PURPOSEFUL ADVENTURE

There are certain things in life that happen to give me great joy. A tropical island is one of them. And sometimes when it is particularly cold outside or I’m feeling restless, I’ll begin to daydream about the reckless abandon I feel when in the presence of 500 shades of aqua. When I first met my husband as a mere girl of 13, his lofty dreams of hugging the equator scared me. After all, it’s not quite normal for a born & bred American girl to feel at home more than 10 minutes away from Target, Wendy’s and digital cable.

My views began to shift 2 years ago when Matt and I decided to pack up and leave for 2 weeks to go on a trip to the Southern Caribbean. We dropped everything and just left. It was last minute and an adventure that I completely embraced. When we arrived on the boat it quickly became apparent that we were about the only people under 50, but we embraced the experience and became friends with the couples at our dinner table who told stories of their retirement: sailing around the world, being part of a mission in Africa, traveling by RV across the U.S. Fascinating stories, but not my normal, unadventurous life.

Then one day, my dear husband tells me that he has decided he needs to buy a sailboat in the next 10 years, sail the ocean blue for a couple months at a time and be a blessing to whomever and whatever he comes into contact with along the way. His boat will be a retreat for those who need rest and will carry him to those who need him. This was a vision so raw and beautiful that I just laughed my nervous laugh and changed the subject. Spending over 3 hours on a sailboat, especially with my husband who has never sailed before at the wheel, induces such feelings.

But since that day, I haven’t been able to get his vision out of my mind. The fact that he has a vision for how he was meant to make a difference in this world. So I ask myself, what is my vision and how am I reaching and preparing for that purpose? And how am I, as a wife, being uplifting and supportive of my husband and his purposes?

I truly believe that God has set us all out to do extraordinary things for Him wherever we are and wherever He sends us. Sailing the Caribbean, being at home in Nashville, being a photographer, whatever and wherever I am, I believe in living life on purpose, right here and right now. Giving all the love I have to give, basking in all the daily blessings of life and searching out ways to be a blessing in return. I believe we are called to venture into the unknown and the uncomfortable, to befriend the lonely and uplift one another, expecting nothing in return. To live life as an adventure and a reflection. So today I won’t sit back and wait to take a true and purposeful adventure.All photos taken with my point & shoot camera on the islands of St. Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Antigua.

Nashville wedding photographer, Kristyn Hogan, documents the beauty, the life and the story of weddings in Nashville and destinations worldwide.