Yosemite

Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

My absolute favorite place to go is Yosemite.

Besides being so breath-taking because of its beauty, I’ve formed many wonderful memories there. Any story or picture of the area in the news, grabs my attention and hearing about it always brings a smile on my face—it doesn’t take but a second to feel like I’m there—my family knows much I love it. It’s actually my dad’s favorite spot too.

Why I love this place is because of climbing Half Dome. Besides seeing a stunning view from any point in the hike, it was such a sense of accomplishment—it pushed me physically—getting to the top was definitely a rush. I’ve been lucky enough to climb it several times now with different members of my family and with friends. I’m not sure how many times I’ve visited the park—it’s been too many. Some of those moments have been birthdays, going with our kid’s grandparents, climbing North Dome, skiing Badger Pass, driving in a snow storm…and yet every time I visit, whatever we end up doing there, I feel so connected and complete. The beauty inspires me—replenishes creativity in my work. The moments of solitude & reflection as we hike or hear birds or water in the background is so soothing. An adventure for sure, watching the water crash down or pushing my body to climb for hours. But most importantly, I’ve enjoyed sharing these moments with family & friends—we love re-telling stories of our times we spent together or family traditions made. Yosemite will always have a special place in my heart.

- MSS