![\"Turf](\"https:\/\/armenyl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Turf-Valley-Preakness-Hot-air-Balloon-festival-photographed-by-Armenyl.com-14.jpg\")
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nAs you probably know, I started the Here and Now<\/a> challenge a year ago to allow myself to appreciate these things more, and one of the ways I’ve been doing that is keeping up with\u00a0events happening in town and doing my best to try out as many as I can. So far, all the things I have discovered make me feel a little guilty for actually ever calling my town old and boring.<\/p>\n Last week, I journeyed up into the sky on my first ever hot air balloon ride. Something until the day before the event, I didn’t even know existed(and that’s horrible because it’s been happening 2 minutes\u00a0away from my house, every year, \u00a0for the past 40 years).<\/p>\n I got to the venue right at sunset, and ignored all the funnel cake lines and hot dog stands (kind of regret this) to position myself in queue for the hot air balloon ride. All this time, while I mindlessly played with my phone and Snapchat, I don’t think I knew what I was getting into until flames blew up and I was lifted into the sky. I cannot describe the surprise that caught me. The gentle glow of the sun’s golden light staring right back at me, the tiny people on the ground, the amazing view and matching breeze. I was speechless. And\u00a0in those few moments I only imagined never touching the ground again. I wanted the balloon\u00a0to take me where it pleased. I’d go anywhere in that moment. It was surreal!<\/p>\n![\"Turf](\"https:\/\/armenyl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Turf-Valley-Preakness-Hot-air-Balloon-festival-photographed-by-Armenyl.com-11.jpg\")
One of the things I’m most grateful for when it comes to running this website is how much it forces me to get out there and explore the world.\u00a0If I didn’t create Armenyl, I am pretty certain I’d still be daydreaming about a different world and making plans to get\u00a0out-of-town.<\/a> Although, I haven’t given up on that dream completely(and I never will) because I do love to travel, it feels great to\u00a0find spectacular beauty right where I am. And to be able to share with you a different part of the world that may be both similar to\u00a0and different from yours<\/a>. I feel like I say something of this sort all the time(lol), but really it’s hard to get over how great it feels to stop complaining about life and start making and creating your happiness. Even if it just a matter of opening your eyes and heart to the beauty right before you everyday.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/armenyl.com\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Turf-Valley-Preakness-Hot-air-Balloon-festival-photographed-by-Armenyl.com-8-150x150.jpg\")
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