6

Good afternoon loves,

So my mind has been racing about as fast as the snow is falling in Michigan (very fast)!

For the last two years, my passion has been to travel the world, go everywhere! The unsettling reality is that I am a lower class woman with no degree and a full time job with ten days vacation time per year. Now don't get me wrong, I am truly blessed to be where I am, but I really do want to experience new cultures and open myself up to all of their experiences.

About a year or two ago I researched Mission Trips from different websites here and there and was discouraged because though I am a faithful Christian, I don't go to church. Firstly, because I don't believe that I need to attend church to believe in God, but second, because no one will go with me. Yeah it's lame, but I have horrible anxiety and my church is PACKED out the wazoo.

So I was upset thinking maybe missions weren't for me, but then my friend Chelsea took off four The World Race at the beginning of January and she is going to 11 countries in 11 months to provide ministries, food, water, clothing, education, prayer, and fun with the locals that need help. They have four different routes/countries for September that I've been looking at and there's one that caught my eye. Here's the route:
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Mozambique, Swaziland, and lastly South Africa.

Now there aren't any european countries in there which is sad, but I figure that when I go travelling later in life I can just hit up all of Europe and visit then.

My mission now is to pray for guidance from my Father and ask that He show me if this is the right path for me right now. I have nothing holding me down, no man in my life, no children, just my little dog. I don't know what I would do without him and since I adopted him I have no idea if he would die when I am gone, but I also don't know if he will pass in five years or more. I don't want to leave him and my friends behind for 11 months, but to help others and learn and break out of my shell to try new things...yeah it's worth it to me. I want to live like God and help others, learn about them, teach them what I know. I may have missed ALL of the childhood where you learn about God but I came in at a good time to love Him. He will provide for me and He will show me what He has in store for me.

The one bummer besides my dog, is that this trip for 11 months costs: $15,500. I am in NO way wealthy. I am not even well off. I have no money in savings because I have bills and payments, so I will solely be saving one $20 a month and relying on donations and parties to raise money. I might have to get crafty and make some shit  to sell online as well.
Now, if you are inclined and want to maybe donate to my cause, I have to wait for them to call me and interview me, but if I am accepted, I will set up an account with their website where donations may be made to me for the trip.

I figure that I can make shirts, bracelets, etc. and sell them on etsy or ebay or something. I also have lots and lots of books that I can sell as well as my furniture and such. About my car...IDK what to do, maybe I will try to sell it or talk to the bank and see if they can stop the payments for the 11 months - idk if they do that even, but if I have to continue payments, I will have to sell it because I won't be making money while gone of course.

I really do hope that God can help me to figure out my path here. If He wants me to go, if He continues to lead me on this path in which I absolutely crave the knowledge and history of different cultures, I will be sure to. I must. I might even have to put little cans around local stores for donations. I have started with change jars and such but prayers are definitely welcome.

If you can pray for me, I just want to thank you. I don't know if anyone reads this, but it would mean a whole lot. If you want to leave any ways of raising money, I would also be interested. Maybe a car wash or something. I know that some restaurants do percentages of meals for prizes or people that have passed on, so perhaps I can do this also. It would be lovely.

I appreciate the love and prayers.

Will update more when my head isn't so clouded with this dream.

xo Amanda

5

Good morning darlings,

I'm in a bit of an inbetween stage in my life right now as a 24 year old woman. I realized this while reading another blog the other day (not sure who it was). I am 24 with no degree but a good paying job for now. I don't have my own home, I'm not in a commited relationship, and I have no children.

Pretty much, I can go anywhere and do anything (as long as I can afford housing and food for myself and my dog). So I have been thinking about it a lot and even though I would do anything to go travel around Ireland for three months (they have time limits if you're visiting), I would literally be broke as a joke when I got home and have no job or hope to set out on my own. Right now, I hardly have any money saved up because of bills bills bills. I'm thinking that because I still haven't settled down that I will have time to go visit Ireland in a year or two...or three even because I can't see myself getting in a relationship, married, and pregnant in less than that.

