i had the amazing opportunity to go to california this summer. to be able to get out of nebraska for a while was a DREAM. california did not disappoint with its gorgeous coastlines, whales, rocky cliffs, sea lions, and adorable towns. it was nothing like i had ever seen before. i always tell myself that someday i will live in a place other than one with corn galore, but once a nebraskan, always a nebraskan. i think the midwest is my true home, but seeking adventure in new places will never stop for this girl.

i was hoping that this trip would allow me to become inspired. it did, there is no doubt about it. sight seeing and hiking was spot on. but it wasn’t until the plane ride home where i became truly inspired. i met an older lady on the plane. she seemed to have been in her early 80’s. we started to have a conversation about where we were headed, and she explained she was heading to omaha to meet up with her friend from kindergarten to go to north dakota. i asked her, why north dakota? to my surprise, it was the last of the 50 states she had to go to. but it did not stop there. she continued by saying that she has one more continent, antarctica, to go to and when she does, she will have stepped on every. single. continent. GUYS. what an inspiration!

i asked her how she got this far. her response? 

work hard. never give up. if you work hard, you will be able to travel the world and follow your dreams. you can never be sure what day will be your last, so do not quit. 

the kind of inspriration i received during this trip home from california from this wonderful lady is something i will never forget. God works in mysterious ways, and just when i needed a message about this, He provided. 

photos from california

(props to my mom and dad for snapping some pictures of me in front of some sweet stuff)