Forever an Explorer

     I live in Utah, so why be shocked that I'm starting a blog??  I love to live nothing short of an adventurous life, so I figured I should document and share it!  My name is Alexus Granados, I am a photographer (no really, I have training behind me and everything) I am in my mid 20's and enjoying this life day by day! I have always felt like a curious little mind... but I didn't discover my true desire for travel until I went to Russia 3 years ago! I lived there for 4 months, and ever since have not wanted to sit still!!

     My all time dream is to go to Maine, New Zealand/ Australia, and Thailand!  (This year, I am crossing my fingers, bending over backwards and saving like a mad man so that my Maine dream can unravel!) I of course like to explore new countries, but I also enjoy the simplicity of walking around my city! There is so much culture and diversity within even just a block of downtown SLC!! The heart of downtown has so much authenticity and history, I just love it!!  I love discovering new places to eat, little hidden pathways, and anything that is unique!!

    My favorite part of being an explorer is not the title of the place I am in, but the people, the culture, the architecture, and the feeling I get being an outsider getting to experience the different ways other people live and survive!  This world is so miraculous, we are all so different, yet so similar, and to me, that is so remarkable!!  We all have love in our hearts and dreams we want to make come true, yet the way we think and our ways of survival can be so different!  Going to different parts of the world or even just stepping outside your front door, you have to have an open mind about things!! That is what I love most about exploring!! One day I might think confetti cupcakes are the only kind of cake anyone should ever eat... until I go to The Cheesecake Factory and try their lemon meringue cheesecake and it tickles my taste buds!!! If we have closed minds, we will miss out on so much!! We  won't be able to solve problems in different ways when the way we think is right doesn't work. We may miss the thrill of riding tandem instead of by ourselves on a bycicle if we think the only way a bike can work is with one person! Our ways of survival may become stagnant because we may start to let ourselves get into too much of a patterned rut that we live dull lives, doing the same thing day in and day out.  But we don't have to!! We can all live our lives the way we want to!! We can all experience the thrill of new things and push ourselves to think different ways!! 

     This is how I will choose to live. I will forever be an explorer.  I will always be aware of my surroundings, the people I interact with, the things that I see and the emotions that I feel because that is what makes us alive.  That is what makes us humans- our differences, our similarities, and our sense of adventure.  I hope you enjoy this journey with me, it's going to be a great one (:

Photocred: Insta: @lexistaylorphoto

Happy Exploring (:

Me, Myself and I

      A new year, new me, right?? I like to have 'themes' for each year. It helps me stay focused and stay on track with my goals and be able to dig deeper in a more meaningful way. I have dedicated this year to ME. The theme isn't so I can be selfish or self centered, it is so I can focus on my strengths and weaknesses, hobbies, try new things, and just all around improve myself.  For me, this is a scary thing to do, it means I have to accept things about myself and face them instead of ignoring them and not grow and improve where I should.

     Last year beat me down pretty hard. I experienced a handful of things I had always feared of having to experience.  I felt heart-wrenching hurt, the deepest loss, and the most fear... but I accomplished something big- overcoming it all.  There were so many moments of thinking "I am not going to make it through this." "This is never going to go away." and the feeling of deserving this pain and hurt.  My heart hurt, my brain wanted to quit, and my body was beaten down, but I DID come out on top, I DID make it through. It took faith, prayers, scripture study, tears, and many many hugs and snuggles, but I made it! I learned that it's not that I was deserving of such struggle, but that I went through that because I needed to learn what I do deserve, that I deserve so much more than what I thought I did.  I experienced those trials because my Heavenly Father knew I could endure them, He knew that it would help me grow in ways I couldn't have without them.

    I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father who comforted me through His gospel and through the hands of his children because I know that without Him I wouldn't be where I am today.  I wouldn't feel the joy and happiness of this life He has given me!! And I know that is what He wants!!! As crazy as it sounds, I am grateful for my trials! They have pushed me, tested me, and in the end, have lifted me up to be happier and more full of gratitude and love! I promise and KNOW the rainbow really does exist after all the rain, it just takes patience and trust that everything is for the best!

     I climbed my mountain last year, and it was great! It was one of the hardest years I have had to live, but it was also the year I learned the most!! This world spins so fast that I don't want to miss anything! I don't want to be so caught up in my hard times that I miss the beauty of this good world!!  It is a fantastic place to be and to explore!! So this year, it's going to me, myself, and I... exploring this lovely, amazing planet that has been created for us!! I am going to challenge myself and go places I've wanted to go, love those who need to be loved, and say the things that are sometimes hard to say!! Because when the time comes where I have to say goodbye to this life, I want to smile and have zero regrets! So I am going improve my weaknesses and use my strengths to grow and learn more things this year about myself and the world and people around me and I couldn't be more excited about it!

       H  e  r  e     i  s     t  o     A  d  v  e  n  t  u  r  e  !  !

Happy Exploring (: