Tag: moment

Living Vulnerably

Posted on by Joanna

1 year ago…

To go back
To the moment
Where it was simple
When trust was easy
Oh, to get closer to that

Now…

To live
A life of vulnerability
In communion
In the garden

To abide
In your presence
Everyday
Where nothing
Must be proven

To live
In your love
In daily communion
In a life of vulnerability
With you

That’s what I strive for
Everyday
To be vulnerable
And live fully
As myself
With my best friend —
My Abba Father

Thanks for reading!
This poem was inspired by:

my word of the month:
“vulnerability” – noun: vulnerability; plural noun: vulnerabilities – the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
&
this song!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Wednesdays Across TimeZones

Posted on by Joanna

So, me and my sister both have YouTube channels, and a few days ago, we were talking and we decided it would be cool to document our typical Wednesdays, to see the differences between Wednesday, February 3 in Canada v.s. Australia.
Also, keep in mind that we live very different lives. So, while being a typical Wednesday for us; it looks very different for both of us, in general.

Here are the links to those videos:

My Sister’s – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MOQjREASB0

Mine – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uNqa3oW_I

Thanks for reading and watching!
We hope you enjoy living in 2 timezones for a brief moment!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Lessons from the mountain top…

Posted on by Joanna

A moment to remember who God is & who I am
A moment of total surrender
A moment of ultimate love
A moment of perfect peace
A moment of complete freedom
A moment of finding hope
A moment of unfailing grace
A moment of uplifting truth

God is…

Love
Peace
Freedom
Hope
Grace
Truth
And the ultimate hiding place
The one I kneel at the feet of
The one that caries me through everything

I am…

His child
His human vessel
Dwelling in His house
Called to do great things
Spreading His glory
Living my best life with Him

And…

Through it all
He continues to love
To encourage
To reveal
To redeem
To forgive
To restart
This amazing journey with me

Thanks for reading!

This post was inspired by this song!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

She had no idea…

Posted on by Joanna

That girl in the picture
Standing there
Smilling through the pain
Just living life

That girl in the picture
She never could’ve
Known or imagined
What was coming

That girl in the picure
Looking at the world
Blind to the future
She had no idea

That girl in the picture
She couldn’t even
Begin to prepare
For this!

Seriously!

How could she know?
How could she prepare?
How could she see?

She didn’t have a map –
Or a to-do list.
She just needed time.

Time is the key
Everything unfolds so quickly

Time to remember & forget
And, process it all

That girl in the picture
Wasn’t ready for this

So, give her time!

Thanks for reading!
I hope this poem inspired you to slow down & give yourself time to take a moment to enjoy life!

Be patient, enjoy life, &
trust His perfect timing!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

For the original picture: CLICK HERE!
P.S. The featured picture on this post was the inspiration for this poem because when looking at it, I was reminded of who I was in that moment, & I realized how different I used to be.
It reminded me to be kind to myself because we all need time to process through life.

A poem for the Enemy!

Posted on by Joanna

Hey Devil!
Listen up!
This message is for you!

I need you to listen closely
Because what I’m about to say is crucial?
And, I need you to take note!

You are done ruining my life!
You are done telling lies!
You are defeated!

I’ll give you credit
For what you’ve already done.
It was impressive.

But, from this moment on,
you will no longer win!
I will never let you in again!

I am not your toy!
You can’t do this to me!
I won’t let you!

I am a child of God!
I am accepted into His arms!
I am a citizen of heaven!

From this day forward
You are dead
Because He is risen!

Thanks for reading!
Happy Easter!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Solo Travel Tip #3

Posted on by Joanna

This tip is about:

. . .

When you finally decide to step out of your comfort zone, and travel abroad alone, you’re going to be so happy, and proud, but there’s one thing you should know.

When you travel abroad alone, you are going to want to make international friends, and meet people that speak the language and know the culture.
So, while you’re alone in a foreign country, that’s what you do.
That’s what’s on your mind because you don’t want to be alone all the time, so you start making friends to explore with, learn the language, and make amazing international connections.
And, in the moment, it’s all amazing and great fun, but soon it’s going to be time to say bye to that amazing country and those awesome new friends. And, that’s when the difficult part begins.

. . .

