The leaves are changing and the temperature is dropping here in Moab once again. It also means that I have called this desert town home for a year. I have been splitting my time between living in a home with amazing room mates and the most precious little animals and sleeping under a tarp with teenage boys that 9 times out of 10 hate you. This year has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling years of my life. I have found a job that I am still excited about. I am able to help kids navigate the struggle that is adolescence all while having the most beautiful backdrop to call my office.  I have spent half of this year covered in a fine layer of dirt existing only in the outdoors and the other half trying with all my might to play outside and try new adventures.

My year in the desert can be described as transformative. I have found the courage to seek out new adventures. I have learned to climb outside. I found a passion for harnessing up, tying myself to a rope and pushing myself to climb things that seem impossible. I have found joy in hiking to the top of canyons, and rappel down hundreds of feet. I have run through canyons, over the red rocks, and under the hot hot sun. I love being surrounded by adventurous souls who are constantly searching for the next stoke. I have seen some incredibly groovy sites. From arches that essentially seem to have appeared out of nowhere, to mountains that are covered in the most magnificent wildflowers, everything is truly spectacular. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to call this place my home.

When I moved to Utah, I had no idea I would still be here a year later, and still be as excited as I was last year. I have found a job that brings endless excitement. I found a community that makes my soul so incredibly happy. I have found a constant sense of adventure. Though each week that I work can lead to unexpected things and my off shift tends to be a constant adventure as opposed to a reset, my time in Utah has proven to be the most rejuvenating. I cannot wait for what this next year has in store.