My 2019 Summer Vacations

I love travel stories and photos. Whether its local or across the globe, hearing about new adventures always inspires me. So I figured I'd share a few of my summer adventures with you!

First up, my family and dear friends took a cruise in May. We stopped in Jamaica, where we literally hiked UP a waterfall and then ziplined down. Our second stop was Grand Cayman, which was a bit rainy and overcast, but still beautiful. We ate at a restaurant where we snorkeled off the reef with fish as big as me (that was a little terrifying, but also awesome). Our third stop was Cozumel, Mexico, where we walked around the colorful little shops before our expedition. While out walking, we came across the apparatus seen in photo #16, where people were spinning around attached by a rope to their feet, while their friend seated on top of the spinning pole played a drum and chanted. It was the strangest spectacle I've ever seen, and we got zero explanation as to what it was, but it was certainly entertaining. We took 4x4s into the jungle for a mudding adventure that felt like Jurassic Park, and finished up the day by taking speedboats to snorkel in water that looked like blue Gatorade (no joke).

My second vacation was a girls trip with two of my dearest friends from high school. We went to visit one of our friends who was working at Dollywood in Tennessee for the summer. We drove up, stayed at a VERY sketchy hotel that looked like nothing had changed since 1980, and had adventures in the mountains. We visited Dollywood, which is a delightful theme park comparable better than Disney (in my opinion), hiked 3 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains to Laurel Falls, visited the Apple Barn, and stopped in Nashville on the way back. It was a week full of fun adventures that I will never forget.

My third "vacation" was the Gauntlet youth camp with NewSpring church in Daytona Beach, FL. I was a room leader for 4 sixth grade girls, and had an amazing week ministering to them. I was blown away by how eager all of the students were just to experience Jesus. There is nothing like being in a room full of people who are desperate for Jesus, and it moved me to tears to see the next generation's passion for the Lord. I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. It was such a physically draining week, sleeping on the floor and running around 24/7, but it was such a spiritually rich and energizing week.We had quiet times on the beach at sunrise and stayed up late into the night talking about everything. I walked away from that camp so encouraged and ready to be back with all my people in Anderson, SC.

Summer 2019 is coming to a close, and it's almost time to head back to school for the fall. I will treasure all of the wonderful memories of travel and the time spent at home, but I'm ready for the next season. Here's to happy memories and bright futures!