• home
  • About
    • Meet Aaren
      • My Bucket List
    • About What Do You Sea
    • Work With Me
    • FAQ’s
  • Blog
  • DESTINATIONS
    • Asia
      • Japan
      • Indonesia
      • The Philippines
    • Europe
      • Iceland
    • United Kingdom
      • Scotland
    • United States
      • Utah
      • Wyoming
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing Guides
    • Sustainability
    • Travel Safety Tips
    • Travel Insurance Guide
    • Gift Guides
  • RESOURCES
What Do You Sea

  • home
  • About
    • Meet Aaren
      • My Bucket List
    • About What Do You Sea
    • Work With Me
    • FAQ’s
  • Blog
  • DESTINATIONS
    • Asia
      • Japan
      • Indonesia
      • The Philippines
    • Europe
      • Iceland
    • United Kingdom
      • Scotland
    • United States
      • Utah
      • Wyoming
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing Guides
    • Sustainability
    • Travel Safety Tips
    • Travel Insurance Guide
    • Gift Guides
  • RESOURCES
Skip to content

The Philippines

Indonesia

Japan

Scotland

back to top

aarenprody

lately I have been feeling like I’m sitting in t lately I have been feeling like I’m sitting in the passenger seat of my life. not the kind where your feet are up, the windows are down and you’re yelling song lyrics, but the kind where you’re checking the map once again because you think you’ve made a wrong turn, or missed a particular stop along the way.

i struggle a lot with making decisions, and being confident in those decision. coming from an empathetic heart and an understanding nature, I constantly weigh questions and outcomes over and over and over again in my mind. sometimes I don’t come to any conclusions and sometimes my heart is racing and my mind is swirling. 

but here, in one of the most unforgiving places in the world, nature, the worry melts away and for some time I’m not so uncertain. things make sense. situations are clear. my feet are on the dashboard. the windows are down. I feel the base of the music in my heart, grinning ear to ear. 

📍Paintbrush Divide, Grand Teton National Park
The end of the year always sends me into period of The end of the year always sends me into period of reflection as another chapter of my life comes to a close.

These past two years, in particular, never turned out the way I envisioned or what I thought they would be, and I think that rings true for a lot of us.

I left my home with the intention of being gone for a year, only to get into an accident 3 weeks into my trip and end up somewhere else. But that somewhere else, Texas, has turned into a very special place for me. One that I never thought I would come around to because I spent years hating where I was. Regardless of my own situation, I think a lot of us have that same way of thinking, whether you’re still in your hometown or a place you didn’t think you would end up, you’ve probably thought at some point or another that “if I were just in ____” or “if I packed my bags and moved to ______” then all my problems would be solved. 

After moving to Texas, I realized that life has a very interesting way of putting you exactly where you’re supposed to be, and for a long time I didn’t understand it. Looking back on it, even my travel plans reflected that. I went as far away as I could in search for something that I always had locked away inside of myself somewhere. It was on this trip to Big Bend that I thought “I can’t believe I have always traveled so far to see beautiful things when this is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been and it’s the shortest distance away.” 

Sometimes the things you desire most in your life, whether it be physical, emotional, etc., aren’t as far out of reach as you think they are. 

(I don’t normally do this but swipe to see the before photo)
wherever you are in life. whatever you’re doing. wherever you are in life. whatever you’re doing. wherever you might be headed, just know it’s not too late to change your mind. 

a lot of my life has been guided, or should I say restricted, by me stressing the permanence of my choices. by believing that if I choose to do this one thing then that’s the way my life is going to be and I can’t deviate from it. it’s kept me from doing a lot and even kept me stagnant in some areas of my life. whether it’s a new job, new place to call home, new haircut, beliefs, or even a lifestyle, it is all fluid and constantly changing, just like us. just because you align with one thing doesn’t mean you cannot pursue another, and just because you woke up one day halfway down a road, doesn’t mean it’s too late to turn around and go someplace else. 

a lot of people think that the whole “you’re one choice away from a completely different life” is some form of satire, but with a little elbow grease and a lot of bravery, you could be doing whatever you want in life. ask for it. work for it. and next thing you know, you’re keeping that promise you made to your younger self. it’s so important to go after the things in life that make it so special for you, whatever that may be. 

📍 Navajo Land
Today on MTV… uh GTNP Cribs we’re touring the Today on MTV… uh GTNP Cribs we’re touring the Granite Canyon Group Campsite along part of the Teton Crest Trail. Master suites, bathroom views, and the best backcountry kitchen you’ve EVA seen 🔥🌲
*checks watch* man y’all are STILL sleeping on *checks watch* 

man y’all are STILL sleeping on Wyoming?
never forget that your life is full of synchronici never forget that your life is full of synchronicities and miracles ✨ in every person you meet and all the places you go. everyone in your life is a reflection of you. im grateful for all the people i have met in the most random of places that have laid stones in front of me, guiding me on my path. those that have trusted me, loved me, supported me, and made me feel at home in the strangest of places. thank you. if you haven’t heard it today:

- you’re doing great. 
- you are exactly where you need to be.
- it’s okay if you don’t know what you’re doing (I don’t either).
- trust in the timing of your life.
- you are safe and loved.

📍 photo from one of my favorite hikes in @archesnps by @leadawnhart edited by moi.
thank you for all the ways you’ve given me the s thank you for all the ways you’ve given me the silence to listen 🌏🧡
bali. the place that began this whole rendezvous. bali. the place that began this whole rendezvous. this week/year so far i have been especially grateful for simply being here. i can feel my mindset changing every day i tell myself that i GET to do things, rather than HAVE to. when i was a little girl i used to print off nat geo coloring pages from the family computer, color neatly inside the lines, and dream of a future life where i would see all these animals/landscapes in real life. i never thought any of that would actually happen. i never forget where i came from, but sometimes i definitely forget about the places along the way. the jungles of bali and the family that nurtured my burn and drank tea with me on the mountain. i found true generosity and the importance of giving. the pace of the philippines where i found that life doesn’t need to move so fast and cold coconuts are the one of my favorite things in the world. the peace of japan, my favorite place in the world. where i learned that white rice and soy sauce can be a meal, life is more meaningful with very little, and the unexpected kindness of strangers. then to iceland, where i experienced the earths rugged, intense, but beautiful nature, my limits, and that you can consume over 15 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches over the course of two weeks. utah. wyoming. finding my smallness in nature. learning my strength. finding my voice and one of my greatest passions. but the greatest gift of all, one that took the reins on my life this last year is that i don’t have to be traveling to lead a fulfilling life. being here, right now, wherever, is enough. breathing. loving. eating my umpteenth burrito bowl at chipotle. reading with my patio door open. failing to keep my fifth basil plant alive. finding a new song that is an absolute bop. screaming the song lyrics to throwback music in the car with the windows rolled down at night. dancing in my expensive, shoebox apartment to my favorite tunes. laughter. (continued in comments)

DISCLOSURE POLICY

Recent Posts

  • Canyonlands National Park in One Day: Ultimate Canyonlands Itinerary
  • Hiking the Figure 8 Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park: Queens Garden, Peek-a-boo Loop, and Navajo Trail
  • COMPLETE Reflection Canyon Backpacking Guide: Desert Gem in Lake Powell Utah
  • ABOUT ME
  • Blog
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright What Do You Sea 2019