Capture My Best Life!

2020 Goals: Doing less, letting go, and opening time to possibilities

“If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” ― Thomas A. Edison Each year for the past four years I’ve chosen a word for setting intentions in the new year. Last year was the year of action. And was it ever. I set out to do so…

10 Best Experiences of 2019

“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart It’s Christmas Eve and I’m sitting in front of my candle-lit fireplace, drinking some sparkling water and sipping on a cabernet from 2017. I page through the “workbook” I’d used…

How Meditation and Essential Oils helped me cope with dental work

Watching the flurries decorate the sky, I sit by my window, drinking my sparkling water out of a straw, and contemplate if I want to share my struggles with dental work this past year. It was just about a year and a half ago that I started on this journey. Dental work wasn’t my highest…

Top 10 Books of 2019

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”- Tim Ferris At the beginning of the year, I set out to read many, many books. Then life happened. What I’ve learned is that I’d rather admit that I’m a slow reader. The books I’ve read this year have motivated me to…

4 Sedona Stops: Hiking, lunch, and shopping all in an afternoon

Arizona is a fascinating place with such a wide variety of activities, art galleries, hiking, and shopping. On my recent trip, I stopped into Sedona for just a few hours. Within that time I found myself strolling in downtown sampling olive oils, trying on palazzo pants, and finding my way into the local camera shop to…

The Grand Canyon’s South Rim

Standing on the edge of a cliff, at 7,000+ feet and looking a mile into the Grand Canyon, at the iconic geologic landscape and resources ranging from 1,840 to 270 million years old offers visitors feelings of awe. As the Colorado River rushes through the park, a six million year evolution eroding the canyon to…

5 Reasons to visit the Grand Canyon North Rim

The Grand Canyon National Park is a stunning and majestic place that should be on everyone’s bucket list to visit in their lifetime. Over 5 Million people come from all over the world to see the vast gorge but only 10 percent make it to the North Rim, which is over 8,000 feet in elevation….

Walking in the Petrified Forest

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No…

Albuquerque adventures offer awareness

“Don’t ‘I wonder’ through life. Just make it happen.” ― Alex Banayan, The Third Door Finding myself in New Mexico for two days, I was excited to explore the area and discover some of the unique cultures, see vast landscapes, and discover new places. This year I’ve taken a lot of action in my life. I’ve made…

New Mexico Travel Adventures: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

“Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?” — Erin Hanson Stepping off the jetway after the plane landed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I was excited to be traveling again. When I learned about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, that the event was the same week as when I was planning to travel to Arizona with…

Find Calm Here 2020 Calendar~

Each year for the past eight years I have created a photo calendar curating the best of the year’s photos. I’ve offered this to friends and family over the years as so many are interested in supporting my work.
For this year, I’m opening it up to anyone who’s interested in purchasing a calendar and the theme for this year is Find Calm Here, destinations for mindfulness.

Colorado gardens offer challenging hikes, stunning views, and calming ponds

Colorado is one of the best states to visit if you enjoy nature. I returned for a second time this year and was so glad that I had a rental car this time to explore all of the amazing places in and around Denver. On my bucket list was the Garden of the Gods, and…

Reflecting on the Lancaster Balloon Festival offers perspectives for Gratitude

“I’d be smiling and chatting away, and my mind would be floating around somewhere else, like a balloon with a broken string.” ― Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Lancaster is known for its Pennsylvania Dutch foods and the Amish population to most of the country but it also is home to the annual Lancaster Hot-Air…

Being Present on a Peaceful Trail Ride

At the beginning of this year, on January 1st, I went on a trail hike with my friend Adrienne. We talked about the goals we had for the year and what things we wanted to try. Among the many activities I had hoped to do, horseback riding was one. I’ve never been horseback riding and…

New partners and projects: Learning to grow a photo business for success in 2020

By offering a portfolio not just on my website, but also on Adobe Stock, and Shutterstock, I hope to grow my visibility as a stock photographer. I’m also working to align with Creative Market soon to allow stock photography on their platform. So I am making a decision to try to grow a stock portfolio and see what happens over the next year with revenue. Now that I have some more clarity with the direction, and I’ve done some extensive traveling, I have a new body of work to share with the world and that’s exciting!

