Beach.

One thing Derek found out about me way back when was my absolute love of the beach, which may have to do with growing up in the beautiful landlocked state of Kansas. So while trying to convince me to move to Wisconsin (I didn't need much convincing, but he tried anyways), Derek kept saying that there is a beach here. While visiting previously, we had gone to the lakefront to walk around and such, but he had heard that one of the state parks near Sheboygan had one of the best beaches around. So a few weekends ago, Derek planned a day to go visit said state park. It was absolutely beautiful!! The Great Lakes really are great. You can't see the other side, so you can trick yourself into thinking it is the ocean! There was even a boardwalk along some sand dunes (not like the ones in Namibia, but still beautiful) that we could walk along and still see the ocean (or lake). You can even camp there, so we talked about going back at some point to camp this fall. Or maybe put that on the bucket list for the Spring even?! We finished up the day by going into Sheboygan for dinner which happened to fall at the same time as the Packers game, so wings and a game it was! I just appreciate him for trying to make me happy and finding me a beach!! :)

Inspiration.

I wanted to start a new blog because I've been feeling rather uninspired since I got back from Africa and moved. One would think that Africa should have inspired me for years to come, but in reality I think it helped contribute to me feeling Spiritually dead lately because while I was there I was pretty much on a Spiritual high, and when I came back that kinda went away. This blog was made to combine a couple of the things that I like together: being creative and adventures. It was suggested to me, while on a recent trip back to my homeland (which also helped to refresh my soul), that I should start exploring this new city I live in. To explore various parts and to gather inspiration or at least get out of my house! So starting last Thursday, that's what I did. 

I started off my explorations by literally just driving down one of the main streets near my house to see what was on it. Being here only a month, I really only know how to get to places I need to get to: boyfriend's house, church, or store. If you asked me where something was or where certain streets are I couldn't tell you yet, so I figured I should just get lost a few times and figure it out! On the first day of these explorations, I stopped at a coffee shop because these always tend to inspire me or help me to concentrate for some odd reason. Hmmm. Wouldn't know why! hahaha. It did work though. This is what came out of that first trip:

It has also helped this weekend that I'm starting to finally make friends to do things with and to get out of my house. Derek being gone may have also catapulted me into needing to do other things and hang out with other people. I explored a new restaurant with a friend for dessert in the middle of a thunderstorm on Thursday night. And then Friday night I got to experience the night life of downtown Milwaukee! I went out with a few friends from church that I had met and we were supposed to go to a place called Blu. It is a bar that is on the 23rd floor of a beautiful hotel with live music and classy people! We ended up going, but not staying. I did however get at least a good shot of the view (minus it being dark). This was just the view from the restroom. Imagine what it was like in the bar being surrounded with this view! :)

After volunteering to paint at the new coffee shop that I'm going to be working at, (YES, I found another part time job and couldn't be more excited about becoming a barista!!!!!!) I heard about a thing called Doors Open Milwaukee. I honestly wish I had known about the day before the day of and that Derek was in town for it because he would have enjoyed it as well, but things to look forward to for next year, right?! This is a day/weekend once a year that over 100 different buildings with historical/architectural significance open their doors to the public free of charge for people to explore them! Sounds like a design nerd's dream!! I had heard that the Frank Lloyd Wright B-1 prototype was one of these buildings and was really wanting to go. I already had dinner/movie plans with the same friends from the night before, so one of them was able to go stand in line with me to see this beautiful house! After slightly getting lost on the way there and discovering the house is seriously probably within two miles of my house, we were able to get in line before tours ended for the day! To say Frank Lloyd Wright was ahead of his time is an understatement. I feel like most of his designs would actually be forward thinking for today's society as well in a way to redefine livable space. I even added another place to my Wisconsin bucket list: Taliesin! Photos couldn't be taken inside, but I did get this pic while standing in line: 

It's been a blast this weekend making friends and exploring Milwaukee. I'm starting to embrace that I moved to Wisconsin and that this place has a special beauty all of it's own. Every place I go here will be a new experience or something new to try. What a great opportunity! I will leave you with another inspiration from a worship song that I was able to put down while the kiddos I nanny for napped:

He has redeemed my soul and will refresh it as well!!