A cool transparency to the air, a direct sunlight that shivers in the pale green trees, and the jagged outline of the mountains all around me, echoing the geography of my heart… where am I?

Granby, Colorado, 5 years ago. I am young, hopeful, heartbroken, and wildly alive for the first time. I sit on a balcony with a notebook and a pen and try to capture the tumult of my heart and the grandeur surrounding me. Joy wells up, tempered with pain.

Redding, northern California. After an excruciating drive from the smoggy wilderness of Los Angeles through the plains and fertile washes of Central California, to the saturated colors and meandering rivers of the north, where we drove with all our goods and gear in our two aging vehicles, I take a breath and let it out slowly. I am in sight of real mountain again, and my heart is alive.

Redding, CA + Granby, CO / morning / off the grid