travel

Travel Journal//Peru – March 2018

Abi Leah4 Comments

Hello everyone! As I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to go to Peru for 8 days with my school. I got back a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing! I loved the country, loved the people, loved the culture.

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Headed to Lima

Traveling to Lima wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was going to be. And of course, it helped to have friends coming along to have conversations with as we waited in the airport. The flight itself wasn’t too bad either. I had a chance to have a long conversation with a Pastor who was going as a missionary to Peru! It was really encouraging to meet another believer who was so passionate about his faith.

City on the Beach

Our first full day in Peru was spent in Lima.We spent the day walking on the beach and seeing the views from the city above the hills.

Mountains and Culture

Seeing the culture in Peru was really interesting. The markets were crazy busy with people calling out their products as you walk by. With so much going on, sometimes it got overwhelming. But, the people were so nice and just beautiful, especially patient with my broken Spanish. The nature in Peru was probably my favorite part. The flowers bloomed everywhere and the clouds drew attention to the greatness of the mountains.

Machu Picchu and the Sun Gate

Machu Picchu was absolutely breath-taking. The hike up to the Sun Gate was pretty tough but the view was worth the hike. We also got to see some llamas so that was fun!

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca was also really beautiful. I loved seeing how life worked on the floating islands. The weather was perfect and, of course, the boat ride out to the islands was beautiful as well.

Other Pictures

I’m so glad that I took the opportunity to go to Peru with my school. I loved getting to see the beauty in Peru and getting to know the people better.

signi

 

Life Update + Awesome Blogger Award!

Abi Leah5 Comments

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Hello, everyone! How are you? It’s been a while since my last life update so I thought I would share one today.

Things have been pretty busy until today. I just finished my third quarter of Senior Year and I’m not exactly sure what to do with that information. I’m excited to graduation coming up in a couple of months but I also know that I’m going to miss so many things from high school. I think, for now, I’m just going to take things one week at a time.

Speaking of, this next week is going to be full of really exciting things! On Monday, I have my final meeting before I head to… Peru! I’ll be gone for 10 days but I will come back with lots of pictures! I also have a Sign Language Club meeting on Monday which I’m very excited about! I’ve always found sign language to be interesting and I’m looking forward to being able to sign with some other people from my church and school.

The Awesome Blogger Award

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I was nominated for this award by the lovely Lindsay from Linds4Dance. Thank you so much, Lindsay! Please be sure to check out her blog here and her version of the post here!

Rules

  1. Thank the person who nominated you!
  2. Include the reason behind the award!
  3. Include the banner in the post
  4. Tag it with #awesomebloggeraward
  5. Answer all the questions!
  6. Nominate at least 5 other awesome blog buddies
  7. Give your nominees 10 questions of their own!
  8. Let your nominees know they’ve been nominated!

*I’m going to skip these but please feel free to accept your own nomination for this award!

The Reason Behind This Award

The Awesome Blogger award was originally created by Maggie @ Dreaming of Guatemala. This is an award for the absolutely wonderful writers all across the blogging world. they have beautiful blogs, are kind and lovely, and always find a way to add happiness and laughter to the lives of their readers. that is what truly defines an awesome blogger. ~coffeelovingbookoholic

