Today I am flying to Iceland. Yes, Iceland. I am a little nervous and just staring at the countdown is making the butterflies go rampant. I don't know how the flying will go and I have no idea what will happen when I arrive. I know that I will arrive tomorrow around 9 a.m and I know that when I get there I will receive the keys to the campervan and have to learn how to drive it. The camper that I rented out was the cheapest I could find and I honestly am excited to just get in it, drive away and turn off for a while. Exploring has always been something I enjoy and I can't wait to see what places I will explore while I am there. I got a handful of recommendations and I plan to use a few of them on my journey. Of course, I also am excited to just get away and to see something new. 

Iceland is one fo those places that most people dream about. Its a place like no other and it really stands out from most places. Its got views that you would never see in the United States and it has so many cool waterfalls. Not only that but I might see the Northern Lights while I am there and you best believe that I will be trying to capture it while I am there. I don't know how successful I will be but I am hopeful for a good turnout. I just need one good one to be satisfied. 

I also got a drone that fits what I need. It is a DJI Spark and it literally arrived a few hours before I had to leave for the airport. Talk about luck. I'm excited to try it and to see what I can do with it. Not only does it get good views but it will get shots I never imagined. Nervous, excited, anxious, all of these feelings are there and I am hopeful for a successful flight. Keep your fingers crossed and hope that I make it safely to my destination. 

The butterflies are real right now. 

I fly out in five days! FIVE DAYS! It's crazy that I am even going but I am ready to have some time away and to recharge. I will be visiting so many amazing locations and I will be in the nice cold weather that I enjoy. I have no idea what it i will be like culturally or what it will be like to have to drive a stick shift over there but I am sure that I will adjust quickly and without any real effort. There are so many picture opportunities and so many memories to make while I am there. the idea that I am going is only just now starting to settle and it honestly feels so nice to be able to go places and to live my life the way that it's intended. 


Our lives are so short and we miss out on so much. I don't intend to miss out on the things that I want to do and this is one of those things. Another country to cross off my list, another beautiful place to make memories done, and a life worth living. I cant wait to see what Iceland has in store for me. 

I hope you guys will follow along on this adventure. This will be a good one. 

I finally found the car that I need to start my traveling journey. It is an Xterra 2000 and it can pull up to 3500 pounds. What is even better is that it is a stick shift car. Just driving it from Fort Walton to Niceville I can already tell that it will take some getting used to. It even sounds different which threw me off and honestly made me a little nervous at first but after a few miles, I started to understand how it runs. I usually never do purchases like this and for me, it was a little weird to have that moment where I literally hand someone cash that I worked hard to earn. It was exciting, nerve-wracking, and honestly empowering in a way.  

Now that I have the first step done in my traveling plan I feel like I can finally breathe a little and relax. I feel like I can take the rest of the time this month to actually get things done and ready before I head out to Iceland. 

Things have finally started to turn around and go in the direction I need them to. 

One of my favorite things about traveling is being able to see everything you want to see. If you drive to your destinations then you can just pull over whenever you want and take any detour you want. If you see a cool underground lake then you can pull over and go take a quick tour. Maybe you want to see Mammoth Cave and your passing through Kentucky, well then just pull over and hit the national park. Everything is an option when you drive to your destinations and I love that ability. I love being able to do what you want, when you want and just enjoy life. 

Sometimes I think we get caught up in the normal ideas of what life should be. We get caught up on social media, bills, pets, people we need to please, work, and everyday life occurrences. We get so caught in our normal routines and worry about every little thing that we forget there is literally an entire planet that is around us just waiting to be explored. We get glued to our phones and think that seeing pictures is enough and just scroll past it after a few minutes of thinking "Someday that will be me" and then we move on and go back to normal life. 

There are so many people that I talk to on a daily basis that never really go anywhere. They sit in one spot, go about their day, complain about bills and then say how they want to go on vacation but never do. All of it is just a cycle and it is so hard to break. It's difficult for people to step out of the norm and just go somewhere. It's hard to just be different than everybody else. All you think about is the 401k and how you need to work your ass off so that one day you can go to those places. The truth of the matter is when you do retire you won't be able to do half of the stuff you wanted to do when you were younger. Of course, there are other options but being mobile, able to go long distances, and just have chances to do everything and anything without pain or hindrance is really the way to go. 

I just hope people realize that sooner rather than later. Its time to live your life and take those steps to get out. Its time to take time for yourself and live life in the best way possible before everything explodes. 

One of the things about traveling that I love is the ability to turn off. Whenever I go somewhere I can switch everything on the off position and not worry about every little thing that comes my way. Usually, when people travel they can't help but want to know everything and anything that is going on while they are away from home. How the pets are doing, what their friends are doing at the club, how the job back home is keeping up without them, where other people are vacationing, etc. Honestly, though, I find it nice when I run into places where you have no choice. You have to turn off. Red River George and my Moms place were two of the only places on my trip where you didn't have a choice. Your phone didn't really work in most places and yet I took videos and photos while we were out and about but I didn't stay glued to my phone for hours on end wondering what else was going on back home. 

Disconnecting is honestly one of my favorite things about adventuring. You never know where those spots will show up and you never know when you will just be left to you, your mind, and what's around you. I think we forget that not that long ago the whole world used to be disconnected from one another. We used to have to actually be near others to speak to them, we used to have to stand still for photos, we used to have to write out letters and send them through mail to reach people that we love, and we used to have to engage with others by looking at the square on and not over a little device in our hands. 

Our world is so much more complicated now and we have a hard time talking to one another and disconnecting from one another. We rely so much on these little devices that we forget to disconnect and that its good to do that. For some people, it's impossible because that's all they know. For others, it's not a choice. Sometimes they have to disconnect because they can't afford to keep up. 

Just know that no matter what is happening out there, where you are or how your life is, it is always good to take a step away and disconnect. It's good to "turn off" and to just be alone with your own mind. So take that time away and just reconnect with who you are because soon, very soon you may not even know yourself anymore.