A Piece of Carli's Story
Meet Carli! An adventurous, 19-year-old who desires adventure and living life to the fullest. Carli is constantly moving and traveling, trying to become the become the best version of herself. Thank you for giving us some insight into your life, Carli!
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF!
Currently, I am settling into my new “home”. I say ”home” because I am over 2,000 miles from my whole world (which is a tiny town in Upper Michigan called Calumet) but God called me to my next adventure in life. A little background on me: I graduated in ‘16, and since I’ve graduated, I moved 6 hours from home to a town in Wisconsin called LaCrosse to work as a CNA for 10 months and absolutely loved it. I formed so many relationships, and I was going to go to college for nursing. But realized in that time that college wasn’t for me quite yet. Because I believe with every fiber of my being I was called for something larger in life than spending $30,000 dollars for something that I wasn’t completely passionate and in love with. In the time of being in Wisconsin, I became the person I’ve been searching and trying to be for my whole life. I am a passionate photographer, writer, wannabe dancer/model. My grandma is my best friend, and I meet 70% of my friends from social media.
WHAT ARE YOUR FOUR TRAITS AND WHY?
PASSIONATE: Everything I do in life I [always try to] put 110% passion behind it. If it’s not passion-fueled, I'm not doing it. The quote “Do it with passion or don’t do it at all” is what I live by. Loving someone, driving, writing, talking, smiling, skipping rocks, watching sunsets. I love life with a passion and it loves me back.
QUIRKY: I say this word describes me because there’s a lot to me that people don’t know about. Most of my friends know ladybugs freak me out, or 90% of my clothes are from Goodwill or my grandma... But there are other things in my personality and life that the only word that comes to mind is “quirky”.
CONFIDENT: It took me a long time to be this word. I am confident because I am made by the Creator of the world who made ME in His image. I wear the clothes I want to wear because I have finally accepted my body type isn’t like everyone else's. I am unique, and not meant to be like anyone else. I think, actually I KNOW from past experience that once you see someone who is confident enough to not let words bother them, in real life or behind a screen, life is different. Everything is so much better. I’m never going back.
ADVENTUROUS: Ha. If I tell you I put over 20,000 miles on my car in under 6 months does that give you an idea of how “adventurous” I am? I am a very spontaneous person, hence the moving to Portland to become a nanny, or LaCrosse to do CNA work, or driving 7 hours to Chicago to meet a girl from Instagram. People ask me why/how I travel so much. There’s a couple answers to this question. 1.) Why not? Honestly, I feel like a bug in a jar if I'm not traveling somewhere. There is SO MUCH to see on this planet!! It blows my mind how someone could say “no thanks” to that. 2.) GOD. His creation. I crave it. 3.) I have the ability to do so. I have eyes that see, ears that hear, hands that can feel, and legs that can dance in every airport I fly to or every new field I frolick in.
YOU ARE CONFIDENT, HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS HELPS IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?My outlook on life is different. When I see someone else wearing a funky outfit, or taking pictures of something, the little bit of courage they had to do that inspires me to step back and reevaluate where I could improve that in my own life. Confidence is contagious.
SO YOU ARE ADVENTUROUS, WHAT MAKES YOU KEEP GOING, AND KEEPS YOU INSPIRED?
People. Money doesn’t matter, memories are priceless. There’s nothing in life that gives me more life than to see a human doing something they love, and being in love with life. No matter if they’re a hobo in Hawaii, a model in LA, a garbage truck driver from who knows where… Curiosity is what keeps me inspired. I haven’t been everywhere, and I haven’t met everyone, but I aspire to inspire before I expire. Cliche, but you never know when your last breath will be, and I refuse to accept mediocrity and be 80 years old wishing I would’ve spent my younger years doing something worthwhile. LIVE NOW.
WHAT’S A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU?
I tell everyone this and I mean it. Buy a journal. My grandma has been writing every single day for 64 years, so cheers to her for sparking my interest. Write about your favorite moments, your least favorite moments, ideas, lists, people you’ve met, strangers you’ve walked by, favorite quotes, what the sky looked like tonight, new songs, places you have been or want to go, write about your passions, how you feel in this exact moment, sketch the mountains, or scribble cuss words when you’re angry. When that gets full, get a new one, and in 2 or 20 years when you need a good laugh, when you’re crying, you need to remember these moments in your life. They are so important.