1 Year

One year ago today I threw up at home and then got into the car. My mom drove me at 4:30 in the morning and we battled LA traffic and arrived at LAX as the sun was rising. I checked in and went to the bathroom to throw up again. I cried and hugged my mom and Grace, and walked off into a dark shadowy future of adventure and uncertainty.

Oh man this trip threw me for a biiiig loop.

Saga Museum hanging with a Viking Dude.

Riding a horse for the first time

Westfjords majesty.

Skogafoss

But it was also one of the most amazing, wonderful, terrible, fantastic, crazy, miserable, blissful, absolutely perfect experiences in my life. I could say so much about what I learned, the person I was before, the person I am now, but instead I'll just say that I am so thankful for EVERYTHING that happened on that trip.

Glacier hiking

double fisting wine at a book festival

gigantic Norwegian Raspberries

Overlooking a Fjord Village and breaking my heart with beauty.

Iceland was hard, rugged, rough, and painfully beautiful. Norway was just absolutely joyful, breathtaking, and filled me with song. Scotland was not what I expected and that saddened me a lot, but it was also magical, wild.  I got to go places and see things I've dreamed of my whole life. And here I am a year on wanting to go back to all those places, to bring loved ones and show them all the cool things I got to see. And I'm plotting new adventures. A summer traipsing through Italy and Greece. An Autumn exploring France. A crazy jaunt to Antarctica. Road trips through the US. Exploring South America... I could go on. I love my home and my people, and I will always long for them when I am away. But oh! how I want to go out and see more and more now.

Callanish Standing Stones and me attempting to go back in time to meet Jamie Fraser.

Photo credit to the kindly bolder that held my camera.

William Wallace's mother effing sword and me bawling and giving some poor Australian tourists an empowered speech on freedom.

Autumn on Stirling Bridge

St Andrews Castle and little doorways

Here's to the next round of adventures. Here's to going out and doing something crazy. Here's to the Ad in Adventure. Here's to never losing my sense of wonder and exploration. Here's to this crazy thing called life.