HOPEFUL WANDERING

Let's throw it back to 2011 when I was scared of the world.

I wasn't adventurous, I wasn't curious, I was actually

pretty dang happy right where I was.

With no intention of changing it.

My mom asked me a few times before I began College

if I thought I'd go on a study abroad trip.

"No, nuh uh, nooo way"

My response every time.

I was 19 when I went off to College.

I had only ever traveled within the USA,

I didn't even own a passport.

When I graduated from College I had been

on two round trip international flights.

One to Paris and one to Liverpool.

I had traveled to Italy, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Scotland and England...

Or to make it sound cooler...

I have traveled to Milan, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Interlaken, Bern, Paris, Tours, Reims, Nice, Cannes, Aix en Provence, Arles, Normandy, Versailles, Dublin, Kilkenny, London, 

Stratford Upon Avon, Oxford, Edinburgh, Liverpool.

I'm probably missing a few places in there.

In only a few short years I've gone from a funny but shy girl who was scared

of the unknown, to a funny, optimistic travel addict who loves

every thing about being in a new and exciting place.

When I group my pictures together like this
i'm really blown away by everything I've been able to go do and see.
Especially since I was so afraid of getting out there a few years ago.

I think traveling is one of the best ways to really get to know yourself.
You learn so much about you and about the world and about people and about love.
It's a crazy experience that can and will shatter a majority of your
former thoughts and prejudices and open you up to such a beautiful adventure.

I'm so happy I've been able to travel as much as I have in the past 2 years.
It's changed my life in more ways than I could explain.

My stay here in Liverpool has been the longest amount of time
that I have been away from home.

It hasn't really felt like a long time but i know it has been.
Time flies when you're having fun is the truest statement ever stated.

Sometimes I feel like i've only been here a week.
And other times it feels like i've been away from home for a year.
When in reality it's only been about 17 weeks.

If you had asked me about my favorite place in England back in 2009
I would have said London, even though I had never been there.
I would have repeated that answer up until 2013.

In 2013 my views shifted and this place called Liverpool became front and center.
You can thank a Tall handsome Brit for that change of heart.


I didn't know much about Liverpool before I came over.
I mean there is one obvious band that comes to mind but other than that
I really didn't know much about this city.

Now that i've been here a while I've learned so much about this great city.