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3 years ago today!

3 years of blogging and so many goals achieved. So many new goals and new experiences. The best part is there are more goals to come, more adventures to live, and more great people to meet! So excited to have kept up with this blog for so long. I was never a big writer before but practice makes perfect! I do not strive to be the greatest writer ever and my grammar and quick writing can show for that, but I do strive to make a positive difference in our world! My writing and Ideas can show for that!

This is where it all started: https://upwithmarc.com/2012/08/29/hello-world/

I LOVE ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORT ME. I SEE GREAT THINGS IN OUR FUTURES!

So much gratitude,

UPwithmarc

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First Stop, Juneau

My first adventure in Alaska, or my first port of call was in Juneau. To kick it off I hike to the top of Mount Roberts. This being my first hike I cheated and took the tram car up the first 1800 feet. I was not going to wait for people to go with me. I am here in Alaska for a limited time so I was not afraid to go alone.

It is funny I should say I went alone, you guys know I am a people person so I ended up catching up with this couple from another ship and they were on the same path I was. It was great because it was dangerous to hike alone. We were basically up in the cloud cover. It was wet and most of the time you could only see about 10 yards in front of you. However there were plenty of clear moments as well and the views from up on the mountain tops were absolutely gorgeous! There were these hoary marmots everywhere too. Picture a very large and fat ground squirrel and that’s what these cute little creatures were. Also on our hike we saw ice and snow in the mountains. At one point we found one piece that was safe enough to slide down! So much fun and the fact that we were a group now we were able to get all these amazing pictures for each other. My most favorite part aside from the view and the wild life was Mount Roberts was bursting with minerals. Quartz was just extruding from the mountain everywhere. At times this beautiful white stone was littering the trails. I also found a small piece of jade, one of the gemstones Alaska is known for. The jade mines are all closed but you can still find it on the mountain sides. As a reward for all the hiking I did I ate the biggest plate of crab nachos I have ever seen!

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The beauty of my working trip to Alaska is I come back to each port several times. The normal cruiser can only come here once and pick one thing to do. I came back again this time I took a tour of a salmon hatchery, the Glacier Gardens, and Mendenhall Glacier! What an amazing day. I learn so much about Salmon and their part in our circle of life. The hatchery was a nonprofit organization trying to balance the ecosystem with the salmon. Now it was off to the gardens of the Alaskan rainforest. What a beautiful site. The couple that started these gardens years ago came up with this great Idea for hanging gardens. They had taken fallen trees and turned them upside down and made them large natural flower pots! Lastly it was off to the glacier. What a beautiful site to see and this was the first of many glaciers I saw on my trip. Right next to it was a beautiful waterfall that you could walk right up to, so naturally I did.

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The shows not over yet in Juneau! It was time for some rainy day whale watching. I think the guest loved having me on the tour I was the token whale spotter. There was so many! I stopped trying to get pictures and just enjoyed the fun these whales were having fun jumping in and out of the water. What an amazing site to see and as if the whales were not enough we saw some sea lions as well. We did not stay to long because these big guys were lazy and they wanted to board our boat to relax!

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When you cruise, you can count on every port you stop at to be full of shops and souvenirs. I made a quick pass thru my first time but that was it! I was here to see nature; the mountains, the water, the wild life and the glaciers. There was still more stops on our trip. My next post will be Skagway. I hope you enjoy the stories and pictures. I know these posts are off topic of my ultra positive posts but hey it’s my blog and adventures are a part of a positive life. I am grateful to be able to share my journey with you.

(I took over 400 pictures while out in Alaska; it was really hard to pick a small sample for my blog. If you we wish to see way more pictures please feel free to friend me on FACEBOOK if you have not already!)

Meme Monday (Puzzle)

puzzle-swatch just sand

What is the next piece to your life?

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Variety Friday (Travel)

My life is all about goals; traveling and finding myself were very important ones. I am from Illinois and as of August I have found myself and now live near Orlando Florida! I wrote down most of the places on my journey from about 2 years ago to now and thought it to be quite impressive. Anything is possible and I have a past of so many good things that happened and a future just waiting for more! To all I say travel, live life, and get out there and find yourself if you have not already!

If you are interested here are most of the places that hold some great memories just in the last 2 years!

-Dallas, Texas
-Fort Worth, Texas
-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
-Fayetteville, West Virginia
-Kalamazoo, Michigan
-Coldwater, Michigan
-Atlanta, Georgia
-Toronto Ontario, Canada
-San Juan, Puerto Rico
-Basseterre, St. Kitts
-Bridgetown, Barbados
-Castries, St. Lucia
-Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
-Fort De France, Martinique
-Oranjestad, Aruba
-Philipsburg, St. Maarten
-Roseau, Dominica
-St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
-St. John’s, Antigua
-Tortola, British Virgin Islands
-Willemstad, Curacao
-Key West, Florida
-St. Petersburg, Florida
-Fort Myers, Florida
-New Smyrna Beach, Florida
-Daytona, Florida
-Currently back in Illinois to visit everyone here for the holidays.

and many other places that I may not have mentioned!

Not a bad list for only 2 years time! Seek and you shall find adventure in your life. What places are you meant to travel to, near and far?

Meme Monday (Change)

Chance Change Charge

Never hesitate to take a chance to charge ahead for change!

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Famous Quote Friday (Jeff Goins)

Today is not really a quote. I just wanted to share an excerpt from this book I am almost finished with.  This book is so amazing, I keep going back and rereading part before I am even finished with the whole book.  “Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life,” By Jeff Goins. What I want to share with you is part, what his friend says and part what he himself says.

