A sneak peak at what I'm up to when I'm not writing...
Like most authors, artists, and creators, I wear many hats—writer, editor, podcaster, dog mom, Tyrannosaurus rex lover...you get it.
One facet of my work life involves taking people out on the river and into the wilds of the Big Bend region of Texas as a guide for Angell Expeditions. March is an especially busy time for us as Texans go on Spring Break and the weather turns nice. I couldn't get much writing done then, but I spent a lot of time outdoors recharging and getting inspired.
I love this other part of my life for many reasons. It gets me outside. I meet incredible people from all over the world. I work with an awesome team of hard-working, nature-loving, kind-hearted people who bring joy and connectedness to my life that I don’t get sitting at my desk alone slinging sentences.
On one of the many trips I led in March, I took two families out on the river with two of my fellow guides for a three-day, two-night adventure (that’s a lot of twos!).
This was one of the hardest and most rewarding trips I’ve ever been on. So many things went wrong. There were so many instances where we had to jump in and help each other. Everyone stayed calm. Everyone supported and lifted each other up. The clients were kind and gracious and profusely thanked us for the incredible journey we took them on. And I bonded even more with my fellow guides, who had to help me out of a bad situation and make the most of a trip that seemed doomed to disaster.
I reflect on the importance of connection and gratitude in times like these. I spend so much of my time alone, and sometimes I forget how critical it is to have a team outside of myself.
This photo of the canyon sums up how I feel about this excursion and about life. We see beauty in the final image, but what we forget is that the beauty was born of chaos. Formed in time by raging waters and tearing winds.
I don’t remember the trips where nothing goes wrong. They vanish into the back of my mind with the rest of the mundane. What I remember years in the future is the chaos. The wind. The rain. The forces of nature that shape the canyon. The forces of circumstance that shape life.
This trip was like the canyon in which it unfolded and I will always appreciate what I gained from the struggle—a humbled sense of gratitude toward life and some kick-ass material for a future book!
Cheers to all. Read a book. Go on an adventure. And remember, "the most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself." - Wallace Stevens.
