The Adventure of a Lifetime

Originally it all started as a thought, but slowly that thought turned to actions, which then became plans and payment options, and before I knew it I was paying for and planning a trip of a lifetime. I knew the sacrifices it would take- time, money, long hours of travel-but I also knew I couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I took it for what it was worth and ran with it.

For as long as I can remember traveling has been one of my favorite pastimes. It may not be the actual traveling part itself, but the idea of going to a new place, starting a new adventure, meeting new people, and seeing the beauty of the world has always just struck a chord with me. Most of my bucket list contains places that I'd like to live or visit rather than actual events or things to do. There's an exhiliration like none other that comes to me when I cross another place, another adventure, off of the list. And this time brought extra excitement because for the first time, something that was so near to my family was becoming a reality for me too. We were going to Scotland and Ireland! :D

The planning for this trip as the weeks grew closer were honestly a little stressful. Missing 8 days of college is not usually the smartest thing in the book. Thankfully for both Jess and I, our teachers were understanding and willing to adjust assignments and tests, as needed, and rather quickly I learned the weight of missing that much class. I knew that if I put in the effort and kept track of everything I'd be all right though so that's when I started the to-do list and set out to do everything I needed to.

The actual trip itself began on Wed., September 30th as we embraked on a short road trip with my kind grandparents from Rexburg to Salt Lake. We celebrated Grandpa's birthday with Subway for dinner (big timers!), and spent the night in a hotel close to the airport. The next morning started early as we were about to embark on the first flight of the 3 that would take us across the globe in seemingly one day, but as the hours begane to be added up, of course we came to the conclusion that it was definitely not just one day. Out of Salt Lake we flew to Houston and then from Houston we flew to Newark where we met up with my parents, and my aunts and uncles, Colette and Waylon, and Densie and Collin. After waiting several hours there we were finally boarding the flight that would take us across the pond to Glasgow, Scotland, and we couldn't be more excited!

10/1/15 8:47 am

We finally made it! We were the first ones in our group to actually touchdown in the motherland so after waiting a while we finally met our tour guide, Mr. John Green, were whisked off to the bus, waited again and then began our journey with our group of 36 into the city of Glasgow. The rest of the day was a bit of a blur as we arrived too early to check in so we were told to go shop for a few hours before the appropriate time. We then spent the remainder of the day in a daze of excitement. We took a tour of downtown Glasgow where I saw the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen in my life, and where I realized that my wardrobe options may not be an weather appropriate as I had hoped. Later that night after dinner when we were given free time we went on an adventure of our own as Jess, Mom and Dad , and I set off to find a Bansky (Jess's favorite underground street artist) piece located in the middle of downtown. Sadly, we were not able to find it, but having a glimpse at the night-life of Glasgow was an adventure in and of itself for me.

I'm thankful for this opportunity and feel so blessed. Heavenly Father has really given me so many opportunities in my life to expand my knowledge of the good things of the world and to really gain an appreciation for all cultures and ways of life. I feel like these adventures have and will really continue to shape me into the person I want to become. It's been an incredible journey so far!

10/2/15 10:36 am

Loch Lomond...we're going to find Nessie today! Well, Stanley found him! Today was chalk full of driving through the highland, visiting Lochs, finding Nessie, and spending the night in Inverness. It's some of the most beautiful landcapes I've ever seen. It rains so much here that it is green pretty much all year round.

Today I was reminded once again how beautiful God's creations are. From something as simple as the rolling hills of the highlands, to the architectural structures that line that streets and rivers of this beautiful country, His fingerprint is evident in all of it. It is truly incredible to witness it.