I made it home. Over 14,000 miles, 24 states, 3 car accidents, 1 eye infection, 4 showers, a head full of memories and a renewed sense of clarity. I am now more photographically successful than I could have hoped for. I took a leap of faith, trusted myself, and hopefully inspired a few people along the way.

It's okay to be afraid. Fear is such a strong emotion and motivator in my life, I don’t think I would be where I stand without it. The feeling of facing your fears and coming out on top is indescribably amazing. Am I going to let fear hold me back? Absolutely not. Did I take this trip and make these photographs to become the artist that I know in my heart, I am? Absolutely. I am aware of my fears and I’m taking them on full speed ahead. I won’t let my fear of bears keep me from cooking outside, I won’t let my fear of failure keep me from succeeding, and I won’t let my fear of the unknown keep me from discovering.

I took this trip and made these images in hopes of changing my life. And I did just that. The moment I realized nothing would change unless I did something about it, the possibility of success greatly out weighed my fear. If I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't. I feel like I’ve felt everything, twice. I’ve been so angry, I’ve screamed at the top of my lungs and given it everything I had. I’ve been lost, I’ve been sick, I’ve been exhausted and I’ve missed home so much, I thought of calling it quits. More than once. I’ve also seen things so gorgeous, and felt things so special, it made me want to cry. Tears of joy, that when you put up with so many things that may seem to get you down, you can still find yourself awestruck at life’s undeniable beauty. When the sun sets, magic happens. When the stars come out, magic happens. When you stick with something that ultimately drives you to the brink of insanity, and come out on top, magic happens. It really is the ultimate test of staying present and in the moment. It’s a practice everyone should pay attention to, but sometimes realizing how important it really is doesn’t show itself until you least expect it. If it didn't rain, the sunshine wouldn't feel so good.

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