The Questions

  1. What’s your favorite quote? – “May the flowers remind us why the rain was so necessary.” – Xan Oku
  2. What’s your earliest childhood memory? – My earliest childhood memory was when I was around 3 or 4. I was in preschool and it was my birthday. I remember having pigtails with purple ribbons and having nap time. I was so excited about my birthday that I couldn’t go to sleep. :)
  3. If you could do anything in one day, what would you do? – I would probably wake up early, be productive, have lunch with some friends, and then spend the afternoon with my family. That would be a great day.
  4. Who in your life, do admire most? – My former Sunday School teacher is someone that I admire a lot. She is the happiest 70~ year-old I’ve ever met. Every time I see her, she is always excited and reminds me to be strong in my faith. She constantly prays for me and it means a lot. She hasn’t had the easiest life, but through everything, she has been praising God. That is how I want to be.
  5. Who is your favorite blogger and why? – Oh, my! Okay, my favorite blogger would have to be Madyson Grace. Her blog is full of meaningful posts that encourage us to remember the Truth.
  6. Markers or Colored Pencils? – Markers. 100%
  7. Chocolate or Hard candies? – Chocolate!
  8. Current favorite outfit? – I would have to go with my church outfit. It consists of this fit and flare burgundy dress from Altar’d State, a black cardigan, and flats. It’s really comfortable.
  9. What’s your greatest accomplishment? – Reaching my 3-year blogiversary!
  10. If you could go back in time, where would you go and why? – I would go back to the 1950s because I think that was an interesting time period.  Also, it was during that decade that Disneyland opened!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have a great week! :)

signi

Liebster Award

Abi Leah6 Comments

Hello, everyone! How are you? I’m doing pretty well! The second quarter ended yesterday and I finally get a chance to breathe after all of the assignments. Yay! I was nominated by Bella from the Dancing Damsel for the Liebster Award! Many thanks to her! Be sure to check out her blog and her version of the post here.

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The Rules

  1. Acknowledge the blogger who tagged you and display the award button.
  2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asks you.
  3. Give 11 random facts about yourself.
  4. Nominate 11 blogs.
  5. Notify the bloggers of their nomination.
  6. And give them 11 questions to answer!

Questions And Answers

  1. What are a few of your goals for 2018? – I actually just posted a blog post on my 2018 goals. You can read it here.
  2. What’s a song you’ve had on repeat lately? – I love listening to “Well Done” by Carly Bannister. Both Carly and her sister Ellie Holcomb performed at Windy Gap at the beginning of the school year and it was amazing! You can listen to the song here.
  3. If you write, what’s a current WIP about? – I haven’t really been writing recently so I’ll skip this question. :)
  4. Do you have any siblings? – Yes! I have two younger sisters who are amazing! I love them so much. :)
  5. Sweet, salty, or sour? – Sweet! I love all kinds of desserts, especially if my mom or sister made them.
  6. Which book do you wish would be turned into a movie? – I would be so excited if The Selection series became a movie! It would be amazing!
  7. What’s a word you always misspell? – I also misspell “misspell”. I forget there are two “s”s.
  8. If you could live in only one city or town for the rest of your life, what would it be? – I’ve always wanted to live in London.
  9. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? – If I could have a superpower, I would want to have the power of teleportation. That way, I could just “poof” myself somewhere instead of having to drive.
  10. What is the best and worst movie you’ve ever seen? – The best movie I saw was Wonder Woman. It was so good! I don’t know the worst movie that I saw.
  11. Why did you start blogging? – I had been thinking about starting a blog for a while before I finally did start writing. It wasn’t until a lot of my friends started blogs that I decided it was finally time. I started Life as a Homeschooled Teen in November of 2014. It was a way for me to practice writing and I continued by adding more posts about life. And now here I am. :)

Tag! You’re It!

  1. A Day in the Life of Anonymous Me
  2. Call Me Ash
  3. Day Dreamer Teen
  4. Dreamers and Dancers
  5. Elsie LMC
  6. Georgie Grl
  7. It’s Louises Life
  8. Joy Unspeakable
  9. Linds 4 Dance
  10. Livalittle Blog
  11. and You!

Questions For You

  1. What are some of your goals for this year?
  2. What are you looking forward to?
  3. What cheers you up?
  4. Give one piece of life advice.
  5. What is your favorite pizza topping?
  6. If you had to move to another country for 10 years, what are some things that you would miss?
  7. What comes to mind when you hear the word “rabbit?”
  8. What is your most reccommended book?
  9. Do you have a bullet journal?
  10. Tea or coffee?
  11. How would you describe your style?

