traveling with girl scouts.

the summer before my freshman year of high school i went on my first overseas adventure. in the year leading up to each of my excursions (four in total), my family and i worked downtown at concession stands to raise money for my trip. how selfless of my parents to take time out of their schedules to drive downtown and work with me, sometimes after being at work all day. i am beyond grateful to them for these experiences, and for teaching me hard work and dedication pay off.

my first trip, i was fourteen years old. we traveled to france and italy. ten days, two countries, four cities. it was an exhilarating whirlwind. we had people on our coach (tour bus) from california, and long story short, i fell in love. i fell in love with traveling, i fell in love with immersing myself in different cultures, and i fell in love with a boy. a short, abroad love affair at fourteen. it was bliss. i don't think any trip will rival that first trip, all the new experiences. i'm excited to travel abroad with tyler, sometime in our future, and i can't wait for him to experience traveling abroad (he has never been). anyways, i have no pictures of that trip, but memories i hope to remember for a long time.

my second trip was to england, ireland, scotland and wales. this trip was fourteen days long, four countries and countless cities. this was definitely the trip where i bonded with my girlfriends the most, and i am so thankful for that. in the picture below, to my left and right, are two of closest friends. they will both be bridesmaids in november. 

Ring of Kerry - County Kerry, Ireland

Kissing the Blarney Stone - Cork, Ireland

Outside the Globe - London, England

on my third trip, i had really gotten used to traveling... in europe. we were not going to europe, and i was a little nervous about the flight. we went to new zealand and australia. wow. let me tell you, it's definitely worth the long flight. this trip was definitely all about nature for me, on fraser island, australia, my love affair with stars began. i was walking along the path from our resort to the beach, and at some point the lights on the path ended and i was in complete darkness. i looked up. never again in my life have i witnessed anything more majestic. more whole than when i looked at the sky that evening. i could never do it justice. go there. see the stars. feel how little you are in the world, and remember that this is a beautiful life. it gives me chills to just write it down. i want to take tyler there some day, so he can understand my love for the stars.

Feeding an Emu - Australia

Hanging with a Donkey - New Zealand

on my final trip, we went to germany, france and spain. this was an interesting one for me. i had one of my lowest moments ever, in my life, on that trip. i also found my favorite country, thus far. germany. i loved it from the moment we landed. the food, the beer, the rich/sad history. all of it. this trip was bittersweet, but looking back, i am so happy that i experienced it all. i have grown from that darkness that took place (maybe a post for another day), and i am forever grateful for having been to all of these places.

Beer - Munich, Germany

On the Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France

Sangria - Girona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

i have traveled. i am forever grateful to girl scouts and my parents for giving me these opportunities. and i can't wait to continue to travel. with the love of my life. with my future family. it reminds you what's important in life and gives you great prospective on the world as a whole.

travel. it's a wonderful journey. it's better to be rich with experience than rich in the bank. tyler and i are planning a trip to germany for our one year anniversary (november 9th, 2014). we don't have enough vacation time with work to do it for our honeymoon. so until then, i will enjoy the united states :)