Growing up with the Eastern Sierras as a backyard certainly had a formative influence on this mountain girl's heart. I grew up in a high desert town called Ridgecrest - a gas stop for many Mammoth snowbirds - population 25K. It took 15 minutes to drive across town, 17 during rush hour. Summers hit 120 degrees, and 75 mph winds were not unusual, especially when the fair or hot air balloon festival came to town. Our trendiest shopping spots were Contempo Casual and Miller's Outpost before they closed, but we also had a Mervyn's and the mall was just a quick hour and a half drive away 😑.
Despite these small town pangs to my young heart, I also had a 360-degree view of the mountains and easy access to wildernesses like this one.
The sunrises and sunsets were glorious, and at night you felt like you were swimming in a snow globe filled with stars.
My trajectory from Ridgecrest has taken me many places, but my yearning for and seeking out of nature remains constant. And, every time I come back home for a visit, I'm reminded of why.
Wishing everyone a wonderful new week filled with moments to marvel at the world and all its natural beauty <3