“Travel brings power and love back into your life.”
-Rumi Jalalud-Din
I am a traveler,
Although I do not travel as often as i'd like. Over the years, I have found pieces of myself in new lands, ancient castles, prehistoric landscapes, and "new to me" cities. And every time, I feel as if I am "home".
Every place has a story, and every place accepts me into that story. Whether it be the castles in Scotland, ghost towns in Arizona, plantations in the deep South, the towering Rocky Mountains, the jagged coastline of the Pacific Northwest, or the sandy beaches of Mexico. Each place is beautifully unique, with rich history and culture. It does not matter where I am going, I always feel like I am meant to be there, and meant to experience all that the land and people have to offer.
Lessons from The Desert:
The desert is harsh and hard to love. The desert is extreme and considered irrational, and has a long track record of relentless behavior.
But, the people from these lands have been good and kind to her, and in turn, she has taught them how to prosper in her envorinment.
I am a desert person. Born and raised in the heat, and can sometimes be considered harsh and extreme. However, like the Hopi and Apache have learned to honor the untamed parts of Arizona's landscape, I too have learned to honor the untamed parts of myself.
The desert teaches that even the "ugly" parts of us are worth honoring, and to the right people, it will be beautiful and called home.
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
-David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
A Scottish Lovestory
I was in the midst of the biggest decision of my life: to stay in the familiar and be miserable, or take the necessary but hard leap to a better life.
The catch: the leap was going to be long and hard, and had no guarentees.
So, as any sane person would do, I took a trip to Scotland with my best friend to get some clarity.
And my did the highlands do just that. The crisp cool air, ancient castles, towering mountains, and mystical lochs made me see a piece of my soul that had never revealed itself anywhere else.
By the end of this trip, I knew I was worthy of the world.
So I went for it.
And there, in the midst of the hardship, I fell completely and madly in love with myself.
Image captured by Thistle and Phine Photography
Wholesome in the South
Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most scenic and delicious cities I have ever had the priviledge of exploring.
The culture is rich and humble, and feels like a nice warm hug.
Imagine your grandmother in her Sunday best, serving brunch with a side of mimosas with the whole family, and a game of croquet after a few hours of bonding, and that is exactly how this city felt.
And in this historic city, I learned a thing or two about the sweetness of life. Your days do not need to be fast-paced in order to be beneficial. Rather, Charleston taught me the opposite: The slow and steady create the most noteworthy days.
Rocky Mountain High
Mountains so tall, you forget all of your worries are real at all. It doesn't feel like Earth, it feels like a dream.
Colorado is a place like none other. I am so in love with this state that I named my daughter after it: Aspen.
As a little girl, we would visit a tiny town nestled between the mountains, overlooking the Arkansas River. Here, worries would fade as we'd spend our Summer days catching garden snakes and fishing for trout. The memories I made in this tiny mountain town are some that I will cherish for a lifetime. Colorado shaped my soul at a young age, and gave me a sense of wonder that to this day, inspires me.
Colorado reminds me to never let go of my childlike wonder of this world, and that the simple days will always be your fondest memories.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain
I could go on an on about my favorite travel memories, and lessons learned in distance lands. I am sure someday I will post more about my times in Mexico and the PNW. As for now, these are some that I find most nurturing to my soul.
I would love to hear about your favorite travels! Find me on social media and share your wandering stories.
Next destination: back to Scotland
May, 2023
