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 →
The Undeniable Allure of A New Place [travel blog][photos]
There is something special in the emotional unfolding of settling into a new place that I find invigorating and tantalizing. There is something in the sensational, wide-eyed nature of delving into the unknown and the unfamiliar. There is something in the mental transition from feeling lost in a foreign land to feeling the comfort and... 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 →
The Subtle Art of Being Alone With Your Thoughts
I think back over the past decade and can’t help but think about how much time was spent on my phone. It’s astonishing if I think about it. Communication and distractions on phones take up a large chunk of our lives and have fundamentally changed the routine of our days and our interactions with our... Continue Reading →
A Sequoia Adventure: The Captivating Forest of Dreams
Some places I wander into in nature captivate my soul in special ways, not just for their beauty and grandeur, but because they whisper into my very being and offer me something that we all need a heavy dose of from time to time, humility. Sequoia National Park was that special place that I recently... 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 →
Do You Ever Feel Lost in a Whirlwind of Contradictory Emotions?
I have a week left living in Flagstaff after three months here doing contract work and I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotion. A week from now, this charming small town, wonderfully tucked away in the Coconino Forest and Northern Arizona mountains will be but a memory. I have no complaints. It’s been a lovely... 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 →
Are Your Physical Habits Making Your Mental Health Worse?
So often, our mental experiences spawn from physical habits we develop over time which reinforce our stress and anticipation. These habits can seem benign and necessary, but are in fact neither, for they only help set the groundwork for our anxieties to build. For me this week, I realized that much of my stress at... Continue Reading →
