Formerly a musician and educator (25+ years), U.S. Army soldier (8 years, SSG), Combatives instructor, stage photographer, portrait photographer, stage manager, word processor, at-home caregiver, truck stop hotel housekeeper and desk clerk, bus girl, corn husker and bean walker, among other things—all work that taught me important lessons about nature and humanity—I grew up outdoors in the rural Midwest, land of big rivers and tall corn, daughter to a factory worker and wildlife conservationist, exploring the forested loess hills, sitting in trees reading and writing poems in my free time. I feel at home in the most remote and quiet places where the more-than-human outnumber the human.

My love for the mountains developed from a family trip to Colorado in the summer of 1990. Since then I've spent countless hours in mountain wilderness in a wide range of terrain and weather conditions. On most occasions you’ll find my beloved dogs at my side. I enjoy guiding others in their first deep wilderness experiences and sharing, through images and words, the beauty and peace of wild places with those who are unable to experience it firsthand.

In 2016, I stepped off on The Colorado Trail just west of Denver with my dog, Mani, and walked sections of the trail with her every season until 2019. That year, just a few weeks before Christmas, I lost Mani to Lymphosarcoma. Shortly after, I adopted Japhy, and we picked up the trail where Mani and I had left off. I now have two dogs, with the addition of Hazel to the pack in 2020, both of whom I’ve trained for wilderness backpacking. On August 20, 2023, we finished The Colorado Trail, seven years after Mani and I started it, and I’m currently working on a photo book with short essays about the experience.

After completing The Colorado Trail, I recommitted to living life on my own terms, circling back to what's always been most important to me: wild places, creative expression, and dogs. I made a goal to buy an old van and hit the road full time with my dogs by the time I turn 50 (2026) and ended up reaching that goal sooner than anticipated (2024). The dogs and I now live and travel full time in a 1995 Dodge Ram B2500 named Guinevere, and I'm embracing online platforms like YouTube and Patreon to create a meaningful livelihood doing what I love.

A worldwide pandemic may have been the driving force behind my shift from full time portrait work to nature photography and writing, but it feels right. While the financial challenges of trying to make a living as an independent artist are very real, my soul is at peace and my heart is full. This year (2025) I’m adding ambient nature films to my artistic work, and I’m very excited to create and share more immersive experiences with others who share a deep connection to wild places.

Links to my nature photography, writing, and filmmaking can be found at fromwildplaces.com.

I also write and vlog about my various adventures living a creative life outdoors—and in a van—with dogs.

If you find any of my work to be of value, please consider a supporting membership on Patreon.