Repurposed photo slide curtain project brings memories to life

My grandfather was an avid photographer, carpenter, and pastor. He loved documenting the world around him and capturing moments in time. Years ago he had captured his mission trips to Alaska and parts of Mexico on slides. He would also capture his trips to Hawaii and the adventures of the northwest destinations and share them in photo slide shows with our family on many occasions.

Celebrating 11 Years of a Healthy Lifestyle with 3 Challenges for ending 2019 as a ROCKSTAR

As I write this, today marks 11 years that I’ve made my health a priority. On October 20, 2008, I decided to start taking better care of myself after being disgusted with myself at a staggering 100+ pounds overweight and morbidly obese. If I hadn’t made that decision, I wouldn’t have been able to get…

Climbing Mount Sniktau

“He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary.” ― Friedrich Neitszche There’s a moment when I was climbing Mt. Sniktau while visiting Colorado in July, that I realized that I’m capable of more than I think. As my best friend and I hiked up, there were so many times we…

Facing Fear while Rafting on the Youghiogheny River

“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” ― Seneca If someone had told me that I’d be rafting in one of the most dangerous rivers in Pennsylvania in January, I don’t know that I would’ve believed them. I created a vision board at the beginning of this year with…

Living Room transformation on a budget

I went out for a walk this evening and met my neighbor, a lovely polish woman who just announced that she can finally walk without a cane, only five weeks after her hip replacement surgery. As we walked she told me about her place, she’s new to the neighborhood, just as I am. She moved…

Colorado Travels: Standing off with bison

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve returned from my trip to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains but I’m just getting around to writing about the experiences and wanted to share the story of the time I fearlessly approached a bison and survived. My best friend Christina arrived later than expected in Colorado on Sunday, July…

Floating is freedom to loving myself more

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” ― Amy Bloom Hanging upsidedown with my feet wrapped around fabric hanging from the ceiling and I’m about as vulnerable as I can possibly be when I see the yoga instructor taking my photo. I fidget and realize that the more I fidget, the more…

Diving in the sky to find courage for change

My feet on the edge of the plane 17,500 feet up and after leaping, I was flying in the air. The air pushed me down, my breath wasn’t noticeable. I felt like a lump was in my throat and all I could do was look down. I started panicking. I thought that I was going to…

Travel Hacking my way to Denver and beyond with Credit Cards

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Annapolis Adventures

A day trip to Annapolis, Maryland offered awareness about the history, exciting challenges of captaining a ship at sea and enjoying delicious food and local beer. Maryland’s capital, Annapolis is located on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, 25 miles south of Baltimore and about 30 miles east of Washington D.C….

Five skills I learned while training to be a Whitewater Rafting Guide

This experience has helped me to relax, calm down, and just breath. Because there’s nothing like floating along and seeing waves as fun. The first few times I looked at those waves, I was terrified. I thought I’d surely fall out of this kayak and then never get back in and have to ask for help. But that didn’t happen. In fact, I was surprised at how forgiving the kayak was, and at myself, for doing this. I was kayaking in whitewater!

Life’s Journey to a new home

“If there’s happiness tucked away in my tragedies, I’ll find it no matter what. If the blind can find joy in music, and the deaf can discover it with colors, I will do my best to always find the sun in the darkness because my life isn’t one sad ending – it’s a series of…

Much Ado About Nothing

“Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.” ― William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing The best thing about the official kickoff of summer, in my opinion, is Shakespeare in the Park. The 26th Annual Free Shakespeare in the Park kicked off May 31st. This year Gamut Theatre presents Much Ado About Nothing. Enjoy…