2016 Adventure Calendar: The Story Behind the Inspiration

Hi guys!  First, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and encouraged me through this venture of mine.  I've experienced the ups and downs of trying to turn a passion into a small creative business and it hasn't always been easy.  However, at the end of the day, I look back at all I've done this past year and am completely overwhelmed with feelings of accomplishment, excitement, and thankfulness.  I've been really trying to focus on letting go of fear and keeping LOVE as a focus of my endeavor.  I've been feeling more positive about the future of Sarah Reimer Designs and to be completely honest with you, it is faith that has brought me to this point.  I found myself stuck in a rut when first arriving to Thailand.  I felt a complete lack of direction.  So I began to pray.  I started getting up early, creating a morning routine.  I've been heading out for early morning walks, and deciding on one thing to pray for each morning.  I often can start feeling overwhelmed, but I find if I surrender those anxious feelings first thing in the morning, I am much more confident and positive about where I am going in my life.  All that to say, I really found my momentum a few weeks ago and simply GOT TO WORK.  The outcome was this 2016 Adventure Calendar.  I've created each month with an inspiring quote to keep you going throughout 2016- to find inspiration and adventure through the world around us.  In this post, I share the details and stories behind each and every one of the photos featured in the calendar.  Each photo has specific memories attached to it, and this is my way of sharing my adventure with you.

JANUARY: "WE ONLY REGRET THE CHANCES WE DIDN'T TAKE"- ANONYMOUS, PHOTO TAKEN IN KERRY, IRELAND.

In February 2015, we booked one of the cheapest flights we could find through RyanAir departing from London Stansted Airport.  We landed in what seemed to be in the middle of a farmers field...the Kerry Airport (small, yet one of the friendliest airports we've been to). We discovered here, in the south western part of Ireland, quaint friendly towns nestled along beautiful driving routes.  We rented a car and drove the Ring of Kerry as well as the Dingle Peninsula.  We continued along this route to find the beautiful cliffs of Kerry, which at one point in history, was where the first communication was had between Europe and North America.  I remember taking the above photo and almost being knocked over by the strong coastal winds.  I could have chosen a more striking photo of the cliffs themselves for the calendar, however, I chose this photo because of the unknown that lies ahead.  January is often a month of new beginnings.  This is my encouragement to take those chances we've been putting off for far too long.  You can read more about our experience in Kerry,Ireland (and see those stunning photos of the cliffs!) by clicking here.

FEBRUARY: "DON'T YOU WORRY THERE MY HONEY, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY MONEY, BUT WE'VE GOT OUR LOVE TO PAY THE BILLS"- INGRID MICHAELSON, PHOTO TAKEN IN PARIS, FRANCE.

This month is dedicated to my husband, Zack.  I'm sorry to get all mushy here, but I just couldn't resist.  He is such a positive influence in my life.  

We began planning our Europe trip in early 2014.  While I began dreaming of eating baguettes and sipping wine on the veranda's of small European cafes (let's be real here, we both knew we couldn't afford that kind of travel, but one can dream right?), he began with the logistics of our travel planning.  We were probably most excited about Italy (hence the blog name "You Me and Tuscany") however, when Zack talked about Paris, I could almost SEE the hearts in his eyes.  He would begin telling me that "Paris is 'the city of love' and how romantic the language is and how we really should move there one day".... etc, etc.  Let's just say, I knew he was setting the bar reeaaally high for Paris.  So, did it fulfill our expectations?  Yes and no.  The Eiffel Tower was more spectacular than I had imagined.  And the architecture was romantic and beautiful.  We did run a bit short of funds however, and spent more of our time sitting on benches and people watching than anything else.  We went back for a second time just this past summer with a couple friends of ours.  We had such a blast that it left us with some really great memories of Paris.  Even though we probably both had more fun with friends around (which takes away from the whole "romantic" idea), I still had to dedicate the month of February to Zack.  I love the guy with all my heart and don't know what I'd do without him.

Read about our Paris adventures by clicking on these links:

Our First Visit to Paris

Our Second Visit to Paris

MARCH: "COURAGE IS FOUND IN UNLIKELY PLACES"- J.R.R. TOLKIEN PHOTO TAKEN IN BATH, ENGLAND.

