Creating experiences, finding truth along the way
“The mountains are calling and I must go.”- John Muir Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park We entered Sequoia National Forest early mid-afternoon after departing Joshua Tree NP and making a quick stop at Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert. My boyfriend and I had discussed the best way to enter the park and I…
On my recent travels to Joshua Tree National Park I discovered not only about a wide variety of plants, animals, and strong winds, but also I learned more about myself. It was an adventure to spend two nights and three days under the stars, in excessive heat, and at times experiencing frustration while on a vacation.
This was my first adventure on a boat in the ocean off the coast on a ship that sailed far off into the wide expanse with only water in view. Although I didn’t see a whale, I was delighted to see dolphins swimming right under and in front of our ship.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine Travel calls for adventure and a road trip isn’t complete without an unplanned stop, which is why when I found out that Cabrillo National Park was only 30 minutes away from where I was staying in La…
Arriving in California with the smell of seasalt in the air and sand that I imagined about for the past few months finally became a reality for me recently during my epic road trip. After the past few months of working from home, it felt so great to travel again. Up until the shutdown, I’d…
Some three months into 2020, I worked to create a community to share resources and tools to find calm in the chaos of daily life. Over the past few months and weeks, I thought that no place would be better to seek out calm than the platform and community I’ve built. And so I invited some people in and have been working on engagement ever since.
It was this past few days that I realized I’m not taking full advangtage of the tools I’m providing to others. So if I’m not even using my OWN resources, how will other people understand how to use them. Since then, I’ve started to work on myself, to clean up my diet and reduce stress that I’ve felt.
A new community opening June 19th offers support to help members find calm in any aspect of life. Find Calm Here brings together people searching for calm in their lives alongside practitioners and experts who have built systems and programs that work to set intentional goals, explore different methods, and programs across mindfulness, wellness, relationships,…
If you could have the perfect day, what would you do? How do you feel? Who’s looking back at you in the mirror? Where are you? What are you doing? How do you earn a living? Who’s with you today? How’s your quality of life? Are you enjoying life? If all of this could be…
Today is my 40th Birthday. I had plans of going on a hike with friends, celebrating at a The Millworks (my favorite local restaurant/gallery/brewery) and then checking out some improv at my favorite spot for comedy, the Harrisburg Improv Theatre. But finding myself indoors these days due to the COVID-19 Pandemic means I need to…
I’m happy to announce that the renovations are complete at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Convention Center and my artwork is up on the walls!
“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” ― Henry David Thoreau It’s leap day today and I found myself wondering how I’d spend this extra day. Time seems so short, and I’ve found myself busier than ever trying to be productive, yet enjoy life….
Love is a warm bed with satin sheets on a chilly winter morning. Love is the light flicker of candles dancing in a dark room. Love is the warm cup of tea nestled in palms, warming the skin before the throat. Love is coloring pencils being sharpened to fill in the empty spaces. Love is…
“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…
“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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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….
“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…
“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…
“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…
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 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…
“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…
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…
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!
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.
Travel. Hike. Click. Write. 