Tennessee ❤️

Driving across Kansas is lovely if you avoid the soul numbing Interstate 70. I can’t bring myself to drive it anymore, it literally will crush the life out of you. But Hwy 24 or 36 across the state pass through some charming little towns. I like those sort of towns. They have bits that feel like a time capsule, nooks in the town someone was wise enough to save. All mixed in with new shiny bits that are bright so you know someone’s still around & thriving ✨

The Log from Tierra Del Mar: A Leisurely Photo Journal of Travel and Research

Trip up the California coast ✨

After spinning around the world 35 years it’s amazed me to realize that one of the biggest challenges I’ll ever face is learning to be me. It’s easy to believe personalities are us, who we are, but they’re more like masks. A device we’ve created to hide a part of us that doesn’t feel lovable. A shield to protect a part of us that maybe was harmed along the way.

It’s easier to love others and have empathy when we can understand that most of us are doing the same thing. It’s why these days when I meet someone what they do or even what they create is the least interesting part of their story, it’s not who they are.

I’m not good at it yet, my personality is thick and my mask has been on a long time. But it’s a journey and I’m grateful to even realize I’m wearing one ✨