Evan and I celebrated 4 months of marriage on August 18. Starting then, we decided we would take that day off each month until our one year anniversary and use that time to explore a part of Puerto Rico that we had yet to visit. So mid week, we brushed off our hiking shoes, packed a daypack and began our journey to the western-central part of the island. We were headed to the mountains! Well, to a lake in the mountains. Lago Dos Bocas was the destination, and the drive there was quite a sight as well. Twists and turns through the mountains, down into the valleys, along the edges of hills overlooking the lush farms and jungles of Lares and Utuado. Through a bamboo covered road, and out over a dam holding back this man-made lake surrounded by steep sided mountains. We arrived in early afternoon, just as everyone at the Department of Transportation-run office of this park was leaving for lunch. Naturally. So we explored a bit on the roads nearby, returning at …

Some of my favorites from roaming the Pacific Northwest – in particular, the Redwood Forest and the Pacific coastline in California. Evan and I have such an itch to get back here again. I loved California and Oregon. I’ve since visited both states again, post-roadtrip 2012, but not in the same fashion as this trip. Roaming through the great outdoors is my favorite way to experience a new place. Evan and I both agree that we could happily live in the PNW… if only the water were warmer. I suppose there’s a tradeoff everywhere, but that one is almost a total deal breaker for us. My favorite part of the Pacific coastline was the succulents. The colors were so vibrant. I loved how their seemingly feeble bodies clung to the edge of the cliff sides, taking a beating from the salt air, but still continuing to thrive. Such life! I collected so many sand dollars from these gray and black shores. This is also where we joined a couple close friends and their son for …

I love living here. This island has an abundance of natural beauty, and in some cases it seems so untouched by human hands. I feel like I have walked back in time to moments before humans populated the earth, in the stillness of the world around me I can almost feel in complete solitude in with nature. I know it is unlikely that I will be here forever, so I take all the opportunities to explore and capture the beauty with my camera. So today, I just wanted to share some of my favorite shots from different places around the island. Cabo Rojo Lighthouse: the view of the ocean from these cliffs is breathtaking. This is the point in Puerto Rico where the Caribbean Sea (to the south) meets the Atlantic Ocean (to the north). You can typically find iguanas sunbathing on the rocks of the cliffs. Cueva Ventana: “Window Cave” is by far my favorite place on the island. We take all of guests here, this is my favorite view. A hike through a …