We are currently living in a time when it seems like everyone is searching for an adventure that will get them the most “likes” on whatever social media platform is on trend that day. The content that is curated makes life on the road and full of travel seem the most desirable. I will confess I was one of those people – trying to become the next Instagram star showcasing how magical it is to live in the moment. I would spend hours trying to think of the most “inspirational” caption, all while spending a majority of my adventures trying to get a picture that would do it justice. At times I would forget to just enjoy the moment. People like this are a dime a dozen. Showcasing how rad life can be for the world to see. After living this way for a while I decided I’d rather enjoy the moment for myself and share my authentic thoughts for whoever cared or wanted to see. I constantly found myself comparing my adventures and my stories to those I followed. I wasn’t going on the insane road trips like everyone. I didn’t have a cool adventure-mobile. I didn’t have the confidence of all those beautiful individuals I follow who live and exist in the desert. I started to crave authenticity – whatever that looks like.

I have discovered at times it is difficult to differentiate authenticity from those who are really good at making their lives seem to be perfect. Moving to a desert town like Moab these individuals live hand in hand. On the one side you have the individuals who are trying to escape the busy city world and find solitude in a tiny desert town. On the other side you have the people who are trying to paint this picture perfect life. The type that has people with seemingly perfect lives exploring some of the grooviest spots on the planet with little worries. The reality is, that doesn’t exist. Exploration is messy. Adventure doesn’t always end with sunshine and rainbows. There are times you will feel really lost and like you have made a huge mistake leaving the stability of your old life. This may not be the most beautifully staged post, but it is the reality. To live more authentically is to show the messy bits of life. I hope that as I continue to grow as an individual I can continually portray my life in the most authentic way possible. I hope to continue to grow from the not so glamorous parts of life. I hope to eventually inspire people to be their truest self, no matter what that looks like. The world will be better off and we will all still seem pretty cool.