Explore: Passport To Your National Parks

As we move through life, we inevitably evolve and change. We reach moments of clarity, seek purpose, and sometimes redefine ourselves completely. I've always loved the quote from Octavia Butler: "All that you touch you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change."

But with change also comes new connections and opportunities. When I was battling cancer, a journey I don’t recommend, I was Inspired by Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Unable to clean out my closets due to low energy, I found myself cleaning up my life while recovering in bed after chemotherapy. I was clearing out parts of my life that no longer sparked joy, including activities like tennis, and making space for the passions that truly filled me up — like adventuring in nature (and pickleball!)

During that time, I remembered my long-held dream of visiting every National Park. Then I thought: why not take it further and aim to visit all 420+ units of the National Park Service? While healing, I began the joyful task of listing every park I had visited (with photo evidence!) and filling up my beloved Passport To Your National Parks book. I started with 50 NPS units — and today, I’ve reached 205 and counting.

Each park has gifted me unforgettable memories, and the adventure is far from over. I'm always plotting and planning my next journey, and I’m grateful every day for the unexpected ways change can lead to new passions, deeper healing, and a renewed sense of purpose.