johua tree | following the light

after tedactive, i spent a couple days in joshua tree to decompress from an exhausting/energizing week. i went from spending 24/5 with 800 people to the solitude of the desert. it was the perfect way to bookend such a powerful week of inspiration, ideas, paradigm shifts and relational progress. i went from listening to people talk (and talking myself) to spending most of my time quietly being and listening to the presence of the desert.

the ted conference teaches me that humans have a tremendous capacity to discover and articulate the mysteries of and "solutions" for this world. it's blown my mind at times. but, in its silence, the wilderness articulates this world's truths by simply being itself. it's been preparing its "18-minute talk" since the beginning of time and has always been open source for anyone who wants to listen. the wilderness invites me to be with, not needing to be anyone else but me. i don't have to show it my resume or list my accolades or tell her who i know. she invites me to show up simply as i am. it's there i remember that i am beloved in all the world, to the Creator of it all.



perhaps that's why i love being in the wilderness so much.

towards presence.

i shouldn't be, but i am.

i'm astounded by how easily i slip into dwelling in the past or the future, 

my mind dances with what's possible (or not), 

and what is no longer. 

sometimes it's easier and seemingly less painful to be doing that dance, rather than being present to what is right in front of me. 

but yesterday, i drove over 200 miles to go visit two friends for their annual crab fest. (the term "annual" is used loosely here.) i was slightly hesitant to go because there was a part of me that felt like the drive would be daunting given the current downpour of rain. and it was. i saw a car spin out of control along with several accidents, sat in 0mph traffic, and hit two of the biggest potholes i've ever encountered on a back country road to bodega bay. (poor little civic.)

but i felt some things i haven't felt in a while...inspired. 

and hopeful.

and eager.

and i felt myself moving towards presence.

for now, i can breathe deep again. 

i leave for peru today for a rainy trip to an ancient world. i'm looking forward to the experience and am hopeful for what it might bring. 

hope you end your 2012 with days full of presence, curiosity, and delight. see you in 2013!

peace, 
liz

havasupai | all the little things

(and sometimes big.)

 

 

 

twined.

portrait of a tree | larry

my shadow connects me to the one more lonely than i.

mt. diablo | a peak & a friend.

i was desperate to go camping, antsy to get out, and relieved when i finally did. sorrel and i went up to mt. diablo for an overnight on 1/15-1/16, froze when it dropped below freezing, and ate chips & mango salsa for dinner and breakfast. lol. we also had a bandit come steal much of our deliciousness, including dehydrated persimmons! rar. 

looks like elephant feet, right?

i wish | perched

merry | a tree named benny.

it's my first live christmas tree, ever.

growing up, my parents were always worked throughout the christmas season since it was the busiest time of year. you see, they owned a toy & gift store practically my whole life. my sisters and i were always busy helping out at the store, wrapping up other kids' toys. so celebrating christmas usually fell by the wayside for my family. in fact, it was usually a pretty stressful time. and after a long day at the store, we were too pooped to do anything. and by "we" i mean, my parents. i'm not sure how my sisters felt, but as a young child, i did get pretty wide-eyed at the wonder of christmas - the lights, the gifts, the mystery of santa claus - but i never knew how to rally a family of all older people to get on board with a holiday i secretly wanted to relish. i was just a wee little lass with a small voice, envious of the stories & delights i had only really heard of. 


two sundays ago, i moseyed over to a christmas tree lot to take a gander at the selection and within the first 7 seconds, i saw my tree. nameless at first, by the time i paid and got the trunk trimmed, his name came to me. benny. (the boy that helped me load the tree in my car suggested the name jerry since "benny's are usually tall." i laughed and let him know i'd consider it, even though i had immediately vetoed it in my mind. hehe.)


i've dressed benny simply, with some white lights and a few clear ornaments. & i think i like him, a lot. : ) 


but more than having a tree, i'm just appreciating that my inner little lizzy gets a chance to relish christmas just a bit this year...

chicago | light & leaves.

muir woods | a rainbow, a hike, & dragon's breath

up & down the dipsea
we roamed...
 

 

ashland | hyatt lake sunset, ii

another take of spectacular beauty!

ashland | hyatt lake sunset

completely enthralled by ashland, oregon. i am so utterly taken by this weekend's trip because of stuff like this:

simplicity complexity simplicity complexity

more from the drive up hwy one.

lovers.

i stared at unabashed lovers on a mid-morning hike.

two different trees forming so natural a connection. 

taking slow dance to a different realm of comprehension;

they count in decades, not in steps.

swirling at each other's branches

leaning in and out

bending by the month.

i wonder if they resonate with this poem by ee cummings.

high sierra trail | texture

i felt a small explosion inside when i saw this fallen sequoia. (i think it's a sequoia.) i sat near these exposed roots when we stopped for lunch on day 3. after consuming my (unfortunately) never-ending supply of peas and beets, i took some time to examine all of its beauty. 


this shot is my favorite of all the textures i saw on this trip. all of the live and dead wood was...heavenly.

high sierra trail | day 1 | crescent meadow to bearpaw

after hiking 11.4 miles, we witnessed the sun leave it's soft print while setting into the valley. this experience set the tone for how this trip would be: exquisite. 

for more pics, check out the facebook album.