Adventure is Out There!

Today I got a chance to reflect on my previous post about the importance of patience.  In my Spanish Literature class, we had to give a brief speech on something we had learned this semester, so I spoke about enjoying the little things of life.  After class, I took time to do so.  I grabbed my umbrella and camera and walked around downtown Holland to enjoy some free time (and do some shopping of course).  It was nice to be able to examine life through the lens of a camera and really notice the little things that are all around me.

This stroll gave me the realization of how this school year is basically over.  I did my last big thing for Spanish aside from the final.  My psych classes are basically review for the last few classes before finals.  And for photography, I needed to finish my last roll of film to develop and finish my final project – hence the walk downtown.  It’s hard to believe that this school year is already over.  It feels like I was just moving into my new dorm and now I’m trying to pack it all up.

As I’m packing up my dorm, I also need to start packing for my next adventure.  In less than two weeks, I will be flying to Málaga, Spain for the month of May.  To be honest, I haven’t really been that excited for it.  I had been too busy worrying about school and home and how I will be able to communicate and how to not get too homesick.  But now as it is quickly approaching, I couldn’t be happier.  I’m excited for all the adventures I will have while I’m there.  In the words of Peter Pan:

To live will be an awfully big adventure.

I’m going to be living in Spain.  A walk away from the Mediterranean Sea.  A walk away from the University.  Steps away from adventure.  I am beyond excited to explore the city and surrounding areas.  Within the past few days, it has really become real for me.  I’m moving out of my dorm in a week.  I’ll have three full days at home, then “I’m leaving on a jet plane!” (yes, I just sang that)  There’s so much to do before I leave.  I’m the type of girl who usually plans out all her outfits for vacations in advance and is packed and ready to go about a week before I actually have to be ready.  So it’s really hard for me to be here at school, unable to really plan out what I’m bringing – especially when there’s still a lot of shopping I have to do before I leave.  I’ve started incessantly making lists (my coping mechanism) not only for Spain packing, but also for these last few days of school and I started an inventory of things I will be packing up to move out of Hope next week.

That’s why walking around and having time to simply be was so great.  I need to distract myself from the craziness in my mind right now.  The other night (on that gorgeous warm day) some friends and I on a whim decided we wanted to run straight into Lake Michigan.  To add to our impulsivity, we decided that it would be cooler to run in once it was dark.  So as the sun was setting, we set off for the beach.  We got there in our swim outfits with towels and warm clothes in hand.  Together the three of us held hand and walked through the tunnel over to the sandy dune.  We counted to three and ran down the dune, throwing our stuff into the sand just as we approached the water and ran straight in.  I splashed all the way into the frigid water and sprinted out to grab a towel.  And just like that we had done it.  What a rush.  It was exhilarating.  It was mind clearing.  I plopped down in the sand and stared at the horizon and the stars above me.  The beauty of the night sky was astounding.  I am so grateful to God who created the beauty in everything.  And I am so grateful to God who gave me friends to distract me from the craziness of the next two weeks.  And I am so grateful for adventure.  Looking at the stars, I know they are the same stars that I will see from Spain.  They are a piece of home no matter where I will go.  It’s a comforting thought and I think that it really helped me to be so eager for my month abroad.

So as I prepare to head out on my adventure abroad, I invite you to join me.  I plan to blog about all of my experiences here on my new travel blog.  I hope to post as often as possible if not daily, but I don’t know how often I will actually have access to internet and time to write about it (what with being busy exploring).  I ask for prayers for safe travels and good experiences.  I hope you enjoy reading about all that I do while in Europe. (:

“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.” – Michael Palin

Thank you for the prayers.  And remember to take some time to create adventures, big or small, in your own life.

On a side note, for those who read my list of things to do as a 20 year old,  I’ve started my documentation of my twentieth year on Flickr.  I had tried to use it last year to do a photo a day, but only got to day 67.  I restarted my photo project with titles of 20.# to represent my twentieth year and the day of it.  Feel free to check it out here!