Category: Editor’s Letter

It’s that time in the Pacific Northwest when it feels safe (nearly) to put away your rain gear and slip on your sandals — especially “Green Trees and Sunshine | explore:NW “

Have you ever made a bucket list? Recently, my husband and I put together a small time capsule. It was nothing elaborate, just a jar “A Dreamer’s Sparkplug | explore:NW ”

Have you noticed the joy people have for life lately? In July my husband and I took our first family vacation since the pandemic. Everywhere we went, people were filled with an exuberant passion for even just the littlest of things.

After a year of enforced patience, there is a sense of relief at the return of schools, businesses, and travel plans long put on hold. I’ve noticed friends and strangers alike are reveling at simple niceties that would have previously been overlooked, or perhaps even scorned.

In the last few months, I’ve traveled a lot. Just not in the way I expected.

I’ve gone miles upon miles over dirt paths and gravel roads. With my 26-pound (and growing) 10-month-old, I’ve stomped through mud puddles and creeks. We’ve clamored over fallen trees, spent many an afternoon crawling through the grass, and often enjoyed physically distant visits with the neighbors.

As I write this, it’s been four months of physical distancing. I mourn those we’ve lost and grieve for those separated from loved ones, who lost their jobs, and who shut down their businesses. All things considered, my little family of four (husband, 8-month-old, and fur baby) has been holding up all too well (hello guilt!) in our country home.

Ever since I was a girl, I’ve been a passionate explorer, and I love working on a magazine that fully embraces this pastime. In my “Seeing with Fresh Eyes | explore:NW”

That amazing, sun-kissed hike you see on the cover of this issue? Well, it’s not where I am right this second. But boy, do I “Savoring the Adventure | explore:NW”

I remember the summer before I started my business — before I had a husband and a house and a 100-pound fur baby to care “Explore Like a Local | explore:NW”