Thanks again to Bella for tagging me! Be sure to check out her blog and I hope you all have a great day! :)

signi

Looking Back: 2017

Abi Leah5 Comments

Hello, everyone and happy New Year! This year has flown by so quickly! Time really does fly when you’re having fun, or just busy. :)

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2017 has been a crazy year for me. Between all of the travels and my surgery and starting Senior year, I’ve been busy! But I wouldn’t change that business for the world! It makes life interesting. :)

In the beginning of the year, I wanted my theme to be growth. But as life continued, I found that my theme was becoming peace. Peace in my school decisions, peace about the future, and peace about who I am, were all really important for me this year.

Popular Posts

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I posted a list of some things that I Want, some things that I Need, some things to Wear, and some things to Read for my 2017 Christmas Wish List.

Link: here.

 

This year I celebrated 3 years of blogging! I talked a little bit about all of the changes on my blog and how I came to be happy with those changes.

Link: here.

 

This summer I took a trip to Europe with my family to visit my grandparents and cousins. It was so much fun and we took so many pictures.

Link: here.

 

March was a particularly good month for me this year. My family hosted quite a bit of people and we did some traveling too. I also worked on memorizing Bible verses and worked on my photography.

Link: here.

 

 

2017 ended pretty nicely for me too! My sisters and I hosted a group of girls for a New Year’s Eve party. Ending and starting the two years with my friends and family is a blessing and I am so grateful that we had that opportunity.

So, how was your 2017? What were some of your favorite parts/memories? I hope that your New Year is just as great!

signi

30 Things I’m Thankful For

Abi Leah4 Comments

Hey, everyone! Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Have you started making your shopping list? I’ve been planning with my family and I’m really excited to spend the holiday with all of my relatives. I always look forward to Thanksgiving day. Speaking of Thanksgiving, there are so many things to be thankful for! Here are 30 Things I’m Thankful For.

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  1. God who has saved me despite the many times I’ve failed.
  2. My family who drives me crazy but I still love them.
  3. Friends who are open and accepting no matter what. The ones who encourage me to be my best every day and help me back up when I fall.
  4. Teachers who work with me to help me get better.
  5. Pastors who will sit with me and walk me through things I may not understand.
  6. Sunday School Leaders who have prayed for me and my family week after week.
  7. Military Families and others who work to keep our country safe.
  8. The changing of the seasons and the beauty that comes with each one.
  9. Vacations and the chance to have a break from the business of life.
  10. Flowers which always cheer me up.
  11. Surprise snail mail from family and friends.
  12. Heaters to keep my home warm.
  13. Socks to keep my feet warm (and for sliding around the floors).
  14. Education and the opportunity to learn.
  15. The wonderful food that my mom makes for me every day!
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  16. Cameras and the chance to capture memories in a photo.
  17. Dishwashers! Because who wants to wash all of those pots?
  18. Sunday afternoons full of rest and reading.
  19. Little handwritten notes left in my lunchbox.
  20. Happy moments with family and friends.
  21. Clear nights full of stars and wonder.
  22. The experiences, both good and bad, that have helped me grow into who I am today.
  23. Failures that have helped me learn from my mistakes and encouraged me to do better.
  24. Technology that allows me to communicate with my family all across the world.
  25. Comfortable beds to sleep in!
  26. Family traditions and the memories that come with them.
  27. Books that come with great adventures!
  28. The authors who have inspired me to write.
  29. The many people who love me and pray for me.
  30. All of you who take the time to read my posts! Thank you so much!

What things are you thankful for? What are you looking forward to the most this Thanksgiving? I hope you have a great week!

signi

Travel Journal//Europe – June 2017

Abi Leah18 Comments

Hey, everyone! A couple of weeks ago, I got back from an amazing trip to Europe to visit my grandparents and cousins. I had so much fun with all of my family members, seeing some historic sights and meeting some amazing people. I can’t wait to go back!

