One of the many reasons I moved to Arizona from Chicago is because of the endless scenery and variety of environments that exist here! I absolutely love the desert but Arizona is amazing in the way that if you need a break you can always head up north for something more forest-y or if you’re looking for a breezy day. There’s such a diverse selection of beauty here, contrary to what people believe there is quite a bit of lakes and small bodies of water here. You can in fact go play in the snow, you don’t have to say goodbye to the greenery and you can pretty much choose what type of surroundings you’d like to endulge yourself in.
Being from Chicago I seen a lot of buildings (lol), and flat ground, grass & cornfields. There wasn’t anything really worth seeing which I’m sure most would disagree with. Tourists, anyway. Or... those who didn’t actually grow up in Chicago but moreso the artsy fartsy parts people like to give the most attention to as if 75% of the city isn’t borderline trash. Love my city and where I come from, always! Buuuut growing up in the Southside, my perspective is justified haha.
So, I feel like when I first made the move to Arizona two years ago I crazy took advantage of everything around me and was exploring as much as I could, rightfully so. As time passed, the busier I got, etc. I dropped off taking adventures and appreciating the beauty around me. I often will head outdoors for shoots because I prefer that scenery but evenso, modeling isn’t exactly ‘appreciating’ what’s around me, I don’t have the time during a shoot. It’s usually come and go once the photos are completed and focusing on the photos for the duration of the shoot of course as opposed to what’s happening around me, unfortunately lol.
That being said, I’m going to start trying to take more day trips and weekend adventures, especially with my dog! He has been super cuddly the past few days, I think we need more bonding time. Going to do my best to take at least two day trips a month, either a Saturday or a Sunday, that doesn’t necessarily involve shooting. Just spending some time in nature, exploring new places, adventuring with my dog while endulging in some cannabis along the way. Nothing more peaceful than sitting with the breeze, looking out at the world in its natural state with a joint, a blunt, or a bowl..
I don’t have any shoots scheduled this weekend so I think this will be my first go at kicking off my new monthly routine of being a weekend wanderer once again. I want to take advantage of all the beauty around me and really think it will benefit me both physically and mentally.
Looking forward to sharing some of these new adventures with you soon 🍃✨💚☀️🌵
Photo by: @Alissa