5 Tips For Your Epic Adventure On Kauai

Head on over to The Outbound Collective for my tips on a Kauai adventure!

5 Tips For Your Epic Adventure On Kauai: A strenuous hike may not be on everyone’s to-do list on a dream vacation to the Hawaiian islands. For the adventurous spirit, though, Hawaii has some remarkable trails to explore.

Wanderlust and Trust

Getting out of my comfort zone was one of the best decisions I could have ever made.  I was blessed with a sense of independence and confidence that allowed me to venture across the country all on my own accord and schedule.  The mental struggles that coincide with this sort of decision can be daunting, though.  Questioning my ability to financially sustain myself, fearing the unknown of any number of scary situations (being kidnapped, stuck on the side of the road or sex trafficking to name a few that seem outlandish, but are a reality in our world) and the overall health of my family during the time that I will be gone away from them are just a few monsters that I have to mentally feed when deciding on my next venture.  

I am constantly reminding myself not to live in a hypothetical world.  If I allowed these fears to overcome my true wishes, I would never leave my house.  Thankfully, after a bit of solo traveling and plenty of soul searching, I have come to realize that I simply cannot control every tiny aspect of my presence.  Instead of harping over the infinite possibilities for harm or sadness in my life, I try very hard to think positively and choose excitement over fear.  I look forward to the inevitable unexpected beauty or generous stranger that I may encounter.  

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: people are much nicer than you'd expect.  Especially when you're traveling.  I have experienced "southern" hospitality all over the United States.  And when I didn't have a nice stranger to talk to, I thoroughly enjoyed the time alone at an airport or bus terminal.  A crossword is my favorite companion on long trips and I've made many a friend in an adjacent seat to help me with them, too.

To anyone who also struggles with those monsters in their minds, remember the times you heard a bump in the night or a scratch on the window that turned out to be nothing more than a creak or a tiny, nonthreatening branch.  Remember that if you do not take chances, you have no excuse to worry.  If you do take them, though, you will realize that most of those worries are simply figments of your own very creative, fascinating imagination.

Kauai, Hawaii

The phrase, 'Just go,' is constantly running through my head.  I have fallen deeply in love with traveling.  Layovers and long car rides provide me with ample time to ponder my place in this world.  I am reminded with each new adventure how many people there are on this planet and the infinite number of paths we choose to take.  

I recently took a trip to Kauai, Hawaii and thought I would share some of the breathtaking moments from my experience on the island.

For more photos of my adventures, visit my Instagram account!

5 Best, Top 10, ONLY Nonsense

Hello, again, blogosphere!  I haven't been here in quite some time and I'm feeling the need to get back on this blogging train.  After a long summer working in Alaska and working through some family issues, I have been resting and relaxing at my sister's home.  She and I have a tendency to get into deep conversations involving society, politics and life in general.  I have also had ample time to scroll through Pinterest and Google+, which brings me to the topic I am feeling most passionate about lately.

As a writer pursuing a career in journalism, I find myself ignoring job applications for writers who report on search engine focused articles.  I am bombarded with articles like '10 Best Yoga Poses' and 'Top 10 Restaurants in New York' and (my personal favorite) 'Best Camping Hacks for Women'.  One article about the "best" healthy food choices will send you on a website scavenger hunt for articles that declare the exact same thing, but boasting different, increasingly alluring headlines.  And don't get me started on the "for women" articles, because unless you're telling me how to insert a diva cup, your content is probably relevant to people.  Everything is click bait.  I refuse to write these types of pieces because, quite honestly, I am no expert on your favorite Korean BBQ or what exercises work for your body.  Calling this type of writing "journalism" makes me cringe.  Every journalism course I have ever taken pounded the idea into my head that our craft stood for unbiased reporting and opinion pieces were an entirely different animal.  Thus, if I have an opinion, it is posted here, on my blog.

We live in a world permeated with the Internet.  The amount of times that I have seen that one thing or another is the "best" makes me wonder, whose best?  I would rather see "So-and-so's Favorite Coffee Shop" than be subjected to the opinion that there is a single best coffee shop in the world.

So, I challenge you, the Internet prowler, to stop buying in to the rating system that our online world insists is universal.  Spend your time on something meaningful to yourself, rather than the random freelance writer's opinion of your favorite things.  There really is no best quote or top salon.  As individuals, we all have opinions of our very own.  We have unique tastes and distinct likes and dislikes, and no Internet list is going to change that.  Go out into the world and discover your very own favorite hiking trail or Sunday brunch spot.  Take some time to remember that you were born with the ability to freely choose, so close those tabs, shut your laptop and go curate your own list of bests and favorites.