After a small hiatus from writing I am excited to be back and putting my thoughts and encouragements here again. it for sure took this short but beautiful adventure to drag me from the depths of life derailment and put me back on a path to feeling productive if not sane. i am inspired to share lessons i learned from my latest adventure- some new, some are repeats. all important and all present me with new life challenges. i hope you find some inspiration and encouragement in them too!

1. lesson 1 – get strong and stay strong so you can enjoy the adventure! 5 years ago, without a shadow of a doubt i would not be able to enjoy this adventure – 100% would not. i wouldn’t have the stamina or the strength. it isn’t as if i was a total slouch but i most certainly was not purposeful in my fitness journey. if i worked out it was more about the way i looked vs the way i felt. now i know and fully understand how important strength and a fitness routine are. i want to stay healthy not just so i can fit into a certain pair of jeans but so i tackle life’s challenges. so i can live the life i so desperately long for. so i can travel and keep up with my kids (and future grandchildren). so i can live a life of my choosing. I want to be able to do it all! My job is to challenge you all and myself to continue getting stronger-it is so worth it.
2. Lesson 2 – slowing down should be required. the 7th day is for rest-it’s the stop portion of stop and smell the roses. lately, i have been running , running, running. so focused on what comes next that i haven’t really been present. does that make sense? in yellowstone there are no tVs, internet reception is spotty at best so all i had was time. best.days.ever! i was able to quiet my brain and just take it all in. be present. have conversations and really hear what was being said. i highly recommend that experience for everyone. i am going to challenge myself to build rest time into my week and be more present. i truly believe a day of rest is the most genius part of god’s design. we need it, we crave it so why are we so reluctant? i hope i can remember and put this into practice regularly. someone please remind this girl that once i rested i was able to come back with much more clarity and productivity. i got out of my own way.
3. Lesson 3 – don’t limit yourself to things you already know. in a million years i would have never guessed that i would enjoy being outdoors. i mean most of my life i have considered myself more of a city girl. i like architecture, big buildings, air conditioning, cultural hodge podges, etc. i have now visited 2 national parks and loved them both! i have hiked the grand canyon of the pacific and the grand canyon of the yellowstone. as much as i enjoy all the comforts of home, i adore being out in the wild. who knew?!? i have denied my husband’s camping dreams for a very long time but i feel like maybe, just maybe, i may give it a try soon. i am so over placing limits on what i can do or try. i have told everyone else to go for it and don’t be afraid and try new things. i am challenging myself to practice what i preach. i will forever remember 2026 as the year i threw limits out the window. i am trying really hard not to fall back into bad habits and patterns of thinking. i encourage you to do the same!
4. lesson 4 – we all need a little awe in our life. as i was sharing my trip with a friend this week, i was expressing my challenge with taking a picture that captured the incredible surroundings and feelings of this adventure. she was telling me about an article she read that stated “we all need a little awe”. it was like a lightbulb went off as soon as she said it. do not get me wrong. there is awe all around us every day. if we take the time to look we can find little miracles everywhere. i had gotten in a habit of taking for granted all the little things. i needed a little awe and this adventure delivered! If you are lucky you get a chance to see the absolute Magnificence of god’s Handiwork take shape in mud volcanos, yellow stone, geysers, massive mountains and prairies filled with wild beasts. i had another friend tell me he found this part of the country to be like a religious experience and i totally understood. now that i am back i am challenging myself to find that same beauty in the smaller happenings around me so even if i never get another adventure, i can still find awe.

I don’t know where you are in life. are you refreshed or run down? are you ready for adventure and awe? i don’t even know if anyone else is reading this. on the off chance that someone is-I hope you take a little something away from this and if nothing else, go find a little awe in your life. take an adventure. learn a lesson. rise to a new challenge. also, if you want any tips or tricks for an adventure out west, message me!