We never actually planned on visiting Bath while we were in England, but ended up there as a last minute change of plans.  This past July we took a road trip from Cambridge to Cornwall, but ended up leaving early due to some terrible weather (camping in the pouring rain is really difficult!).  Instead of driving straight back to Cambridge, we decided to make a few stops along the way- Bath being one of them.  Bath is a beautiful old city, and I would most definitely recommend a visit there if you are ever in England!  It was late morning as we wandered through the old streets, and we came across this busker in one of the most popular areas of the city.  Surprisingly though, the square was fairly empty at the moment (perhaps it would get busier later in the day?).  I took a photo, not entirely processing the situation in the moment.  It wasn't until we were back home, and I had a chance to go through my photos that it really resonated with me.  I don't know anything about this man, or where he is now, but I do know one thing: In this photo I see courage.  

 APRIL: "OF ALL THE PATHS YOU TAKE IN LIFE, MAKE SURE A FEW OF THEM ARE DIRT"- JOHN MUIR PHOTO TAKEN ON MOUNT ESJA, ICELAND.

This is simply some of the best advice I've ever heard.  As we travel, we like to find a good combination of exploring cities as well as the outdoors. As exciting as tackling a new city can be, there is something that just doesn't compare to setting foot on a trail.  This hike in particular, offered some of the most spectacular landscapes I've ever seen.  Mount Esja is around a 10 minute drive from Reykjavic, the capital city in Iceland and is an ideal day trip from the city.  As we neared the top, the trail got steeper and the air got colder.  Along with that, the views became even more spectacular.  I hope you can get outside this year and hit the trails. There's nothing quite like the feeling of reaching the top of a mountain.

Read more about our time in Iceland, here.

 MAY: "HELLO BEAUTIFUL" PHOTO TAKEN IN TUSCANY, ITALY.

This has got to be one of my favourite photos of our 2014 summer travels.  We had finally made it to Tuscany, Italy!  For the duration of our time there, we stayed just outside the city of Lucca.  Lucca is a beautiful walled city with amazing food but the countryside didn't exactly fit what we had in mind.  On the day this photo was taken, Zack and I had quite the adventure.  First got on the wrong train, sending us out to the middle of nowhere, and second, mustered up enough bravery to hitchhike out to the Tuscany winery region.  Alas, we made it to the rolling hills, and though we were travelling by foot when I took this photo, all I could think of when we rounded the corner to this view was, "hello, beautiful".  You can see more pretty photos of our time in Tuscany here.

 JUNE: "IT'S NOT THE MOUNTAIN WE CONQUER, BUT OURSELVES"- SIR EDMUND HILLARY PHOTO TAKEN IN ODDA, NORWAY.

Okay, so if you haven't clicked on any of the links yet to see more pictures, I'd advise you to click on this one.  In  this blog post, I tell the frightening story of what happened on our hike up Kjerag Mountain.  I always knew I had a tendency to run myself into the ground if I don't take care of myself, and this is the perfect example.  I learned more about myself from fainting on top of a mountain than I ever could have imagined.  Sir Edmund Hillary was the first one to conquer Mount Everest.  If anyone has some good advice about conquering ourselves, it would be him.

 JULY: "I HAVEN'T BEEN EVERYWHERE, BUT IT'S ON MY LIST" PHOTO TAKEN IN ROME, ITLAY.

The funny thing about travel is that the more you do it, the more you feel like you haven't done it.  I felt this exact way after travelling Europe.  Yes, we saw a lot, but there was so much more we didn't see!  I know I can't possibly go every single place on this earth, but I can at least put it on my list. :)

We spent our time in Rome riding around on a scooter, loving life.   I may have even taken this from the back seat of the scooter- I can't recall.  You can read more about our time in Rome, here.

 AUGUST: "WE LIVE IN A WONDERFUL WORLD THAT IS FULL OF BEAUTY, CHARM AND ADVENTURE. THERE IS NO END TO THE ADVENTURES WE CAN HAVE IF ONLY WE SEEK THEM WITH OUR EYES OPEN"-JAWAHARAL NEHRU PHOTO TAKEN IN CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY.

