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…

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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…

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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…

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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. 

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…

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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. 

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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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….

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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…

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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…

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Whitewater Kayaking Adventures


“If not now, when? If not you, who?” ― Hillel the Elder I’ve always loved being near water. I can remember long summer days by the creek. My sister and I would see how far we could go and where we would end up just by following the Quitty. I never had thought about actually swimming…

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Truths & Travel: Making Memories


“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.” ― Gabriel Garcia Marquez Memories are made, and I can choose how to create them When I was in Mexico, I made memories with friends, using a coloring book and pencils I brought, which now remind me…

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Longwood Gardens, Blooming of flowers and new beginnings


“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.” ― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Saturday stroll at Longwood Gardens had me stopping to smell the roses and learn about some history for a few hours. This…

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Last weekend at Glen Onoko Falls


“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” ― Henry David Thoreau As sweat collected on my brow and my breathing deepened, my…

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Truths & Travel: The Butterfly Effect in Mexico


“Change one thing, Change everything.” – The Butterfly Effect  Rising early Thursday morning in my flat in Mexico, I was excited about the day ahead. One of my fellow travelers in our mastermind group titled “Lionesses” (A group founded following the DenEx trip with Location Indie) booked a handful of us a driver to transport…

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Why I’m excited to turn 40


To be honest, I had these thoughts and strived for most of these things in the past. I pursued relationships that were unhealthy just to see if I could get the right “box” checked, I tried to be someone who wanted kids or someone who should be running marathons. But that’s tiring, trying to be someone else when I’m just me. It’s better to just be me. 

Truths & Travel: Part 4


My brain stopped working I guess, and I felt stuck like I didn’t know how to explain to her. I started to “mime” what I thought made sense, the word “flow” by sweeping my arms from my head to my feet and saying the word “flow” like she understood any of it, it was the most obscure thing I’ve ever done. Just after that,  I noticed that the tampons were behind her, and started to point to them, and finally, she understood me, pulled them off the shelf, and rung me up for them. I felt like an idiot. I mean, I “mimed” the word “flow” and I still can’t get over it. Every time I tell the story to people I’m laughing at myself. So the lesson here kids, learn some words in the language of the country you are visiting, and at least use the phone, that has a translator!