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At Home in Belgium

We landed in Belgium early in the morning and were greeted by my Oma and Opa. It was so nice seeing them again! Most days of our trip, my family and I would stop by my grandparents house and eat meals with them. Oma’s food is so good!

We took a day trip to a beach and walked for a couple of hours. The beach was beautiful and full of shells. Since it was the 4th of July, we ate some red, white, and blue M&Ms to celebrate. :)

Shopping And Friends

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picture via sis

We spent several days shopping and looking for gifts to bring back home. One of my favorite days was when we stumbled upon a little neighborhood and met a really kind lady in her early 80s. She happily told us stories and showed us to a little chapel where she plays piano every week. It was so nice to meet another believer and to spend some time getting to know her. I know that I will never forget her.

A Short Road Trip

To finish off our vacation, my family and I all took a short three-day road trip to Germany. On the way there, we drove through Luxemburg and then stopped for lunch in France. It was really cool seeing how the culture and buildings looked so different as we passed through the different countries. It was definitely something that we don’t get to experience in America.

Germany was absolutely beautiful! I loved all of the houses and the flowers in the windows made me really happy. :) While in Germany, we took a bergbahn (old mountain train) to the top of a mountain; the view was AMAZING!

I had such a great time in Europe with my family. I can’t wait to go back and see them again! There will be a video coming up soon on my Youtube channel so keep an eye out for that! Have a great day! :)

signi

Traveling, Surgery, and A Life Update

Abi Leah7 Comments

Hey, everyone! Did you miss me? I am so so sorry that I haven’t posted! Life has been pretty crazy. But I’m back with a ton of new posts for you! First, I’ll catch you up on everything with a life update.

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Travels and Adventures

At the end of June, my family and I took a trip to Europe for a couple of weeks to spend time with my grandparents and other family members. We spent a lot of time in Belgium and Holland but we also took a road trip to Germany to get a clock repaired. I had so much fun and met so many cool people. I am working on a travel journal to post soon so keep an eye out for that!

Surgery and Recovery

Monday morning, I woke up bright and early for the surgery on my arm. I was pretty nervous especially since during the nights leading up to the surgery I had nightmares. But, everything went well and I got to go home before lunch so it was fine! The rest of the day I spent sleeping.

On Tuesday, one of my best friends came over to visit me and cheer me up. She even attempted to clean my room for me which was actually really funny. Even so, she helped get my mind off of my arm and the hours I spent feeling useless.

Yesterday, my other best friend came over with her mom and her brothers. She also brought chocolate and flowers so it was a good day! ;) She helped to brighten up my day a bit and I am grateful for that.

Today, I can use my arm a bit more (enough to write some posts) and it doesn’t hurt. I’m planning on taking the rest of the week slow and careful. I am so glad that my arm is healing and that I will be able to use it normally again soon. This whole week has made me feel much more grateful for a healthy and functioning body.

So that’s my quick life update! I’ll be posting a Travel Journal from my Europe trip in a couple of days. Also, this is completely random but, I’m wondering what are your favorite brands for backpacks? Let me know in the comments below; it’ll help me a lot. :)

signi

Happy Best Friends Day! + 23 Things To Do With Your Friends This Summer

Abi Leah9 Comments

Happy Best Friends Day everyone! I hope you get to spend some time with all of your friends today but, if not, here’s a list of 23 things you can do with your friends this summer! :)

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  1. Hang out at the pool.
  2. Have a friends photoshoot.
  3. Volunteer somewhere together for the day.
  4. Road trip!
  5. Go horseback riding.
  6. Attend a floating lantern festival.
  7. Make homemade icecream.
  8. Have a paint fight.
  9. Go camping together.
  10. Have a weeklong sleepover.
  11. Go thrift shopping together.
  12. Make a friendship playlist.
  13. Make friendship bracelets.
  14. Have a picnic.
  15. Start a book club together.
  16. Go to a music festival.
  17. Stargaze.
  18. Try out new crafts.
  19. Play with animals at a local shelter.
  20. Make a summer scrapbook.
  21. Go hiking to a waterfall.
  22. Tie-dye shirts.
  23. Go back to school shopping together!

