31/12/2025
“Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate
And though I oft have passed them by
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.”
(-a favorite from Mr. Tolkien)
New years always feel like new roads and secret gates to me—due to the nature of this work, I walk into each new year with a general sense of some upcoming adventures, but by the end of the year, the full picture is always wildly different than the sketch.
The weddings and events I documented were all so different, full of incredible humans and experiences I will never forget--the deep love, unique relationships, fierce connection, humor and joy were immeasurable. The locations, familiar and un-, were especially grand this year with mountains, misty forests, wineries, bed and breakfasts, treehouses and craggy oceanscapes as only a few of my favorites.
With zero international travel planned at the beginning of 2025, I still found myself walking in utter awe on the sands of the Sahara Desert in Morocco, through Roman and Iron Age ruins in Bulgaria, along emerald-green cliffs in Ireland, and over the magical trails of Banff in Canada. I feel like my world view opened wildly with new destinations, cultures and history in each place. I met a LOT of street dogs and cats. And sheep. And a nomad!
For both work and fun, I backpacked in Washington and Canada. These days and nights were easily some of my most vivid memories from the year: a literally breathtaking sunset elopement ceremony followed by tents under the Milky Way, goat families wandering around my glacier-view campsite after a glorious hike through wildflower fields, and a wandering hike to turquoise-watered/golden-larch-framed Floe Lake in Canada. All together, I hiked, ran and backpacked well over 600 miles this year, many miles of which were spent with my young pup, Zula. My husband, Nathan, and my older dog, Ukee, were frequent companions as well.
I am so grateful for all of you: those who shine so much light into my life and bring your stories with you. Thank you for an amazing 2025, and I hope to accompany many of you to new roads, secret gates and hidden paths in 2026. Cheers!
