Has it really already been three months???

It has, unbelievably. We are closing out our time here in Tucson and have just signed on the dotted line for our next assignment:

Redwood City, California!

Redwood City is just south of San Francisco and we are excited for the extreme change in scenery as we leave this stunning blooming desert behind for the world’s tallest trees and rolling coastal fog.

After more than a year and a half on the road, you would think we’d have grown accustomed by now to the transition inherent in this lifestyle. And while we have in many ways, I’m still a bit surprised to feel the tug of resistance to change each time we begin to pack up and prepare for a new place. I catch myself clinging to the now familiar (“but I really like this grocery store!”) and worrying about whether we’ll find what we need in the new place (spoiler alert: we always do).

I have a feeling the resistance is just a part of my hardwiring, a part of the ever-present tension between the self who gets restless itchy feet and craves the road and the self who thrives on structure and routine in her creative process. It turns out that resistance isn’t really that big a deal so long as I don’t let it call the shots.

Over and over when faced with transitions of every sort- moving, career changes, break-ups, whatever- it seems that it is the same tool I reach for regardless of what direction my fear and resistance to change come from:

Curiosity.

Curiosity is at the heart of everything that propels me forward. It reminds me to reach for these new places, new experiences, with open eyes, open ears, and an open heart. It reminds me of the gifts each place on our journey has given us: new friends, new appreciation for fresh landscapes, new knowledge of flora and fauna and history, a new understanding of how wide the idea of home can spread.

Curiosity has fueled every connection we’ve made. It nudges me just past the edge of my comfort zone and lends excitement to what might otherwise just be painful or scary or awkward. It whispers that change is usually just a pseudonym for opportunity, that touching fear every once in awhile brings us more fully alive.

It reminds me that change can actually even be fun…who knew? That the world is both enormous and full of wonder, and that it is small and full of people who share in that wonder.

So as we begin our mad scramble of “lasts” before we drive away in just over two weeks (our last growler fill at Pueblo Vida, or our last long run in Tucson Mountain Park, or our last overnight camp on Mount Lemmon...), I will soak in every last bit of The Old Pueblo before we go with gratitude. And then I will turn my gaze north and west and look for enormous trees on the horizon, eager to learn what they can teach me in just three short months.

Onward we go, ever curious, my friends.

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The latest edition of Rova Magazine came out yesterday and I was honored to contribute some thoughts and photos to an article about travel photography that’s tucked in among other inspiring pieces totally worth checking out! Be sure to pick one up at your local book store or view the digital edition here!