookout. Sadly, the lighting was quite harsh and we weren't able to get a lot of good pictures. There were multiple lookouts, ones I didn't even know about, and ones we didn't have time to explore. This spot will definitely be revisited in the future.

What adventures have you been on lately? I know summer is coming to an end, but don't forget to take advantage of the rest of these beautiful days to explore the outdoors. And don't forget to check out my Summer Bucket List to stay informed on what I've been accomplishing (you know, besides just doing homework and cuddling with my dog). Stay tuned too, for there are some more adventure to come in September :D

Have a wonderful rest of your day,

Elizabeth

Camping in the Cascades // SBL 2k17

Hello friends,

This week I was able to pack up, grab a friend, and relax (as much as you can in 90 degree heat) in the beautiful outdoors. My friend Demetria and I are both working and taking summer classes, but we decided we both needed a little break from it all. For three days, we did minimal school work, hiked, attempted to take instagram-worthy pictures, read, and smelt like smoke and sweat. It was a wonderful trip. 

We reserved a little camping site in Newhalem, a small company town located right before you start the drive up the North Cascades National Park Pass. It's absolutely beautiful up there, definitely an underrated national park. If you ever get the chance to go, take it! We stopped at a few viewpoints and took a hike (more on that in a future post), but there were also quite a few smaller hikes down by our campsite that we explored. A couple years ago, there was a big forest fire, so a ton of the forest was burnt down, but there were wild flowers everywhere and a beautiful creek with huge boulders. In the 95 degree weather, Demi and I welcomed the freezing cold water.                                                                                       

On one of our little hikes, we found a big stump and couldn't help but take a few pictures. Maybe yoga and ballet aren't are specialities, but being photogenic definitely is. ;) 

Of course, we had to stop for ice cream on our way back home. We visited this adorable little ice-cream stand that sold organic raspberry chocolate chip ice cream, and let me tell you, it was pretty darn yummy. They had a little garden of wild flowers out back too and Demi and I couldn't resist, so we snapped a few photos of our ice cream. Sure, some of it melted in the process, but that's the price we had to pay.

What kind of summer adventures have you been on yet? I feel like camping is a must during this time of year. Anything crossed off you bucket list? Don't forget to check on mine, because I'm getting through my list and it's exciting ;) 

Have a wonderful day,

Elizabeth