2022 in Review
Maybe my favorite picture of the year, visiting Redwoods National Park!
What a year, what a year, WHAT. A. YEAR. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, wherever you were in this beautiful world. Like any year, we have enjoyed in places old and new, with friends old & new! To me, there is nothing like a moment in nature. With that, we take a look at the beautiful moments from the calendar year as we prepare for the next.
California
My year started in Northern California and with a bang! I was able to upgrade to Nikon’s Z series while living around Yosemite National Park and it was a great place to get familiar with such an incredible camera. More importantly, I discovered one of my favorite things to witness: springtime in Yosemite.
As the waterfalls were back in full flow, it was time for me to leave Yosemite for a short period as I started guiding(!!) and a road trip out of the Golden State was warranted and Golden Gate Park was a great place to start! April showed off the wildflowers on the coast, and the life coming back as I made my way up the Pacific Coast Highway. A late night’s drive left me to waking up surrounded by the tall trees of the coastal redwoods.
Later in the year, I rounded out my California experience with a trip down Pacific Coast Highway, a return to Yosemite in the summer to make it 4/4 seasons, and a ride through Southern California to see trees that had spunk where they lacked height. 2022 was the year to become infatuated with California (and the entire west coast).
East Coast
I didn’t spend much time in one place on the other side of the country but it was a joy collectively! A trip at the beginning of the summer to watch my sister walk across the stage at the University of Central Florida pointed me straight for Asheville, North Carolina for a quick trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Home was the theme for an east coast summer, with an unexpected trip to the big apple in July, to visit family and the booming city of New York! Nothing like family to get you recharged and ready to go again.
Pacific Northwest
I have spent a lot of 2022 in the great Pacific Northwest, and it’s where I find myself ringing in a new one for so many reasons. I’ve made very fond memories up here in 12 months, as I truly got to explore it this year. It started when I drove up Highway 101 to see the Southern Oregon coast. The effect was an itch for exploring the rest of the state! From Portland and Mount Hood National Forest and inland to Smith Rock State Park and a great American wonder in Crater Lake, I quickly understood that Oregon has a lot to offer.
I spent most of summer further north, with one highlight trip at the center of my summer visiting Mount Rainier National Park. It’s a perfect place to enjoy nature in the summer, as the wildflowers SHINE and the mountain invites cooler weather in the higher elevations. I had taken a trip to Mt. Rainier before but this one really did it for me. What a beautiful place that I will continue to enjoy as the years go on.
Savoring every moment of light on the mountain of Rainier!
We go even further north and west, and as northwest as I could get in the United States! Before this year, I didn’t even know where the San Juan Islands were, and by October I knew some of these islands like the back of my hand! This was an incredible place to start adventure guiding as I got to learn all about the area’s history and nature while meeting so many kind people.
My People!
(Top to bottom) Spending time with Michael, Willow, Adam, and Sara on a beach in the North Cascades!
I cannot possibly justify this year without some of the people that helped me do it! After meeting in Yosemite, I saw my old coworkers and dear friends visiting North Cascades National Park for the first time! They showed me the best parts of June in Twisp, Washington, and the beauty of a rather quiet park, through a busy guiding season elsewhere.
Guiding was so very new to me 8 months ago. I still have lots to learn but I had the help of 3 super cool guides that I worked with up and down the coast. Shoutout to Kevin, Steve and Bobbo (or just Bob).
And after a long and enjoyable season of guiding, I met up with another guide to have an awesome road trip to the American West, with a Canadian! Special thanks to Ree (and her pup Willow!) for tolerating me for weeks on end.
Ree and Willow in one of the TEN National Parks we visited!
Wildlife!
What a year for wildlife! I had a great time capturing some incredible animals. I was able to get back to the middle of the country and see some of the American greats like the bald eagle, grizzly bears, bison, moose, and so much more! I even saw some mountain goats on Mount Rainier and coyotes all over the country.
These weren’t even the best encounters of the year. To find the best, I found myself looking off the Pacific coast and in the water to watch marine life at its height of warm summer waters. The San Juan’s gave me the privilege of seeing Orca Whales for the very first time and I cannot get enough of them to this day!
The end of a year should include time to reflect on your growth. I will enjoy the moments that I’ve created and do my part in creating more opportunities for myself and the people around me in the new year. Bring on 2023!
