Few adventures have ever been had in a space of familiarity. Exploration requires that one must go beyond the boundaries of what is known & reach out to touch the unknown world beyond them.

The beauty of an adventure is that one doesn’t always need to cross oceans, rivers or mountains to find new territories to explore. Life is full of patterns and routine, and often, discovery is just a matter of taking a path you’ve not yet walked, hiking up a mountain you’ve never climbed, or crossing a street into a neighborhood you wouldn’t usually happen upon…

Discovery is the outcome of every good adventure. A good discovery is rarely by happenstance alone. It is often preceded by curiosity.  Curiosity and determination to uncover something new.

Although sometimes what is new is hidden within something old… Sometime discovery is merely a matter of intentionally appreciating that which has formerly been taken for granted, or perhaps something that has been long unnoticed and undervalued.

And so, this blog is one of explorations. Because I have lived in one place for many years and yet allowed much of it’s beauty to exist without having taken the effort to see and appreciate it as it silently begs to be appreciated.

Beauty should never go unnoticed. To live among beauty and yet not make an effort to sit and marvel at its intricate perfection, would be a great tragedy. Beauty is meant to catch our attention, and in so doing, create within us a sense of awe at the brilliance of it’s creator.

Having grown up 15 miles from the coastline, surrounded by mountains on our property which I could hike on at any time, I had never ventured out to explore the public trails around the area. So, over the summer, various friends and fellow adventurers showed me where to find the best views. I get pretty stoked about a good view… Especially if a sunset is involved!

My friend Ashleigh showed me this trail up the tall ridge that spans between Pismo and Avila. It’s a decent bit of work climbing up the mountain, but, once up on the ridge it’s an amazing view.

Going on hikes after work is perfect for catching those evening rays.

These trails around SLO are so fun.

It’s always nice to have hiking buddies to show me where to find the best spots!

I mean, seriously… The sun just perfectly fits in that little space…

It’s cool to see the mountain’s shadow spread across the city below.

One of my favorite adventures took us a bit farther, about a two-hour drive up the coast on Highway 1. My friend Genae decided to celebrate her birthday by taking a mini road-trip up to Big Sur just for the day. I must admit it is a brilliant way to celebrate a birthday.

On one side of the road is a rugged coastline with the most beautiful turquoise water. The other side is lined by a deep wooded forest filled with giant redwoods, peaceful creeks, and trails running to and fro. We took this trail towards a waterfall.

We passed by some forest fairies along the way…

The waterfall seemed slightly diminished by the drought, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

It was a lovely day and a lovely adventure.