My grandmother recently passed away surrounded by family after a long, hard battle with cancer. After her death, I felt compelled to write a eulogy and wanted to share that today: I could go on all day about the countless things that made Maw Maw special. Known for her big heart and her big personality,... Continue Reading →
Using the Struggles of the Past for Inspiration of the Future
There are days when I feel defeated, broken, and beaten down, but there’s one thing I can do that helps put everything into perspective. For me, I like to look back at my past struggles and where I came from in an effort to appreciate where I’m at in this current moment. How easily we... Continue Reading →
The San Juan Islands: Social Distancing At Its Best
Amid the chaos and uncertainty of the times with the Coronavirus pandemic underway, I felt a growing need to burst from my quarantined cocoon and socially distance in a responsible and fulfilling way. And thus, I set off for San Juan Island, located in the Northwest corner of the Lower 48 in Washington state. Just... Continue Reading →
Meeting the Challenges and Uncertainty of Life Head On
Tomorrow I start my new job, in a new place, and in the middle of downtown Seattle. I am by myself on the opposite corner of the country from my hometown. This place feels notably different from the last few places I have worked. For one, I am right near downtown and I am starting... Continue Reading →
Finding Clarity and Purpose in the Fear of Death
I feel like I too easily grow complacent with life, as the drudgery of my routine experience ebbs and flows from day to day, month to month, and year to year. Everything has its place, is endlessly predictable, and seems to bleed on forever in the same old fashion. It’s so easy to seek comfortability,... Continue Reading →
Facing Mortality and Finding Inspiration in a Ghost Town [photos]
Living along Route 66, you find yourself stumbling upon a wealth of unusual places that bewilder and inflame the imagination. Some of these places seem lost in time, where shells of legends can be heard echoing through the forgotten thistles of a vast expanse of space. You wander upon the strange, the bleak, the gimmicky,... Continue Reading →
Transforming From Victim to Being the Boss of Your Life
It’s funny how life has presented me with recurring epiphanies about how I am in charge of my day, or maybe it’s a sign I need to pay more attention and apply what I have learned. Either way, I had a recurring epiphany this week when I was feeling stressed, discouraged, and like I just... Continue Reading →
Humphrey’s Peak: A Test of the Body, Mind, and Spirit [photos]
Humphrey’s Peak has been teasing me ever since I moved to Flagstaff, AZ a couple of months ago. I knew at one point I was going to set out to climb the mighty peak, it was just a matter of when. I have fallen in love with the area since I have been here. Flagstaff... Continue Reading →
My Angel’s Landing Hike: Where Danger and Marvel Collide [photos]
There are moments in nature that test your courage, condense your reality into your most immediate surroundings, and ensnare you in a world of blissful wonder all at the same time. This is how I felt this past weekend hiking Angel’s Landing trail in Zion National Park in Southern Utah. Zion is a canyon oasis... Continue Reading →
Remembering Patience in Times of Challenge
Like many of us, I have struggled with anxiety in one way or another for most of my adult life now. Anxiety can be a killer of the mind as well as the body. It can suck the joy right out of any situation and leave you feeling trapped and drained. Anxiety is multifaceted. Anxiety... Continue Reading →