The first hardest part is actually saying bye to your amazing new friends.
The second hardest part is leaving a new country and culture that you started adapting to and loving so much.
The third, and final hardest part is going home, and getting used to seeing everything differently.

. . .

While traveling abroad alone, you learn more about yourself, you make new friendships and you learn to live differently in another country.
And, although all these things are awesome, the worst part is coming back to your home country because your perspective has changed, and sometimes it can feel weird to go back to your old ways. Especially when you had such a good experience abroad; you don’t want to lose this amazing, new version of yourself.

. . .

So, if you ever feel lost after a trip abroad:
Remember that stepping out of your comfort zone and changing your perspective is what it takes to move forward, and change your life.
And, now you have friends in another country that you can visit whenever you feel homesick for that country.

Thanks for reading!

I hope this post encourages you to step out of your comfort zone, and change your perspective on the world (don’t be afraid of doing something different!).

nothing-will-change-in-your-life

-LiveForAdventure! 😊

Homesickness…

Posted on by Joanna

At first you just shake it
You feel it for a moment
And, then, you forget it

You start living in the moment
With all the excitement
Of this new experience

But, soon you get tired
And, it catches up to you
You can’t shake it this time

You’ve learned, explored, experienced
Now, your brain is tired ready
To go home

This new perspective
These new lessons
This new excitement

Ready to go home
And, see the world
Through your new view

Thanks for reading!
I hope this reminded you that if you ever feel homesick; remember that everything you are learning and experiencing will completely change your perspective.
So, enjoy your new experience and learn as much as you can because that’s what makes going home after a trip so exciting; you get to experience your home with a new perspective, in a completely different way!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

P.S. I’m going home in 2 weeks from my 4 months trip in South America,
so if you want to receive a postcard from my adventures, click this link!

2019 Resolutions!

Posted on by Joanna
  • Be fully content & happy!
  • Be authentically myself!
  • Love life!
  • Live in the moment!
  • Let go of the past!
  • Enjoy the little things!
  • Stop worrying about what others think!
  • Meet new people!
  • Inspires others!
  • Live adventurously & meaningfully!
  • Travel more!
  • Explore new places!
  • Speak Spanish fluently!
  • Blog more!
  • Read more!
Thanks for reading my blog this past year!
I wish you a Happy New Year!
Cheers to an amazing new year ahead, full of new opportunities!
Let’s accomplish our goals together; comment below with your goal(s) for 2019!


-LiveForAdventure! 😊

We Remember

Posted on by Joanna

We complain
We cry
We fight
We try
We give thanks
We realize
We forget

We remember
For one minute per year
On that one day
We are silent

We think
That’s enough
Let’s move on
Now is our time

Maybe we should…

Let’s just forget-
That’s it, right?
Or, is it-
Lest we forget?

 

Thanks for reading!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Breathe…

Posted on by Joanna

~ INHALE ~
~ EXHALE ~
~ REPEAT ~

. . .

Oxygen is very important! So, don’t forget to take it in.
Get rid of all that carbon dioxide inside your lungs & replace it with fresh oxygen.

. . .

When you’re sad; breathe.
When you’re stressed; breathe.
When you’re angry; breathe.
When you’re anxious; breathe.
When you’re nervous; breathe.
When you’re hungry; breathe.
When you’re thirsty; breathe.
When you’re tired; breathe.
When you’re…. well, just about how ever you feel, breathe.
It will always help, and it always feels good to have fresh oxygen in your lungs.
Just take a few minutes (even seconds) each day to breathe.
It’s such a simple thing, but sometimes we don’t realize how seriously important it really is to just take a deep breath.
So, if you ever feel stressed, anxious, nervous, angry, sad, etc; just remember to stop for a minute and take a deep breath.

That’s all for this post. But, before you click away, just stay right where you are & read the following 6 short tasks. And, do what they say:

BREATHE IN (hold for 3 seconds)
BREATHE OUT (for 3 seconds)
BREATHE IN (hold for 3 seconds)
BREATHE OUT (for 3 seconds)
BREATHE IN (hold for 3 seconds)
BREATHE OUT (for 5 seconds)


Thanks for reading!
I hope this post helped you take a minute to chill & just breathe today.


-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Coco!

Posted on by Joanna

So, I just had a “weird” experience.

. . .

I just went to the movie theatre here in Chile and watched a Spanish movie (w/o subtitles).

. . .

