Nature’s Little Surprises

Whenever we get out into nature, we are often surprised by something unexpected. Sometimes it can be as simple as sighting an unexpected animal, but other times it is something more dramatic. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Surprise, so we chose a few photos that remind us of how fascinating nature can be.

We were touring an old church fortress in Romania on an extremely cold day and took several photos of the hallways as we walked through the labyrinth of corridors. After we returned home and went through our pictures, we had several photos with ghostly images. We did not see any of the fog-like images while we were actually touring the church, but obviously our camera captured the frozen air even though it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. If you use your imagination, you can potentially even imagine it to be a ghost instead of a natural phenomena.

Frozen Air or a Ghost?

One of the things that we visited when we were in Chennai, India, was a location called Tiger Cave. It was unearthed after the horrible tsunami of 2004. To think that something so amazing can be uncovered from a violent act of nature is truly an interesting contradiction.

Tiger Cave

When we were in Iceland last February, we drove out along the coast, which was frozen and beautiful. Then, suddenly, the ground thawed and we were surrounded by lava rocks and there was not a flake of snow to be found.

Lava Cliffs

 

Make a Wish and It May Come True

We are firm believers that success and happiness are the result of hard work and treating people with kindness and respect, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t use a little help sometimes. With that said, there is nothing wrong with believing in some superstitions and hoping that a little luck comes your way. It is a proven fact that thinking about winning the lottery and what you might do with the money actually releases endorphins, the chemical that provides a good feeling and a sense of contentment. So, even though you may never win the lottery, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with hoping that it could happen someday. When we were in Rome, Italy, we visited the Trevi Fountain, where coins are thrown with the right hand over the left shoulder into the fountain hoping that your wishes will come true. Even if your wish doesn’t come true, the money tossed into the fountain is used to provide food for those less fortunate, so maybe you are making someone else’s wish come true.

Trevi Fountain
It is Truly Gorgeous
Close Up

This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Wish, so enjoy some images of the Trevi Fountain, which is absolutely stunning. In addition to photos of the fountain, we also have included some pictures of a wishing tree in a temple in Chennai, India. Women tie brightly colored ribbons onto the tree wishing for marriage, children, or other life-fulfilling events.

Wishing Tree
Another View of the Tree
Fountain in the Sun
Full View

 

You are a Sum of Your Experiences

There are many factors that ultimately shape who you are as a human being. Whether you believe in nature or believe in nurture as the fundamental building blocks to us as human beings, there can be no escaping the fact that your experiences add to who you are as a human being. The people that you meet, the places that you see, the customs and cultures that you learn to understand, all have an indelible impact upon how you view the world around you. There might be some factors that are bestowed upon you at birth, but we believe that your experiences do influence the way that you interact with the world. The Daily Post Discover Challenge this week is Finding Your Place, talking about the places that have shaped who we are. For us, it is a simple and yet complex answer. The places that have influenced us the most are those that have pushed our cultural limits. With that in mind, here are a few photos from the places that have stretched our limits the most, India, Morocco, Bolivia, and even Germany due to the length of time that we have been here. Each of these locations have left a distinct imprint on our souls and we will never be the same without these unique opportunities to view the world through different eyes.

Mahabalipuram near Chennai, India
The Amazon Jungle
The Coast of Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean
Heidelberg, Germany