“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

John Muir

Have you ever cried because the beauty of a place is just. too. much?

I hadn’t. That is until I found myself in Canada. The sights, the sounds, the freshest, crispest air— all of it touched my soul in a way I had never experienced, and I broke wide open. I felt so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be in Canada for a week, doing what I love, with people I genuinely care for and appreciate. It was a combination of being so absurdly in awe of this planet, understanding-but-not-fully-understanding how desperately small we all are, and the realization that I am so unbelievably lucky to experience this type of adventure, that it all far surpassed ‘overwhelming’.

Earlier this year I experienced a bit of burn out. Even before I left for this trip, I was tired. A type of exhaustion lay in my bones and in my spirit; one that no amount of sleep could cure.

I wasn’t in a great mindset heading into the trip. Even after returning, I thought I was done with travel. I had absolutely no interest in leaving my house ever again. I went through this really negative phase (I can’t think of a better word to describe it) that didn’t let up for longer than I care to admit. To this day I can’t exactly put my finger on what it was that made me feel so out of alignment.

Once I left Calgary, making my way through winding Alberta roads, I had a breakthrough of joy. Wonderous, delicious, joy that came from being in the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and am willing to bet, are some of the most beautiful in the entire world. It was as though I were being healed from the inside out by the rocky terrain and chilly temperatures. My skin was shed, another layer peeled down, leaving me raw and exposed to the elements. I welcomed it, bathed in it.

As I’ve been going through the images from Canada, I have to admit that I’ve had a hard time. There is this longing in my chest, a physical ache, that I get when I see them. I didn’t want to leave. I want to go back. Badly.

I’ve never been one to want to revisit the same places, do the same things, eat at the same restaurants, have the same experiences. I’ve lived my entire life searching for more, wanting new, new, new. Canada changed that for me. What I would give to click my heels, close my eyes, and to be able to experience Calgary, Banff, and Yoho National Park all over again in an instant, in a new season.

I know, without a doubt, that one day I will.