his adventure.

I'm at that point where I need some rest.  The crew went out for Mexican food and I decided to stay back just this once and let my brain soak in some quiet...some quiet that I need after a weekend in the Galapagos, lots of school nights out, being dragged along on a 30 day workout with Kim, climbing Pichincha, feeling disconnected with friends in the States because of their Spring Break, my Spring Break, and then their Easter Break, and suffering from full brain syndrome.

[the view I love so much. my thinking place.]

I went out with Kimmie for a couple hours today.  After all the soreness she has caused me this week she owed me something...and I settled for Cinnabon.  We talked about how funny it is that sometimes we think our timing is so good and we try to plan out all of these crazy awesome adventures that benefit the Kingdom and allow us to live it up...and how sometimes God just says, "No." It's just not always His timing.  Sometimes I forget to ask.  I jump into something assuming that God will love it...but I forget to ask if that's what He wants.  I forget to ask Him to show me the center of His will and to put me there...because that's where I really want to be.

Sitting in the middle of CCI, at a round table with cinnibon goo and spilled ice between us, Kim and I had this thought:  How lucky are we to be living in the midst of the greatest adventure ever?  Saying yes to God, trusting Him to guide my life, and following where He leads is the greatest adventure imaginable.  I have NO IDEA what He is going to do with this life and yet I choose to follow.  That's crazy.  It's absolutely nuts...but so incredibly worth it.  I couldn't imagine my life any other way.  That's not to say that I do it perfectly--because I don't--BUT I am so incredibly blessed and excited to be living His adventure, marked by His love, His life, His faithfulness, and His hope.

Praise Him for His adventures being greater than mine.

pichincha.

In the States, days off of school usually include sleeping in, staying in my pajamas until 2pm, eating a lot, running some errands, and maybe visiting a few friends.  In Ecuador days off school include adventures.  Luh my life.  

I climbed my first mountain today.  I did it.  I conquered Pichincha...all 15,000 plus feet.  An 8 hour hike of rocks, cliffs, valleys, sand dunes, breathtaking views, pee in my pants moments, hail storms, crazy good conversations, and the wonderful feeling of sore legs and incredible achievement marked this adventure day.  I couldn't have done it without my obnoxiously hilarious and supportive comrades by my side and my favorite sweatshirt guiding my every move.  Praise Him.  

 [pre-climb stretch sesh.  alyssa, me, zach, sarah, rene, michaella, and aaron.]

 [this is how cool we are.  alyssa, me, & sarah.]

[the photographer in me was loving every moment.]

[summited.  nailed it.]

[what a wonderful group.  rene, aaron, sarah, me, zach, alyssa, michaella, and scott.]

hoods.

Hoods.  Why are they so comfortable?!  Who invented those things?  I'm fully prepared to high five and personally thank the person who thought up the headgear that warms my heart and makes me feel like my problems are solved.  

In addition to loving hoods, I also love my best friend.  A lot.  

We Skyped, and immediately after I pressed the little red phone I wanted to ball my eyes out.  She's a keeper, folks.  Now i'm going through withdrawals.  I'm also feeling really blessed to have her in my life.  Praise Him for our weird conversations, the stories we vow never to tell but still always tell each other, our adventures, our messed up lives, and the sleepover we had in 7th grade that started this sisterhood of a friendship.  

futbol.

Pee in your pants exciting.  Not only was my faith in the common good restored today on the Trole when a man helped us find the Estadio stop and a woman grabbed my arm, fighting for me to stay on the packed Trole when I almost got off at the wrong stop, risking separation from the group, but we also spent an hour roaming the crazy busy streets, getting our faces painted, taking pictures for Latin newspapers, and soaking in the game day excitement.  

Going to the World Cup Qualifying game vs. Paraguay this afternoon was one of the best funtivities we've done this semester. [They won 4 to 1!] I loved every second of and walked away arm in arm with some of the best friends a girl could ask for, a smile on my face, and beer dripping down my bangs.  Good day.  

 [pre-gamin it on the streets of Quito with my girls.]

 [luh my life.  jenna, me & lys cheering our brains out.]

 [and of course we made some friends at the game.]

[alyssa, me, jenna, bonnie, & sarah.  LOVED this day.]

THE GALAPAGOS.

People say a picture is worth a thousand words.  I like pictures.  Aaaaand since I can't even begin to describe how wonderful our trip to the Galaps was...I'll tell you in 35,000 words worth...

[Day 1:  hiking through Las Grietas, swimming in a cove, and my personal favorite...cliff jumping.]

[Day 2:  a couple mile hike to Tortuga Bay through a forest of cacti.]

[kimmie, me, lys, & sarah at Tortuga Bay]

[making fun of high messy buns in certain situations AND loving the fake wildlife.]

[janie, alyssa, me, christy, ben, sarah, & rene.  walking the town.]

[janie, lys, kim, me, ben, sarah, rene.  seriously loving the Galaps.]

[me, kim, & lys.  stopping to play with animals on the way to the Darwin Center.]

[lys, sarah, me, & kimmie.  modeling.]

[lys, me, sarah, & kimmie. had a blast with these lovelies all weekend.]

[tried coconut milk for the first time!]

[out for dinner with christy, ben, alyssa, sarah, diana, & bonster.]

[Day 3:  2 hour boat ride to another island, Isabela.  the boat ride was BREATHTAKING.]

[everywhere we went we had to take tiny boat taxis.  alyssa, me, & hannah.]

[sightseeing boat tour on Isabela.]

[the Galapagos famous blue foot boobies!]

[could look at this for the rest of my life.]

[hannah, kayla, kim, me, lys, bon, aaron, michaella, scott, christy

sarah, janie, rene, bridgette, diana, & ben]

[LOVE THESE BABES.  bon, lys, me & kimmie.]

[we saw sharks on the walking island tour.]

[don't worry folks, it's not alive BUT we saw tons of little critters like this one.]

[one of my favorite parts of the weekend:  snorkeling.  always a good time with these two.  

alyssa, me, & bonnie.]

[our last activity on Isabela (after the beach of course) was stopping to see flamingos in the wild!]

[and of course i made everyone stand like one.]

[boat ride back from Isabela.  alyssa, me, & scott.]

[lys, me, scott, & ben.  cheesin.]

[sunset on the boat back from Isabela.]

[out for dinner and dessert.  me & diana.]

[Day 4:  on the way to the airport we stopped to see giant craters.  our last funtivity in the Galaps.]

[probably the best airport i've ever been to. waiting for the plane, looking at the ocean.]

[wanted to stay for the rest of the semester.]

[take. me. back.]