Maps and Roses
Welcome to my creative avenue for shared happiness, motivation, dreaming and loving. I set out to build something personal in the hopes that my journey can touch at least one life in a valuable way.
I can tell you now that I have no idea what I am doing or where this is going. I am not a professional writer, artist or photographer- but I have spent my life sharing emotions, experiences and dreams in all of these ways. My inspirations, ideas, and creations come directly from my world. The lessons I have learned, the people I have met, and the places I have stood guide, empower, and reassure me that whatever path I take next- is meant for me.
“I may not have gone where I intended to, but I think I ended up where I needed to be.”
The idea of Maps and Roses began shortly after college. I can not begin to explain how lucky I am for the opportunities, relationships and blessings that have come my way over the last few years. But it has also shown me a lot of tough lessons, helping me realize that there is no such thing as a perfect journey. We are all members of a wonderful yet twisted world that exists in both light and dark. However, it is our greatest responsibility to ourselves to live a happy, intentional and purposeful life.
“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.”
Roses are my favorite flower. They are romantic, mysterious, classic and although they are beautiful alive they hold just as much beauty when they die. They symbolize the love, friendship, and adventures I built with a man that has given me a lifetime of purpose. I met Christian when I was 21 years old and it was not an epic love story. In fact it was the complete opposite. Our relationship has felt backwards and upside down since the day we started dating. We are a blended family trying to make the best out of a seemingly impossible situation. Roses represent us. Roses are heartbreaks and accomplishments. A rose is the peaks, valleys, challenges, goals, dreams, hugs, kisses, tears, growth, laughs and everything that is good in this world. A rose is our life and the little life we are raising together.
“…a man that has given me a lifetime of purpose.”
Maps embody my passion for travel. I discovered a German word a few years ago…”Fernweh” which in English translates to wanderlust essentially. Except it’s more than a desire, it is a need to travel. It’s the opposite of homesick in that you ache for places you’ve never been. I long for airports, window seats, passport stamps, state lines, unfamiliar cultures, and breathtaking views. In an ideal world I would touch every edge, embrace each shadow, and turn every corner. Maps represent the feeling I get when I’m standing somewhere new and already miss it. Maps are the immense impact cultures and people have on such a brief moment in my life. A map represents where I’ve gone just as much as the places I still want to see. They represent each and every new experience I find myself apart of. They represent the city I want to live 384 miles from here and the city I grew up in. The small theatre in the town over, the turns I’ve memorized on each back road, the obnoxiously long red light near my house, the hill behind my grandparents, the overpriced smoothie from the local market, and the open fields that fill with lighting bugs on summer nights. Maps are the empty boxes on my bucket list, the photo albums sitting on shelves and boxes, the ideas I get at 3 am on a slow night at work, all the things I told myself I wanted to do and still haven’t done, and all the things I’ve done and want to do again. Maps are dreams, passions, goals, choices, fears, and promises you make to others and most importantly yourself. Maps are all things that shaped you and all you have yet to be.
“In an ideal world I would touch every edge, embrace each shadow, and turn every corner.”
Whether our journeys are similar or miles apart, I believe we can all relate in some big or small way. Maps and Roses is the notion that our own happiness can influence and help others. However you found this page, I hope you leave it inspired.
“By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.”
Xx RR
