Bink Visual Studio

Healing. What helps a person heal when everything in their life has seemingly collapsed? What must someone do in order to heal a heart? How can one finally rest when everything falls apart?

These are questions that have no definitive answers. At times we find our healing in other people. And for some, healing comes from the outdoors. The simple act of watching the wind flow thru tall grasses, seeing water flow over rocks, watching the clouds gather to storm on the horizon… it does something for the soul.

At the site of Elkhorn Ranch, Theodore Roosevelt healed his broken heart working the rugged landscape (his wife and his mother died within a day of each other. He came to Elkhorn specifically to heal). This is a place of solitude. It’s a place of resilience. This is a place where you learn to understand what you are made of and that you can overcome any challenge that life throws at you. This is a healing place, if you can allow it to heal.

I can relate to feeling broken, like there’s no where to turn and no one that truly understands. But when I hear the wind and see the sky, I know that I’m not alone. I know that I can learn to be stronger, learn to listen and to be compassionate. Nature, to me, is the hug I didn’t know I needed.

The small native village that we visited was home to the Mandan tribe. Their villages consisted of earth mounds where families gathered, worked, lived. Little did they know that their life would be undeniably changed by an unseen force… smallpox.

The lesson I’ve learned at this village is that our moment in time is fleeting. Say what you need to say, do what you need to do. Be yourself and not what someone else wants you to be. Understand that this life you are given is a gift, a treasure. Dont hold back.

i’ve also learned the lesson of simplicity. Rarely does More equal better. If our eye is kept simple, we can truly see where the important things in our life are.

While Andy gives you the day-to-day of our trip (please check out his post), it seems this year I’ve been looking at our locations in a different way. Trying to really take in the feelings of our stops along the way. I journal when we are on our trips and I’m excited to share my thoughts and photos with you.

Today starts our journey at the Hjemkomst Center. We see the story of two seperate endeavors, quite similar in their construction and feeling. Both the viking ship and stave church seem out of place in this small city. The beauty of, not only the structures, but of the love that went into these constructions can make your heart skip a beat. This is testimony to dreaming big, wanting something bad enough, working hard and believing fully on your desire to do something big. All of these ingredients can bring enthusiasm to your side.

No dream is too big.

Views from my house last week. No traveling means less opportunity for the views to roll out right in front of your eyes. But these quiet views were pleasing to me. No filters, no editing. Simplicity is the name of the game.

Simple stuff
Cuba, 2019
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Somethings never go out of style
Cuba, 2019
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Sometimes I forget I know how to take pictures
Cuba, 2019
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Simple pleasures.

Enjoy these pics from Cuba, 2019

Traveling is easy…. it’s the posting that’s hard.
I’ve had a load of film that has needed to be developed for ages. Finally getting that taken care of. Thank you for all the hard work 😊

Enjoy these pics from Cuba, 2019

Boars Tusk, 2021

New blog is live
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Thill and Sons Fish House appreciation post
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Looks like a pretty sturdy tent
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