collection of moments last year learning my way through my first spring/summer in the PNW!
i hope you too, go somewhere without walls or 5G. a place you can be small and under the sun
where you can breath in all that is true and good of this already-created-for-you world (amen!!)
then your very important existence softens, because it's relieved to remember that life isn't that serious. trees aren't serious, flowers aren't serious, why are we so dang serious!!!
first week of 2026 with family in the philippines playing tourists in boracay and negros island
i really do love the beach. but man, i was even happier when we explored the mountains of dumaguete. it made me realize my family origin isn't from a beachy island or a developed city. we're from kidapawan, the "city of fruits" that sits at the foot of mount apo, the tallest mountain in the philippines. my family - we're farm and forest folk. i am from farm and forest!!! turns out there is nothing at all unique about my pull to nature. and it stirred in me a deep appreciation and love for the family i was born into 🤍
merry-xmas-happy-retirement-thank-you-for-raising-me gift for my mama: a paid & planned trip to japan ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜
highlights:
views from the shinkansen, slowing down in the mountain towns of takayama and shirakawa-go, making goshuin books in kyoto using traditional woodblock printing, collecting little “thought-of-you” gifts for friends, asakusa underground, skipping harajuku for the flea market, hojicha soft serve, bakery section of konbinis, time with mama
lowlights
christmas in Japan lol (holiday spirit is v diff), 80% rain, low mt fuji visibility, should've eaten more, not staying in koenji
won't run a marathon, but will hike 26 miles with 28lbs on my back 🫠
when i say alpine berries and breathless rhythmic prayers got me to the top of that mountain, im not kidding. me and @santeeezy_ did our ascent on 4 hours of sleep, no breakfast OR lunch because what was "lunch at marmot lake" became "let's just get to marmot lake. as it turned out, we took the the longer (though more scenic) route that added to our mileage. nonetheless, an unforgettable grueling and glorious first backpack in the PNW!
Finally got to backpack the Washington coast!🙂↔️ It was very different from what I’m used to since I’m majority in the forest or in the alpine. I’m not really a beach person cause I’m not a fan of the sand which sounds crazy but everyone has a preference! Regardless, I still had a magical time and it feels like such a blessing to be able to experience it with @niklyy my wilderness sister. We got super lucky with the sunny weather for both days that we were there and the day we left was when it was gloomy again. #backpacking#beachcamping#washingtoncoast#fypage#backpacker#pnw#pacificnorthwest#pacificnorthbest#washington#washingtonstate#pnwdiscovered#pnwexplored#washingtonexplored#cascadia#cascadiaexplored#ourpnw#roamearth#Hiking#thenwadventure#choosemountains#amoungthewild#upperleftusa#wanderwashington#trailchat#pnwisbeautiful#hikingadventures#fyp#foryoupage#girlswhobackpack#backpackerlife
hiking this trail all i could think was "this is what's underneath the snow? all this life came from dormancy and darkness??"
and i realized my love for flowers runs deeper than aesthetics. i love flowers because i want to be more like them. to accept and endure seasons of decay and bloom, all in complete stillness. and then, simply by being, be transformed.
there's a graceful and difficult way to navigate the seasons. nature will show ya
@niklyy is fantastic at capturing beautiful and genuine moments 🥹 still thinking about this trip from a month ago, 100000% one for the books. #pnw#pacificnorthwest#pacificnorthbest#washington#washingtonstate#pnwdiscovered#pnwexplored#washingtonexplored#cascadia#cascadiaexplored#ourpnw#roamearth#Hiking#thenwadventure#choosemountains#amoungthewild#upperleftusa#wanderwashington#trailchat#pnwisbeautiful#hikingadventures#fyp#foryoupage#backpacker#backpacking#backpackwithme#backpackerlife
"the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" roman's 8:18
there is a certain and special glory of enduring fatigue and discomforts to experience places only encountered by foot. it humbles you. it changes you. and you walk out of the woods a different person. backpacking might be a hobby to some, but when done mindfully, it's a practice of perseverance.
@mike__lu 's first backpacking trip
📍spectacle lake, washington
👣20ish miles RT
#pnwbackpackers #spectaclelake #alpinelakeswilderness #durstongear
this time last year, i was on a quest to conquer the question of life and work in a foreign country. in my wanderings, i finally hit a wall. lost and weary, you re-extended the invitation to join you and girlfriends in menorca for your birthday. disheveled and exhausted, you came down from the hotel to meet me in a way familiar to how you've greeted me up to your bk apartment countless times. relief washed over me—the safety of a dear friend is a rare gift. this trip was a saving grace, and i'll never stop being grateful you invited me in.
and now, here we are again. happy birthday, @littlemaisunshine 💫 it's been a privilege to intimately witness life with you– threaded with heartbreak and healing, breakdowns and breakthroughs, creation and community. all in all shaping you to become a more resilient, grounded, and poised woman. i pray you continue to grow in grace, especially as milestone moments take us to different places.
may this year be one of gentle transformation in all things life, love, work, friendship, and family ᢉ𐭩
