a date

if you were to stop by for a coffee date i would tell you that...

...life has challenged me to a tough season right now...

curve balls keep getting thrown

things just keep getting harder and harder

the semester kicked off to a bad start

i some how managed to sign up for 5 heavy reading classes

(and i am not the biggest fan of sitting still and reading)

i would tell you that i am not the best person to drive with in the snow and ice

i would tell you that my family is kind of feeling the tough season also

my mum shall be going back to England for a couple of weeks

it has to be done, and we shall miss her terribly

i would tell you that i am over winter

i want summer to arrive

i would tell you that i am missing Europe immensely

i have hit the six month wall - i miss my old dutch home

i miss my old dutch friends

i miss European living and and familiarity

i would tell you that i am trying my hardest to buck up and get over my homesickness

but it keeps coming back to bite me in the butt

i would tell you that the idea of graduating in a year  is terrifying me

i have no idea where i shall head after here or what i shall do

however, i would also tell you that the snow topped hills make me smile every morning when i rise

i would tell you that cocktails on sunday night were a great idea

i would tell you that although the hectic nature of this semester is overwhelming, it turns out that keeping physically busy puts a cap on the extent to which my mind wanders and i worry

this semester might almost kill me, but hopefully it shall save me

Friday's Letters

Dear first week of the semester - you kicked my butt. I was in the library until nearly midnight reading, really? Please improve. Dear ice rain - whoa. You really caught me off guard there. I would actually have preferred a foot of snow. Dear people in Texas, Australia and California - you can stop rubbing it in that you are warm and we are freezing. Dear tea - thanks for keeping me company all week. Dear sister and mother - you girls really know how to bake killer cakes (Dad - thanks for having a birthday so they made a couple!) Dear "surprise day" today - can't wait to find out what you have in store for us. Dear coffee - you are great. Dear roomies - do you really have to travel to Nicaragua for a month??....I am selfishly going to miss you terribly. Dear Spring Break - how far are you away? Please hurry along. Dear Go-Pro - thank you for making awesome promo videos that just make me want to ran and dance around the mountains and have crazy wild adventures!

for you...

Dear Daddy. Today is your day. I am sorry that the weather is so horrendous on your special day. I won't tell people your age, but, I shall tell them that you are far beyond your years in wisdom. Thank you for being the most outstanding man in my life. Thank you for all your support, encouragement, lame/crazy jokes and good discipline over the years. Thank you for moving to the USA so we can live in the same country again. I hope that you have a great day celebrating being alive and living this adventure called life. Happy Birthday! I love you. 

keeping warm

After being cold for a week of backpacking I have been making every effort to keep nice and toasty. I have been wrapping up warm, taking my vitamin c, drinking lots of tea, gulping down superfood shots and drinking plenty of water with the determination that no form of winter sickness will interfere with my busy semester. The house has been full of yummy crock pot stews and soups. Winter is here and it's pretty darn cold out! I am planning more winter adventures for the near future, but until then, I am staying snug and warm inside. Happy Wednesday!
Follow along on pinterest here

winter adventure

I have a hunger for adventure. I try to live my life chasing, embracing and cherishing adventure. I can complain often about life getting crazy, but deep down I like the craziness. I have loved and, honestly, at times hated the adventure of relocating to a foreign country....three times now. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel, learn and love. I am sure glad my God knows my heart and loves  giving me adventures that blow my mind. I recently spent a week in the mountains on a backpacking trip. The trip was a new staff assessment training trip for my new job working at the Outdoor Program at Boise State University. I can say will all certainty that it was physically the most challenging adventure I have survived! But none the less it was an adventure and I loved it. Yes, the cold bloke me to shed a few tears one morning and yes, I cursed like a sailor when the stove froze and then when the tent pole snapped because it was so cold. Like any adventure there were moments of pure joy and wonder and moments when I thought I was going to die. But, all those moments are moments that make an adventure an adventure. I am so excited for the many outdoor adventures ahead for me in beautiful Idaho!

Photos 1-6: Credits to Nicole Gallaher 

keeping it simple

Classes start on Tuesday and I am not ready. I am literally not ready - I totally spaced the whole ordering textbooks thing until yesterday. And I am emotionally not ready. As the holidays approach I always dream of truly resting, catching up on sleep and doing all those things that don't get done during the semester like reading classic novels, re-painting old furniture and such. The holidays hardly ever turn out as I imagine. The Christmas break has been great, don't get me wrong. I have had hours of fun with the family and great times with friends and some wonderful outdoor adventures. However, the time flew by so fast and now I am left with one Sunday afternoon to just be. I am going to cherish these free hours this afternoon to cook, bake, read and do those things that soothe the soul and allow it to just be still for a moment. I am not going to worry about the semester ahead and the uncertainty of life. Sometimes we just need to stop and be still. Happy Sunday.

Friday's Letters

Dear winter vacation - you have gone by so fast. I am not sure I am quite ready for classes to start again. Please stay a little longer. Dear mountains - wow you are spectacular when covered in snow. Dear winter backpacking trip - you had me digging deep from the beginning! Thanks for being such an adventure and giving me some new muscle. Dear yogi tea - thank you for your daily wisdom and early morning pick-me-up. Dear Suits - thanks for coming back on our screens. Dear sunshine - thank you for being out. Dear British roommate - thanks for the goodie bag you brought back for me. Dear Friday - it's going to be a lazy one.

adventure time

I am off for a week of winter adventures. It is so beautiful outside at the moment with the snow and I can not wait to get away to the mountains. Wherever you are right now, put that book down, or that iPad or turn off the TV and get outside and embrace the beauty. Have a great week!
Follow along on pinterest here and intagram here

wear

Happy Sunday evening y'all! Jeez we had a cold one here in Boise. My parents house was surrounded by snow covered hills and mountains shortly after Christmas and it truly was heaven to wake up to them each morning that I was there. I hope that you all had a great weekend and have a week ahead to look forward to. I shall be leaving on Tuesday for a week of backpacking. I will let you know all about the adventure when I get back.

christmas day

Our Christmas Day was pretty quiet. We all woke up, sat around the fire and discovered all that Santa had left before we got our British on and watched the Queens speech. We had a lazy day of walking the dog, drinking mulled wine and opening gifts around the tree. My sweet mum decided she wanted to photograph all the duck on their first Christmas. I mean, who knows how many they have left, right? So we had a duck photo session. And then we finished the day off with a big turkey and elk feast with friends for dinner. Gosh I love Christmas.

This is my duck, Nelle.

a look back at 2012....

2012 has been quite the adventure for me. I moved from living in one foreign country (here, here, here, here and here) to living in another foreign country (here and here). I started driving on the other side of the road. I changed University and switched my major. I peaked my first mountain (here). I was blessed to explore seven countries with great friends by my side (here). I have made friendships so honest and wonderful they amaze me (here and here) and I have had my heart broken a couple of times. 2012 has been quite a year. Here are some highlights.
I also talked about change here, here and here.

I completed my first year of University at The Roosevelt Academy in The Netherlands:

I spent my Spring Break in my favorite city, Paris, with good friends and it was magical:

I spent the summer in my homeland of England (here, here and here):

Then I moved to Boise, Idaho:

 THANK YOU 2012 

you have been such an adventure

2013...I expect nothing less