I have traveling on the brain. 😜 I am feeling like Chicago is calling my name. It is calling me to come and visit…SOON. SO…I am planning a tentative trip to Chicago in the next couple of weeks. 😍 I can visualize it already. Got some photo ops lined up…then traveling east and north up into Michigan snapping pics of lighthouses along the way. Then I could just veer over and visit the kiddos. Sounds like an amazing trip. 😉 Hoping Father is in agreement. 😂
The featured image…is a screenshot of my Google Maps in 2020. I will never forget the moment I saw that map.
Hannah and I had spent the day kayaking down the river. It has been an annual thing for us. We did an all-day trip doing 14 miles. So much fun.
On the way home…for some reason, I pulled up Google Maps. Maybe I got a notification…not sure. I saw my trips. I was astonished at the sight of it. It was a beaut. Made my heart smile. I showed it to Hannah, and she started laughing. She said…you gotta screenshot it. I did. Something I didn’t want to forget. An awesome picture for me.
I physically drove to every one of those places myself. My dad would have been so proud. He drove over a million miles in his lifetime. We both have a deep love of driving. 😍
As I have said before…traveling is my jam. I am not sure there is such a thing as traveling too much. I am excessive…and too much is never enough for me…so it fits.
Now that I am starting to get a bit obsessive with my camera…I am trying to find opportunities to USE my camera. Dreaming of shots. 😎
My passion is back…loving the fire inside of me. On fire. ❤️🔥 It is glorious!
Traveling and taking pictures…oh yes baby…SIGN ME UP PLEASE!!!
Bookmarks
This morning, I have been using Trip Advisor in conjunction with Google Maps to find places in Chicago I want to explore. I have spent many hours in Chicago in the past, so I am well acquainted with the city…but it has been a while…and I have a different camera this trip.
I discovered something while playing with Google Maps…bookmarks.
Wow…for some of you…this is a duh moment…but man…I didn’t KNOW about bookmarks.
A whole new world for me. I can actually plan my trip in advance. NEVER tried that before. 😂
When I have traveled in the past, I have places Father wants me to see…so I bookmark them in my head…then I let Him determine the order and time. Hannah has always loved traveling with me that way…she says everything goes smoothly when I listen to Father.
Now…I have an actual map I can see the bookmarks on. Glorious. Super stoked about this concept. 😂
Nomadic Lifestyle
I actually like the nomadic lifestyle. When I was traveling out West…I never knew where I was going to lay my head down at night…except for my stay in Vegas. It was always an adventure. Sometimes, I would start driving at 3 am…just because I could. Never in a hurry. Never had anyone telling me what I could or couldn’t do.
This picture is of the Grand Tetons at sunset. I saw that sky and pulled over along the road…got my chair out of the van so Tonto and I could watch the sunset. So peaceful. A glorious evening. Just to sit and enjoy what Father created for me to see.
I drove around the Tetons for several days, so I watched both sunrises and sunsets over those gorgeous mountains.
Free Spirit
It was freedom for me to be able to pull over and just sit. Sit and watch the sun come up or go down over those mountains. It never got old. Hated to leave the area actually…but so much more to see.
I think that is one reason I love nature so much…it is beauty right in front of your face…and it is free to see. It is not proud…arrogant…selfish, etc. It allows you the freedom to enjoy it or ignore it. It doesn’t care what you think of it…it just is.
I am dreaming of the West again…but also the freedom of traveling again. Not knowing where I will be from one day to the next. Every day being a whole new adventure itself. I love that lifestyle. It fits my personality so well. A free spirit. No chains tying me down to the world. No schedule that rules my life. Amazing way to live. Hard to describe the freedom that brings a soul.
Traveling Alone
People have asked me in the past…and even in the present about traveling alone. A single woman…not smart they say.
My philosophy is to follow Father in obedience. When He says go…I go…no matter what. Same on the opposite spectrum…when He says stay…I stay. Staying within His boundaries…gives me peace. I am in His hands always.
So many changes taking place in my life now. Positive changes. Exciting changes.
Looking forward to the days ahead. Lots of good stuff coming down the pike as they say.
For now…I am going to explore bookmarks in Google Maps. 😂 The internet can be such a treasure when you find helpful planning and organizing tools.
I have been contemplating making Pinterest pages for the locations…but when you are in National Forest lands…you don’t always have reception. I tend to go to places with no cell phone reception.
I have been making lists in my OneNote Notebooks in case I don’t have the internet to rely on…but bookmarks…can be HANDY.
Going back to travel planning land now…
LOVE and blessings to you! 🤗