Dear friend,

It had been over 26 years since I had ever gone camping. I’m turning 27 in less than two weeks which means I couldn’t tell you if I really liked camping, nor did I have the opportunity presented to me until now. My boyfriend had expressed his love for it. In fact, he would constantly bring it up whenever he described an experience that would radically change your life for the better. It was safe to say, I was willingly dragged into it and I was blessed to have captured some of the most storytelling memories since picking back up my camera.

I’m a creative, meaningful story teller at heart which is why I’ve been inspired to start a blog that can be felt, seen, and related to on a greater scale based on the mini lessons and daily life experiences God brings me through. On top of my main photography business, I aspire to offer content that will help you remember & reflect upon your life purpose. Another one of my biggest passions is life coaching. After being on online coach for over two years, but taking another two to detox away from social media, I’ve re-discovered other passions that have given me the opportunity to truly heal and soften into gifts I never knew I had. I’ve also published a poetry book years ago, and written many more since then I’m hesitant on putting out into the world. Maybe one day soon I’ll consider it but what I’m really craving is deep human connection in a way that doesn’t only feel seen when I hit the peaks of success but also during the behind-the-scenes moments where we forget when God’s working before it’s already worked out. Think of this ‘blog’ as the real human who has who desires to experience life purposefully. I get to share the meaning behind those moments one step at a time instead of always needing to feel like I had to be at the top or always ontop the next best thing.

That’s why I HAD to insert one of my favorite, yet most simple and straightforward quote from one of my childhood idols—Miley Cyrus. Life truly is always a climb and the older you get, you realize the climb is the best part because it wouldn’t mean as much if life was ever easy. What a gift that we get to build confidence, strength, integrity, and so many empowering Godly traits to move through every life battle and come out on the other end blessed tenfold because God helps us through every part of it. In fact, He’s already written out our entire life story. He knows exactly what you’re going to do before you do it.

I’ve never been in such a peaceful flow of alignment right now despite how up in the air my life is. A dear friend asked me the other day, ontop of many others after I left my full time job three weeks ago after being there for almost three years—”What’s your plan?” And I want to share with you my answer very closely.

I have absolutely no idea. And for the first time in my life, I don’t want to have one. A plan.

But I can surely tell you I have an idea. Better than that, I have God. I have Him who makes all my paths straight, who already has one set in stone for me. My job isn’t to worry about how everything is working out, but to trust that everything already is. As the days move on and I’m not worried but trusting in God’s hands working in my life, I experience the joy in random creative passions igniting that spark within me to pursue something fully for the first time in forever again. I experience the money-making opportunities that meet me where I’m at. I experience the multiple sources of money that come my way and my mind is constantly blown away at the blessings God has provided me financially. I used to think I worked hard 8 hours a day at my last job. But when you work for yourself, you fall in love with the work involved because the success aligns with your God given purpose.

On a more otherworldly level—your success is not about you. It’s about the one who made it all happen. I feel personally my relationship with success was a rough one for years throughout my early twenties but after leaving behind a five year relationship, a three year career, and an entirely old life—I’ve softened so much into living slowly and intentionally into a new one that began when I stopped playing comfortably down the paths that only led to dead ends.

Camping was not up my alley. There was no way I’d ever sign myself for camping solo. But I can wholeheartedly say by the end of the trip, I could see myself coming back. My heart was sad after having to say goodbye to strangers you met in just a few days. I met my younger self in another tiny little human who called me her best friend. I woke up to the sound of chirping birds every morning with coffee sips in front of endless campfires. It felt as if every day, God purposefully planted me there in every conversation, every nature walk, every moment in the stillness as I took in a homestead lifestyle. We talked much conspiracy theories, played with many pups and kiddos, and stargazed under the glistening sky bright enough for me to capture on camera. You’re probably wondering about the bug bites as everyone does. And I gotta say, God was and is always good. I barely got bit. I’m going to miss the homemade chocolate chip pancakes with the family.

My perspective on motherhood and children has shifted. I used to think I was severely bad with kids. I’ve had many fears around pregnancy my whole life. Not even becoming a mom, but the pain that comes along with birthing a human. Since falling madly in love with a man who values becoming the best father he can be, it’s inspired me to see beyond my fears becoming a mother. I was with someone for five years before him who non-negotiably rejected the idea of having children. Of course, his outlook made me terrified at the thought of ever getting pregnant because I knew we wouldn’t have a family. Therefore, I never gave myself the freedom and safe space to really ask myself if I wanted one. I just knew it was out of the cards for me.

I can say now that being with a man who values the opposite has given me the unexplainable security in my soul to truly soften into raising a beautiful family that only God could design by His story He wants me to have. I know that the kids God will give me will be on purpose. I look forward to that chapter of my life and continuously learning to trust in Him through all of the hard battles that come with it. I got to experiences God’s gift of love through the innocence of children this past week who I grew attached to. They didn’t know it but they made me a better human because that’s what kids do—they remind you of your humanity. They show you love in the most unique ways.

Just like God does.

I will say my relationship with time has significantly changed. It’s crazy how fast time flew by yet I experienced the days so long. I had never truly experienced presence at its finest. I barely touched my phone. I really only used it to post 1-2x daily for my photography page. Aside from that, my phone officially died by the 6th day. I wasn’t upset about it. But since leaving my last job where I counted down the hours until I got to leave, or was constantly checking my phone to not miss a random work question off shift, or be bombarded with customer inquiries off the clock, or having to send every detail of my shift in an email to upper management—leaving that job was the last piece to utterly detoxing from my phone and work mode completely. Add the evaporation of time from my awareness and life truly becomes a lot more enlightening.

I dare you to reflect upon what life would truly look like for you, how would it change for you if you moved through it as if time and money didn’t hold you back from living life more fully, presently, and purposefully?

I’m curious to know your stories…

Have you ever been camping? What was your experience like?

What would living more softly and slowly look like for you?

What is your view on parenthood?

What’s your relationship like with success?

In what ways are you limiting yourself with money?

What unpursued passions do you know would take off if you went all in?

How would you show up in life if you knew God has everything worked out?

In what ways have you experienced God’s love?

What’s your take on purpose?