LP Pathfinders: what have you Instagrammed this month? [December]

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNfX-a-gim4/?taken-by=lenatravelmonkey

Destination: Dyrehaven, Klampenborg, Denmark. Europe.
Context: Early winter days we took a walk in this amazing wild animal park near Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the place where you can stumble upon a number of wild deer happily running in the wild. This picture shows a nice transition between autumn and winter with crispy grass and yellow leafs.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIUPH8gMbb/?taken-by=lenatravelmonkey

Destination: Helsingør, Denmark. Europe
Context: Christmas spirit in Denmark! We took this picture on our Around the Sound tour, allowing you to travel between Denmark and Southern Sweden on one ticket. This is the Christmas tree standing in the small town Helsingør, which we got to via the ferry from Swedish twin town Helsinborg.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNqhCaHBVI7/?taken-by=jeffreyjkieffer


Destination: Modro Jezero (Blue Lake), Imotski, Croatia
Context: During a day trip to the inland town of Imotski, a backpacking friend and I visited the local sinkholes in the area. After walking into the valley where the lake resides, the sheer scale of the steep cliffs surrounding the karst lake made for one of the most dramatic environments I had ever witnessed. What topped it off was the enticing aqua-coloured water, and only a few local Croatians swimming in the vicinity. We felt like we had stumbled across a hidden oasis amongst the barren backdrop of the region. Taking a dip in the icy lake instantly refreshed us for the rest of the humid afternoon!

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNv6ZF0hnD3/?taken-by=jeffreyjkieffer


Destination: Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Context: After a long day of driving through the Eastern Fjords, the daily challenge arose in trying to find a comfortable and free camping spot for the evening. Myself and two backpacking friends struck gold after passing through the small, isolated fishing town of Seyðisfjörður and onto the lush stretches of wild grass. The 4WD was parked on the side of a ridge where we would set up our tents to face the other side of the fjord. The wind had died down, and weather had cleared throughout the night with the remaining wispy clouds shifting colour tones from orange to pink during a magnificent midnight sunset. All I could do was sip a pilsner that was cooling in a snow patch nearby, hang out in my tent and watch.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNf_co7gSK7/?taken-by=fuguetastic
Destination: Terelj National Park, Mongolia
Context: Just a smidge to the east of Ulaanbaatar, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is my introduction to Mongolia's varying landscape. Here I encounter long sloping hills, roaming cows, winds gently sifted through the trees.
There's a meditation temple here but the open stillness itself is meditation; I am aware of every twitch of the wildflowers, every rise and fall of the crickets' chirps, every pine-laced breath I take in. The sunlight splays across the valley and I can't believe that just days ago, I was living in the shadows of skyscrapers.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNuLsS2hZ2P/?taken-by=awoisoak

Destination: Yick Fat Bldg, Hong Kong
Context: It doesn't matter if you have already been in HK before, if you are into photography you know that this city has always new spots or angles that you didn't realize before offering you always good shoots. Looking for some nice spots I fall into this building whose perspective fasceinated me. Once I finished my trip I discovered that this spot has becoming kind of famous as it appears in of the last Transformer movies.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOGuzhfArrT/?taken-by=travtasy

Destination: Taktsang Monastery, Paro, Bhutan

Context: After climbing a tiring trek uphill to 10,000 ft, along the dust trails and the occasional mule passing the narrow stretches, we were finally there, when we saw the Taktsang Monastery or more popularly known as the Tiger's Nest Monastery. In between there has been quite a few moments midway, when I felt like walking back to the base, but after drinking the pure waters flowing down the hills every now and then and a magical pull upward by unknown forces ultimately helped me reach there and to me it was like to be on the top of the world after I reached there.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN7t9FiFguk/?taken-by=rathmaster
Destination: Tamraght, Morocco
Context: Feeling like a true princess warrior in Morocco exploring beaches horseback. Falling in love my surroundings, but more so, in love with this lifestyle I've discovered.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNhkwKulmNz/?taken-by=rathmaster

Destination: Sahara Desert, Merzouga, Morocco, Africa, Planet Earth!
Context:
Travel is marvellous. It's changed me for the better and I deeply believe it's something that everyone should do. But... I want to say that it's not always as perfect as it may seem.
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Off and on, over these past 7 months of wandering, I felt like something was missing, like I was searching for something but didn't know what. I had some pretty rough days. I was confused. Lost. Lonely and defiantly off track.
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6 weeks in, while in Spain, I realised what it was; what was missing. And deep down, I had known it all along... I was just scared to admit it. I let my mind convince me it would be fine when my soul had already surrendered.
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There I was, "living the dream" seeing the world and drinking sangria everyday... but I was so unhappy.
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So what was missing? I realised I was missing a sense of purpose. A place. A community. A cause that I could give back to that's bigger than myself. A position where I mattered.
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But what matters is that I learned what matters the most. To me. This transition was weird, but now I'm ready to act on what I've learned, more confident than ever in the direction I'm heading.
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I look around me and see friends feeling the same: confused, lost, helpless. I encourage you to really try and figure out what's going on based on your heart and soul. Learn to give yourself what you need and actually do what your insides are telling you. Trust yourself, you know what's right.
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Stay in the moment and try to put your mind to rest. Once you do that, you'll open up doors of opportunity. Also, open up yourself to others. Those who bring you light, guidance, and strength; They'll help guide you down life's messy paths.
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Just like me, you'll soon realise you're okay, you're just a little bit off track.
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My dudes, never forget how strong you are. "I know this transition is painful, but you're not falling apart; you're just falling into something different with a new capacity to be beautiful."

URL: https://instagram.com/p/BNwWlbpBcvn/
Destination: Surajvishal Taal, Himachal Pradesh, India
Context: the magnificent Surajvishal Taal or Lake of the Sun God in Himachal Pradesh in India. We arrived here at sunrise on the second day of an epic two-day road trip through the Himilayas on our way to Leh. The road trip passed through the Rohtang Pass the second highest road on earth. A wonderful, wonderful experience, even if I did suffer altitude sickness and got scarily close to a few cliff edges.