“Here is what Kari told her: ‘You will feel lonely, you will feel sad, you will feel frustrated, you will get angry….We can stand with you, but we can’t keep it from happening.’ The truth is this is not about what you feel. Everybody feels something. What lasts is what you do-after the shock wears off, after the feelings fade. You need to step in the pain, move through the fear, and do something that matters.”

I read this over and over again just to find the precise meaning, to feel how it relates to me and to try to describe what this message means. It is so powerful right now. Do you every read something that blows your mind? Search past that feeling that’s where I am at with this. We are all going to have troubles in our lives so you just need to suck it up and take each one in. You can have a support group of friends and family to be there for you for a shoulder to cry on or someone to complain too or you can have people that are going to tell it like it is, and they are also going to let you know how they feel. I have certainly needed both groups in my days, and recently for sure. I absolutely love getting help and input from others and I love helping other as well.

What are you afraid of? If you are holding yourself back by fear you are truly depriving yourself of things that matter most. Who cares what the TV or the internet tell you to do. Heck, forget all that I have said to do if it does not matter to you, but if you ignore and hide from your fears you are depriving yourself from what matters. Challenging your fears you are answering your “what ifs,” you are discovering your dreams or your passions.  We will all have challenges, it’s how you push through them that matters most.

I have had the idea of working on a cruise ship for over a year. I have been working towards it little by little. Right now I am so close I can taste it. I am giving up a lot to take this venture but it is worth it, the idea will not leave my head till I make it happen. I am less than 2 weeks away from finding out where all my efforts have brought me. The days draw slower and slower the closer I get. The money gets tighter and tighter, the hurdles and hoops and speed bumps in my way are on full blast, so it seems. The fear rises every day. A friend asked me if I was afraid, afraid of being able to get the job and be successful. YES I am. I have come out of my life getting turned upside down  and here I am doing it again, but the difference is this is on my terms. Challenge accepted! I am moving thru all my fears and I will do many things that matter.

If you are lost in life, if you need a change in your life, if you want to do more in your life I strongly recommend this book. “Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life,” By Jeff Goins. You have highlighted passages in books before, right? I wanted to do that with this one but I think every page would be completely yellow if I did that!

Follow your dreams, follow my blog, and follow my FACEBOOK. Thank you so much.

Winston Churchill Famous Quote Friday

“If you’re going through hell, keep going”

Winston Churchill 

Winston was a British statesman, soldier, journalist, historian, author, painter and so much more. He was an inspiration during political and war times as well. Winston had issues with his speaking. He stuttered, and had a lisp, both of which he overcame with time and determination.

Winston went through many challenges in his life, as do any of us. The outcome of life’s challenges define who we are, who we want to be and who we will be in the future. If you are going through hard times in your life, if you are going through hell, you have to keep going. You have to do what it takes and you will in time get where you want to be. When all seems hopeless you need not give up, fore the ends of all your journeys are merely rewards with new more amazing ones. You will make it thru everything if you tell yourself simply that you can.

You will encounter challenges and if you do not give up you will succeed. This weekend, smile through your challenges don’t let them beat you, no matter how big or small they are. Is there anyone with unique challenges that would like to share a short story of how they overcame them?

Please share this blog with those who are going through challenges or anyone. Encourage them to just keep going! Have a great weekend and thank you in advance for sharing my blog. ( don’t forget you can utilize the links below to share)

Ernest Hemingway, Famous Quote Friday

“Before you act, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try.”

-Ernest Hemingway

 

 

Born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, Ernest Hemingway was a very influential American author and journalist. This quote seems to be the longer version of a phrase that most of us probably grew up with, “think before you act.” Before you take action on someone or something you need to listen to what is going on. In response before you react you need to think about what you are going to do or say and how it is going to effect your future. I think a lot of us spend before we earn. That is what we call credit cards. I dream of the day where I rid myself of credit card debt. Before you criticize someone wait and try to realize where they are coming from. You don’t know their background story so you really have no reason to criticize people without waiting for all the facts. Before you pray, forgive. I may not be the go to guy for this one but to me it means before for you pray to who you worship for forgiveness you need to forgive those you have directly wronged. Lastly my favorite, before you quit anything in your life you need to try everything!

 

Have a great week everyone. For those of you in the United States fall is upon us, what a beautiful time! For those around the world I would love to hear what kind of weather graces you now!

 

 ***I discovered today there is debate about this quote, if it was Ernest’s or someone else. I won’t get into that here though because no matter who said it, it still has great meaning.***

Eric Thomas FQF

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breath, then you will be successful.”
Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas, a former American football player, now a successful author and motivational speaker.

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Along the road of achievement there are going to be times when it gets hard, and also you will get lazy. If you don’t let the toughness effect you and you stay motivated you certainly will be tallying success after success.

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Have you ever held you breath underwater? Have you ever been in a situation were in an instant all you wanted to do was breathe? To live we need to breath.  Right now you can breathe normal but imagine if it was difficult to get breathes of air. You are going to do whatever you can, whatever it takes to get that air so you can stay alive. Apply that attitude to your life, to you goals. Imagine what you can accomplish with that kind of drive to get what you want. An easy start to help you achieve greatness is telling yourself; “I can do anything, I can achieve everything I want.” All of us will be successful in one way or another, but only if we want it bad enough. How are you going to be successful this weekend?

 

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