I shut off my phone alarm at 5:15 am on a Sunday morning and drag my sleep-laden body out of bed. It’s one of those mornings when it feels like I only shut my eyes for an hour, so I get ready on autopilot—wanting to be asleep but excited enough to let the promise of adventureContinue reading “Desert Dawn: A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park”
Category Archives: North America
December in New York: A Photo Story
Packing jackets and thinking of how to layer clothing does not excite me; but what does excite me is visiting New York. So, even when the opportunity to visit came with the promise of icy weather, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
Reflections from Mt. Shasta
I have not always appreciated the outdoors. As a child, outside seemed daunting. It was the place of cuts, scrapes, and bug bites–or sometimes all three. No thank you.
Along the Pacific Coast Highway II
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we glide past rolling green hills in Marin County, trading San Francisco’s skyline for miles of open road, sea breeze, and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
An Afternoon in San Francisco I
We walk out of the underground lot and into a perfect afternoon–sunlight makes everything appear more vivid, saturated with color: the grassy field is greener, the sky’s blue more striking.
Traveling Mexico III: Tulum Beach
It’s our last full day in Tulum, and we start the morning relaxed–wrapped in cotton-soft robes, enjoying warm mugs of coffee and bite-sized pastries on the front porch.
Traveling Mexico II: Tulum
I often arrive and depart places in the dark. There’s a simple reason for this: flights are more affordable when they’re getting you in and out of cities at dawn or in the middle of the night. When we arrive in Tulum, after a 2-hour journey from the closest airport in Cancun, the sky has melted from pastel blue to inky black.
Traveling Mexico I: San Miguel de Allende
In the quiet darkness of the morning, my friends and I wait outside for our Uber driver to reach us. We’re dangerously close to missing our bus, so I’m impatient as I watch the tiny black car on Tolu’s phone screen inch slowly toward us.
My Weekend in Portland, Oregon
“Today has been so beautiful”, the text reads in bold letters on my Notes app. The day is already over as I write, so I type quickly, trying not to forget the details that inspired that opening sentence.
An Afternoon in L.A: Venice Beach
On a short weekend trip to Los Angeles, my friends and I spend a memorable afternoon in Venice Beach.