On August 10th, 2015 we woke up at 4am to experience something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.  As a surprise from Zack's parents, they had arranged for all of us to go up for a hot air balloon ride in the Cappadocia Region of Turkey.  Probably the BEST surprise EVER (except waking up to a new puppy would be a pretty great surprise too *hint hint, Zack Reimer I know you're reading this*).  The ride took us over the village of Goreme, where the fairy rocks are literally what has built the town into an amazing, unreal place to visit.  The rocks shoot up from the ground and are the foundation of many hotels, restaurants and other buildings.  What makes this even cooler, is that there are hundreds of hot air balloons that go up at the same time, making for an unbelievably beautiful array of balloons floating over the horizon as the sun rises.  The only downside to this was that it was all over just too quickly.  This is a perfect reminder to me to seek the full beauty, charm and adventure on this world with my eyes open.

I have yet to write a blog post about this experience.  My goal is to have it up by Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled!

SEPTEMBER: "THE ONLY IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY IS THE ONE YOU NEVER BEGIN"- ANTHONY ROBBINS PHOTO TAKEN IN THETFORD, ENGLAND.

This photo was taken in Thetford Forest, England, about a half hour north of Cambridge, where we were living last year.  We loved living in Cambridge, but missed hiking the Bruce Trail or other great hiking trails in Ontario.  We took our bikes up to Thetford Forest one weekend and found it to be such a peaceful haven of tall pines that we fell in love!  I have several cards in my Etsy shop that are photos from this park.  

 OCTOBER: "LIFE IS EITHER A DARING ADVENTURE, OR NOTHING AT ALL"-HELEN KELLER PHOTO TAKEN IN KILLARNY, IRELAND.

Last February we visited Killarny National Park in Ireland.  We set out for a hike early one morning only for it to start raining on us at the beginning of the hike.  The rain soon turned to hail, but I recall the feeling of "nothing can stop us now"- not rain, not hail, not snow.  We did not cross paths with any other humans on this hike (perhaps others weren't feeling so optimistic?) and we ended up eating our packed lunch in a hole we found at the top of the mountain.  Though we became cold and wet by the end, we finished the hike with zero regrets.  We both had no idea that Ireland had such rugged mountains!  I love that feeling- finding something so unexpected and so unreal.  Hellen Keller was right: Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.

Read about our time in Killarny National Park here.

 NOVEMBER: "I TRAVEL BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SEEN, FELT, AND DISCOVERED IN EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH" PHOTO TAKEN IN LUCCA, ITALY.

Lucca, Italy is the perfect Italian town to get lost in.  The walls of the city still stand high, making it almost impossible to get too lost (you know you are at least contained within the walls!  The town is not that big).  We walked the streets of Lucca just after it rained and it seemed to be particularly peaceful.  This is actually my own quote, on this photo.  I can officially say this is a true testament to what travel is to me!

You can read more about our time in Lucca, here.

 DECEMBER: "SOMETIMES WE NEED TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO GET COMPLETELY LOST, IN ORDER TO FIND OURSELVES" PHOTO TAKEN IN INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND.

I end this calendar with another true testament of what travel is to me!  I really believe that sometimes we need to learn the hard way in order to completely understand.  It's okay to get lost every now and then.  Getting ourselves out of these situations will make us stronger in the end.

This photo was taken after a hike just outside of Interlaken, Switzerland.  I'll be honest, and tell you that I got to a point where I really was not enjoying myself during this hike.  We hit some unexpected rain, and I got so cold that I failed to find the fun in this situation.  I may have even shed some tears.  At that point however, there was no turning back.  We had already gone so far.  We finally reached a small village where I was able to warm up inside with a hot cup of tea.

You can read more about our time in Interlaken and see some more mountain photos here!

Thank you for following along on my adventure!  For all of you that purchased a calendar, I hope you can feel inspired and know that I appreciate your support!  Even if you are just reading this, I appreciate it.

If you are interested in purchasing a calendar, you can do so by clicking this link.  Let this year be full of adventure!

-Sarah