I can’t wait to try all of these things out with my friends! I know it’ll be a lot of fun. :) If you try any of the things listed with your friends, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! :) Have an amazing day!

signi

May Memories

Abi Leah10 Comments

Hello, everyone! Let’s talk about May. The last month of school. Crazy and utterly exhausting but SO full of happy memories! In a way, I miss it but at the same time, I’m so glad it’s over!

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The first week of May was full of happy friend memories. One of my best friends made me a beautiful pillow in between her study times. How she did it, I have no idea, but it’s beautiful and I love it so much! AP exams weren’t fun but it came with excused absenses and trips to Aldi’s to get ice cream. My 6 friends and I shared a whole tub of ice cream and it was amazing! A couple of days later, I started my new bullet journal!

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For Mother’s Day, my family and I took a trip to the mountains for the weekend. It was beautiful and a great way to spend the day celebrating my mom. We were even able to see a couple of geese in the river!

Next came a couple of pool parties with some amazing friends! My sister celebrated a birthday with some of her friends. Then I hosted a couple of last minute parties with my friends before school ended. I loved hanging out with everyone and can’t wait to make more memories with them this summer! Then came May 25. The day my exams started. I had my French exam first and did pretty well! After that, I had 3 more exams, British Literature, Chemistry, and Spanish. My last exam was yesterday! So glad to be done! :)

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Other Things I Loved

  • Smores Frappuccino from Starbucks (all time fav!)
  • All of the blooming flowers!
  • Celebration donuts at the end of exams!
  • Getting our piano tuned
  • And then having a mini concert :)

How was your May? What are you looking forward to in June? I’d love to hear from you! :)

signi

March Memories

Abi Leah10 Comments

Hello, everyone! As I’m writing this, the rain is pouring outside and my sister is playing violin. My mom is working on starting a fire and I have a big cup of tea waiting for me. Talk about perfect writing time! This past month have been filled with tons of adventures and excitement.

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In the beginning of the month, my mom and my sister and I drove to surprise my sister at her first away game for soccer. It was great except we ended up going to the wrong school! By the time we made it to the right school, there were 3 minutes left in the game. Bummer! But, we were able to see my sister play for a little bit and it made her really happy that we were there, so I’d say it was well worth it! :)

On the 5th, we hosted a missionary family for dinner. The family was really sweet and had lots of fun stories about life on the mission field and their many puppies. On the 12th, there was snow but it all melted within a couple of hours. Still, it was really pretty!

The next week, I had a friend over for a sleepover. We went to the park near my house and saw a beautiful tree! (Pictured below.) While we were at the park, a little girl, about 5, ran up to us and asked us to play with her. She was so adorable and I loved running around with her on the park playground! The next day, we met with another friend and went to walk on the campus of a nearby college, getting a feel for the college-life. It was a great experience and I learned a bit of what it’s like just to be on campus.

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Next came the Florida trip! My whole family spent our Spring break in sunny FL by the beach and it was beautiful! We were also able to go on all kinds of adventures including going to the Everglades. (I even made a video of it! Click here to watch it.) We got to see dolphins, birds, and aligators. A couple of days later, we went to Disney! I loved all of the rides but I especially loved the firework show at the end of the day. :) (Read the Florida Trip Travel Journal here!)

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After getting back into the rhythm of school life, I focused on memorized more Bible verses. This time, I memorized Isaiah 26:3-4 which says:

“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
-Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

Last week, my sisters and I took a spontaneous trip to my friend’s house! We spent a lot of time playing with her dog, :) but we also spent time outside making floral creations and talking about life. It was a wonderful way to spend my Sunday and it was pretty relaxing too! :)

Some Pictures from March:

That’s all! How was your March? Did you have any fun adventures? Let me know! I would love to hear from you! :)

signi