Outdoor Adventures in January?

Howdy! (I'm trying different greeting phrases)

So the weather in Omaha has been so beautiful so I have been taking full advantage of being outside in my free time.  This weekend, I went on a 3 mile walk around a lake with my friend Mallory and my pup Toby.  I am obsessed with my pets and I try to take Toby on as many adventures with me as possible.  In need to invest in a kitty leash so I can start taking Hermione with me! Just kidding. (Kinda)  I saw this quote and I thought it was very applicable to me: 

"The journey of life is much sweeter when traveled with a dog."

We walked on the lake like badasses.  Not really, we saw people ice fishing so we decided if they can go on the ice, we could too!  The lake also holds 5k runs so we found some monkey bars and other little obstacles along the way.  Of course we had to revisit our childhood and play on the monkey bars.

Walking on water

 Fontenelle Forest 

 

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more that he seeks."

My days off from my job are Mondays and Tuesdays and on Monday the weather was almost in the 60's! Mallory also tagged along on this journey and we went to Fontenelle Forest and hiked for about 4 hours.  It was so nice to be totally disconnected from everything and just enjoy the beauty of nature.  We didn't even see a single person while we were hiking which made everything seem even more serene.  Because there were no other hikers, we had to climb over fallen trees that hadn't been cleaned off of the trail yet.  We thought it was fun because we got to act like we were in our own little obstacle course.   I even did a tree pose on a tree. Clever, right?  We actually found little bits of history along the way which I thought was super cool.  We came across the site of the 1846 Mormon ferry crossing.  I love anything involving history.  I mean, I'm marrying a history teacher for goodness sake.  After climbing over fallen trees, coming across of flock of turkeys (is that what you call it?), wiping out due to a combination of mud and clumsiness, and losing track of time while maybe getting a little lost, we came across this beautiful sunset along the Missouri River.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day spent outside totally disconnected from the hustle and bustle of the everyday grind of work and routine.  I used to think winters in Nebraska were kind of ugly due to everything being so dead and brown, but after this hike my mind was changed.  I got to experience the beauty of winter and I am really glad my eyes opened up and I was able to see this.  I'm also glad I got to experience this in good company with Mal.     

 

           Tree Pose on a tree

"There is a sunrise and sunset everyday and they are absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them."

Alongside with my outside adventures in nature, I have gone on multiple runs outside.  I can't bring myself to go to the gym INDOORS when it is so beautiful outside.  After experiencing the beauty of mother nature, I am ready and energized to take on the work week and get things accomplished!  "Make your anger so expensive that no one can ever afford it and your happiness so cheap that everyone can get it for free from you." With that being said, have a wonderful week!

- Your favorite barista, Stacey 

  

Hallo!

Hi there! My name is Stacey.  I thought I should do an introduction about myself, my lifestyle, and the sort of things I will be posting about.  First off, traveling and exploring other cultures is something I am extremely passionate about. As you can see my blog title is Fernweh: (noun) This wonderful, untranslatable German word describes the feeling of homesickness for a far away land, a place you have never visited. Do not confuse this with the word, wanderlust; Fernweh is much more profound; it is the feeling of an unsatisfied urge to escape and discover new places, almost a sort of sadness. You miss a place you have never experienced, as opposed to lusting over it or desiring it like wanderlust. You are seeking freedom and self-discovery, but not a particular home. There are too many feelings wrapped up into this wonderful, little word. Remember, the world is your home!   I love this explanation of the word Fernweh and this is a perfect summary of how my mind works!

I live in the heart of Omaha with my fiance Cory, our puggle Toby, and our cat Hermione.  I have been with Cory for almost 7 years and we are planning to get married on May 30th.  So close!  We are traveling to Europe for a month for our honeymoon and we will spend it in France, Germany, and Austria.  Since I grew up in Germany, we will be visiting my family and friends which I am so excited for!  The last time I was in Germany, I was 19. (I'm 22 now)

My parents are also a huge part of my life for obvious reasons.  They made me who I am and they support me in everything I do.  They support my impulsiveness (kinda), and they support my desire to travel the world.  They also adore Cory which is nice considering I'm marrying him ;) When we lived in Germany, my parents and I would travel around all the time.  They are my best friends, and they fully understand who I am.  I mean, they did shape me into the dork that I am today.

Some other very important people in my life include my friends.  They put up with my tardiness, how spacey I can get, and my overall craziness.  I wouldn't be where I am without them.  I also can't believe two of them put up with living with me.  Brittany, for a year and a half, and Alli for two years.  I don't tell them enough but I am thankful everyday for such strong, beautiful, inspiring women to play such an important role in my life.  All of you have impacted me in your own individual way.  Here are a few pictures of them, and I know I will ramble on about them in the future.

  Lets Get to the Point

Alongside with my love for traveling and exploring other cultures, I am very into nutrition and being active.  In my free time I love to hike, run, and do yoga.  Cory and I are also vegetarians.  I am also passionate about keeping the Earth clean.  I will be posting about nutrition facts, fun outdoor activities, yummy recipes, easy ways to recycle, and of course I will be posting about my travels and what I learn along the way of this beautiful ride we call life.  I hope you enjoy!