So here's what I've been thinking... (if you live in Louisiana, please comment and let me know a thing or two...or maybe somewhere close by).
My absolute FAVORITE place in the whole world that I've been to in my 24 years of life...is New Orleans. Yes, yes, I know. New Orleans? What's so special about mule piss and loud, obnoxious tourists?! I don't have a freaking clue. When I have gone there for the whole 8 days between two trips I have just been in awe of the culture, the people, the food, the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the sun on my cheeks (bringing out my freckles, no doubt). There's one thing you MUST know about me: I have Social Anxiety Disorder... go here and read the symptoms. My life literally exudes the first paragraph about Generalized SAD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anxiety_disorder (wiki but who cares?). The thing is, sometimes I can talk a lot and be really loud and fun...but then most of the time I'm hiding from the world. I really don't get it or where it came from. But anyway. Even with GSAD, I could literally walk around the quarter for hours and be alone. Now...if you have any sort of anxiety, being a lone is a no-no. I always have to be with someone, if I'm not, I'm on the phone with someone talking to me and most of my friends probably think I'm nuts.

But anyways...I figure that if I can walk around a city alone and just let the experience wash over me without worry...I am absolutely in love with the place. New Orleans can do that for me. Even if it's an outlaying area like Garyville or Vacherie...I still love it. It's different than what I am used to and I want to be consumed by it. I want to move there SO so SO bad and just meet new people and try new things. I want to go where locals go and hang out with them.

So this leads to what I've been up to...

My contractor company that I work through is based out of New Orleans, LA. I contacted them about a position and though it was filled already they said they would send my cover letter and resume around and call me with any news. She sort of did a mini-interview with me on the phone about why I want to relocate, why I want a new job when the one I have currently pays well, a day in my work life, etc. etc.

So I know I shouldn't get super excited, it wasn't an interview for a job, but I have been so excited at the possibility of a call back. If I could get a job as a janitor or housekeeper at a hotel full of tourists I would take it if it would pay my rent and food bills. I can't explain my love for Louisiana...maybe I'm just weird. But maybe God knows that I am meant to relocate to my destined home. It's where I am meant to be, I know it. But then I will probably say that about Ireland as well when I go there :) <3

So, if anyone is out there, can you please put in a prayer for me or throw a penny in a well and wish for me to get a rent-paying career in Louisiana?

I want to see what's outside of the French Quarter and Vacherie, I want to see the architecture of the homes there, I want to see the swamps, the spanish moss on the power lines, the occasional alligator (do you see them often?) and the cockroaches (though I experienced one in the bath tub in NOLA aha).

Or maybe if you want to house me for a couple of days and take me around (not creepily) and help me to experience the wonder that is LA, please, please help a girl out. It's my goal at the moment.


I have currently been looking all over online for cheap flights out there as well. My friend Linda and I went to NOLA a year ago in April and want to go back for another girls trip. I always have stayed in the same hotel because of the location (two blocks from J. Square and the waterfront)...it is perfect. I love it.

Either way, Louisiana ....mama's coming home!

xoAmanda

4

Good afternoon chums!

I know I really suck at keeping a blog updated...I think it's because the format for blogger just really isn't that simple for me to use. I don't know why. That's why my background and links are all very lame and boring :( It's okay though, I still come around here and there.

So I want to talk about my latest addiction: Smash Books

I was on Pinterest one day (everyday) and saw someone had pinned something on it. I already like scrapbooking and anything to make it less time-consuming is definitely a PLUS in my book. The Smash book is a wire bound book that has different pages in it (around 50?) and there are quite a few different kinds. I got the lime green spined one called "365" which has pictures based on seasons and holidays. It's really neat. Although I am not particularly going in order for the holidays, I am going to try to post things from the holidays if I do anything for them this year.

These are the types of pages I have done in it so far:


This is the front inside cover, I put pictures of me and things I like. Harry Potter of course!

The page about me!

When I went to California!

My favorite books page 1 of 2.

Favorite books page 2 of 2. I also have my top two favorite books and favorite authors in hidden envelopes under these pictures which are Sweep by Cate Tiernan and of course the HP series :)

Lastly, driving in Michigan is always fun in the snow.

I will check this when i get home from work and make sure the pictures aren't huge as they look to me. Sigh...hate this work computer.

Toodles,

xo Amanda