It might not seem like such a weird thing, but that’s the best word I could think of to describe it.

It made me feel weird because I’ve been living here for 3 months and hearing Spanish everyday, so it’s become normal to me.

But, going to the movie theatre was a similar experience for me that I forgot I was even in Chile.

I just watched the movie in spanish and my brain hardly had to think about it (the words just made sense in my brain).

I mean, sure, there were pictures, which definitely did help, but, even in moments when the people were just standing still talking, I understood what they were saying like it was normal.

It was only after the movie that I realized that I had just watch an entire Spanish movie with no subtitles or translator and I actually understood it.

I actually laughed at the jokes when other people laughed (which is how I knew I was laughing at the right time and how I knew that I actually understood what was happening in the movie).

. . .

So, you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all this.

Well, one: Because I felt proud of myself and wanted to share it with someone.

And, two: Because I realized that I can maybe inspire someone out there to learn a new language.

. . .

Now that I know that after 3 months of listening and living in Spanish I can watch a Spanish movie and understand it, it gives me hope that I can one day become fluent. And so, that’s what I’m trying to do.

After the movie, I really started trying to listen to people around me and actually respond with full sentences, not just one word. And, it’s actually been so worth it because it makes me feel happy to know that I understand what people are saying and that I can respond and be understood.

. . .

And, that’s why I think everyone should learn another language.

It takes a lot of work and dedication, but in the end you will feel so proud of your accomplishment that you will want to continue to learn the language, and maybe even have the courage to try another new thing.

Thanks for reading! (Gracías para leer!)

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Oceans…

Posted on by Joanna

Within a year I’ve been to the North Atlantic and the South Pacific in 3 different countries!

. . .

From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
To:
Glover’s Reef, Belize
To:
Chile

And, the craziest thing is that every time I went to the ocean in those country I forgot which country I was in for a moment.

. . .

And, I’m not exactly sure why I always gravitate to the beach in new countries because when I was younger, I used to dislike the beach and the ocean. But, the more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve come to actually love it.
And, I think that it’s because I grew up near the ocean, so it subconsciously makes me feel at home, which helps me overcome culture shock.
And, since my brain subconsciously relates the ocean to home, I subconsciously end up near one wherever I am in the world because it’s the one place that never really (drastically) changes around the world.

. . .

And, I think that’s one of the keys to overcoming culture shock; Finding something that reminds you of home & comfort.

Whatever it may be, it will help you realize that this new country isn’t all new and scary.
It will help you find the good in the country and make you feel more comfortable because you won’t feel so out of place and far from home.

Finding comfort in:
The sound of waves, the sand on my feet, and the smell of the salty sea air is my place of comfort in a new country.
What’s yours?

 

Thanks for reading!
I hope this post inspired you to remember to not be afraid of culture shock because it is one of the best reasons to travel. (here’s why: Don’t underestimate it!
And, if you find something comfortable in a new country, it will diminish your fears and worries, and, you might even start to feel at home in this new, unknown country, which will make your experience even better!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

Perspective… / A Day in Valparaiso, Chile!

Posted on by Joanna

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“Perspective changes everything!”

. . .

So, recently I took a trip to Valparaiso, Chile & I had the best day there, just wandering the city! Here’s an “itinerary” of that trip:

1- I took the bus (1 hour) to Valparaiso alone, and didn’t get lost once!

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2- I explored and wandered the beautiful city of Valparaiso!

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3- My eyes were truly open to everything I saw today!

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4- I was completely present in the moment today, which made my adventuring, wandering & exploring so much better!

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5- Like the title & the picture hint: I got perspective thrown at me in multiple ways today!

20180210_163115

. . .

Perspective: The appearance of things relative to one another, as determined by their distance from the viewer.

So, the first picture you saw at the top of this page is a view standing from the top of a staircase in Valparaiso.
And, the next picture you saw at the top of this page is a view of the same staircase, but this time, standing right in front of it (instead of above it).

. . .

You see, this is why perspective is such an important concept because things are always different from where someone is standing.
Just like in life. People see things differently because they’re in different places in their own lives, this means that everyone has a different perspective about some/most things.

Nothing is the same for everyone because we all perceive things differently, which means that we all experience life differently.
That’s perspective! Being different & accepting different perspectives of the same things.

