Never fear! A few articles about my recent Death Valley trip are in the works. It’s no secret that inspiration has been lacking and motivation has been low. However, a comeback is underway. In the meantime, I’ve updated the header and background photos for the blog site. Been awhile, eh?

The header photo was taken by my favorite photographer (and boyfriend) during our first night camping in Death Valley. I’m posed atop our rental Jeep, not my Jeep. My Jeep is much more awesome.

The stars were ridiculously bright and the air was ridiculously silent. I struggled to adjust to a place that I felt more at home in. I struggled to enjoy a place that brought me happiness. Photos like this capture the sense of peace, sense, and purpose that I have only been able to feel in the outdoors. While my average day embodies chaos and discontent, days like the one captured here are rare and precious to me. One day they will be less rare, but just as precious.

The background photo (also snapped by my favorite photographer) was taken on a hike through Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley a few days later. The terrain in the area was incredibly varied – sand dunes, salt flats, mountains, forests, rock, grass, etc. There was something different around every turn and it made me see beyond the monotony of an ordinary life.

Changing the norm is inevitable at this point. It’s only a matter of the path to get from point A to point B. Point B doesn’t seem as far away as it did before my trip to Death Valley. And because of that, my inspiration and motivation is returning a little more every day.