In The pursuit of presence

My Family

I count myself lucky that this job allows me to spend most of my days with my sweet family, because I see how quickly the days go. Since our son was born I've become much more focused on being present and intentional in life. Appreciating the good days and even the not-so-great days. I strive to be present and aware of how important each day is. When they're all but spent and we're old as dirt, I hope to know I made the most of the time God gave me with my family.

My wife and I grew up in Southern California, and in 2021 ventured all the way to North Carolina to plant our roots and experience a life different than we ever would have in SoCal. And we're loving it! 

Good Times

I am an enthusiast and very light-hearted and fun-loving person. A "classic 7", if you do the Enneagram thing. I am reenergized around people. I love getting friends together and having a good, spontaneous time with them. I'm very much community driven - I believe it's what humans were made to have and enjoy.

Sometimes to my wife's chagrin, I tend to "just go for it" with my lofty ideas and grand visions. I want us to pursue this life and fight against the urge to be complacent, and it's a ton of fun!

Heck, that's why I've loved capturing your stories since I started in 2012. You're pursuing the goodness of life and celebrating it the way you want. That's a special thing worth capturing and commemorating.

Travel

We traveled a bunch before we had our kids and while it's slowed down, we get them out and about in the world as much as possible. We are passionate about it and the value it brings to our lives. From a few month-long backpacking trips in Europe, to roadtrips around the country, we are classic Millennials trying to see the world one adventure at a time.

Some favorites? Well, Scotland is easily our favorite place that we've traveled to over the years. We also love Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and England. I dream of living in both Germany and England for 6 months to a year each at some point - this is a stretch goal, because why not. More realistically right now, I dream of traveling with the family around the country in an RV during summers every few years. What memories they would be!

I am inspired by the American West. It's not just epic landscapes and emotion-inducing beauty, it tells a grand story of adventure, endless possibility, hope, and gritty determination. For generations, it's captured the hearts and imaginations of people stepping out into the unknown to forge their own future.

I think this beautifully describes you as you begin your marriage, your grandest adventure, as you go forth together into the unknown chapters yet to come. I want my work to carry that same "spirit of the west" as you boldly pursue this life.

What is the vision behind "Our Westward Hearts"?

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