The picture from above the staircase could be someone’s view of that staircase for their entire life. Whereas, the picture in front of the staircase could be someone  else’s view of it for their entire life. But, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t both seeing the same staircase, they are just looking at it from where they are currently standing.
And, most people would be fine with just seeing it from their perspective for their entire life, but, what I’m trying to encourage you to do after reading this post is: to always try and look at things from different perspectives because you never know what you could discover, just by shifting your focus.

“Don’t stay in the same spot for your whole life
(don’t stay at the top of the staircase for your entire life)!
Change your perspective
(come down & look at it from a different perspective)!”

Change your PERSPECTIVE! It might just change EVERYTHING!

 

Thanks for reading!
I hope this post inspired you to search for a new perspective in your life!

P.S. Valparaiso is truly a beautiful city, & if you’re ever in Chile, I highly recommend taking a trip here to see this beautiful city for yourself! You won’t regret it, it will definitely help you understand the concept of perspective!

-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

The Unknown… 

Posted on by Joanna

I’m tired of feeling stuck! I want to travel & experience new & different things!

. . .

I’m tired of living in this bubble of what I know about the world. I am starting to get tired of my comfort zone (I think this is a sign that I need to change something). I want to travel & explore the world because I want to learn more about the unknown.
The bubble that I live was a great place to grow up in, but, now I am ready to grow/change outside of my comfort zone.

. . .

After the few trips abroad that I’ve taken, I now realize that everyone should try & grow outside of their comfort zone because it’s the only way to truly learn who you are, while also learning that the safe bubble you currently live in is not an accurate representation of yourself and the world.
There’s a whole world out there waiting for you to discover it & learn the truth about yourself and the world you live in!

. . .

Sometimes we need to let go & move on; away from what we know because there’s so much that we still don’t know.
We must travel & see new things to keep growing!

. . .

Some people will say that they grow during different seasons of their life, but I know (from experience), that it’s a different type of growth.
You see, growing inside your comfort zone during a different period in your life is vastly different than growing outside your comfort during different periods in your life.

When you grow outside of your comfort zone, in the unknown, you are not only growing during a different period in your life, you are learning, growing, exploring and realizing that you are different than you thought.

You are growing during a different period in your life in a completely new environment.

If you’re scared to step out into the unknown, you need to realize that being scared means that you’re too comfortable where you are and should really consider stepping out.
And, if you’re scared because you don’t know what will happen, that’s perfect!
That’s why it’s called “the unknown”, you shouldn’t know what’s going to happen next.
That’s what makes stepping out into the next chapter of your life so exciting; you are completely oblivious to what will happen next (just like traveling; you can plan a trip as much a you want, but when you arrive at your destination your plans could change drastically, & there’s nothing you can do about it, it will inevitably happen). But, that’s what makes traveling so exciting (at least, for me), going with the flow & living in the moment.

. . .

Anyways, all this to say:
Please don’t be afraid of the unknown! I know it can be scary at first, but who knows what can happen if you just take that step you’ve always been scared to take! The only way to find out is to:

Step out into the unknown!

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Thank for reading! I hope this post encouraged you in some way! Now, get out there and:


-LiveForAdventure! 🙂

A poem/letter…

Posted on by Joanna

My first blog post poem! 

Now, I guess I should disclaim that I didn’t technically come up with this poem on my own.
I came across a post this past week where someone was sharing their feelings, and while reading it, I decided to put together some of the words to form an encouraging letter/poem.

It turned out as the following:

Reach for it!

Your just sitting there,
Reading this,
Distracting yourself
From pain of life,
Livin’ here on earth,
With, & like, everyone else.
Finding happiness
In someone else’s life,
Like a moment of joy in your day,
Hoping it will take the pain away
Knowing that,
At least someone you know is having fun.

Well, stop reaching!

Put your hand on your chest.
Yup, that fearless push means your here,
And you’ve always been here.
Your heartbeat means you’re human
&
You are someone’s favorite human.
Someone’s best memory.
A home for someone.
A safe place they come to.
A home where people feel comfortable & happy.
You’re all those things and much more!
Don’t convince yourself to blend in!
Stand out!
Someone out there needs you to so badly!
Your life is not a mistake!
You are so much more than you think!

 

Thanks for reading! I hope this inspired you to stand out & always be yourself! 


-LiveForAdventure! 🙂