Weekly Wander: California Dreamin’

The Shot

Obviously, Bixby Bridge while driving down Highway 1 in California. This shot quickly became one of my favorites from this past week.

The Story

This past week over Thanksgiving I went to visit my sister in California. Shortly after arriving back home, I came down with a cold. It’s completely knocked me out. But, I’m learning to embrace this little pause, rest, and soak in some gratitude. From crossing off a few things in Cali off my bucket list, to exploring my sisters new home, spending time with family and just adventuring around - it was beautiful. I literally kept having to pinch myself to make sure it was real. I’ve dreamed of exploring Northern California for years. And I feel so excited for all the future adventures that are yet to come. There’s been a wave of immense gratitude for being able to explore with my family, for bringing my camera with me, and capturing everything along the way.

After months of concussion recovery, being able to move my body and explore again felt like the biggest win. Add in quality time with family, celebrating the newly engaged, and views that made me forget what country I was in - yeah, gratitude doesn't even begin to cover it. It started off as “wow I am so grateful to visit my sister with my family and explore an incredible place”, to “I’m feeling so grateful I can travel again, hike again & explore again while recovering from a concussion”, to feeling all the gratitude from this entire year. Reflecting on how much has changed, even in the blink of an eye. This year has challenged me in ways I didn’t know I was ready for.

I remember about a year ago feeling frustrated in my day to day life, but at the same time, feeling so inspired & lit up by the community of creatives and entrepreneurs around me - and I knew then that there was space for me to create something of my own, too. Though I didn’t know what I’d do or how I’d get there. And that’s the thing, right? We have our visions and goals of things we want to achieve. We can try to plan and predict it however we wish, but most of the time, the plan pivots or the how is revealed to us simply by taking action and being committed to the journey. I never would have predicted that a concussion would’ve been what led me to pursue creative outlets. What I’ve learned over the course of my early twenties, is sometimes we grow and change internally to a point where externally our world doesn’t reflect this emerging version of ourselves. And a change needs to happen. Resulting in a feeling that the path we are on isn’t quite right anymore, becoming unaligned. And if you’re anything like me, a lot of the time, it can take something external happening (aka, a concussion) to steer your path in the direction you’re intended to be on. Even if the way there feels like an absolute mess.

Finding gratitude while in the thick of transition has been challenging. Everything feels very confronting. When things are good, everything feels good. But when things are heavy, uncertain, and hard? Finding that gratitude to keep going and finding the joy takes a little more mindfulness, but it can change everything in an instant. From feeling like “nothing is working out” to, “everything is working out, and I am where I am because it’s exactly where I am meant to be right now.” From questioning everything to finding certainty in the uncertain.

Now Write Your Story

Let yourself pause, explore, or reflect today. Maybe it's a new walking trail, maybe it's just a different way home. Sometimes the best views or the best moments are only just a small detour away. And sometimes, that’s all we need for a perspective shift. Allow yourself to move just a little slower through something you’d normally rush. Try stepping into gratitude, and think of one thing you’re doing today that a past version of yourself would have dreamed of. Or if you’re in the thick of it, it’s totally normal to feel like maybe you’ve gone backwards rather than forwards. But nothing in life is linear - nothing goes forward all of the time, sometimes things pause, backpedal, or take a detour. And eventually, we find our way again. Eventually, we feel like ourselves again. And the moment where things paused, went backwards, or the wrong way, suddenly seem like a distant memory. And you keep on moving. Where can you find a little certainty in your uncertainty?

We’ll chat again soon,

Vanessa