in the last few weeks I have made quite a few trips up the summit on I-80, and the medians in certain areas have been filled with wild california poppy and lupin. there are years that I have been in Truckee that the lupin feels elusive… it’s there, and then you blink and it’s gone or it just didn’t grow where it had been the year before – this year is different!
this year, with the lack of water, due to this lovely drought, what usually looks like a marshy area peppered with a few bushes, there is now a sea of lupin that seems to extend forever! after driving past so many flowers, and seeing images pop-up in my feed it was time to just go. I was determined to experience and document what was out there, and most of all, capture it with my real camera (Lumix GF1) and not just my iPhone 6.
I can’t tell you how good it felt to sit in that field of lupine. it was so peaceful, it made me forget all the worries from the day, and feel free. the only sound other then some geese was the weiner swishing around between the tall purple stocks. the experience made my heart happy and I couldn’t stop smiling.
after taking the time to enjoy the experience, I pocked my lens cap off and turned on my camera, and then for a hot second, I felt a sea of guilt. what was I going to do with the photos? what was my need for capturing this moment? was I just doing it to brag about my adventure? I immediately shook the thought. I realized what I was doing was creating a visual representation of those feelings for myself. the images are a record of my experience, what I felt, thought, saw, and most importantly they are a reminder to keep exploring. the images are to inspire me to do it again, to remember that even though it it was a Wednesday and I was tired, the day didn’t stop me from making a memory that typically only happens on a Saturday.
of course I shared a snapshot on instagram, because I can’t help myself, but not for the reason that I have in the past. it was to say to others, “get in your damn car, run, walk, or ride your bike and go experience this,” not a “HEYYY look where I am (with my tongue stuck out).” my mentality in that area has shifted a lot in the last few weeks. I used to look at images and be jealous, and say I could never do that. I am done with it, I am embracing my somewhat average athletic ability, my auto setting on my camera, and just getting out there and doing stuff. It’s not always about the final result. it’s about your perspective. It’s about my twist, my spin, and MY voice and hopefully with that I can inspire a few others, and if not… then at least I inspired my own damn self, and that’s winning.
side note: this was a solo adventure, and sometimes you need them. they let you connect to nature in a different way, and I wouldn’t trade my experience. however, I did regret not bring hubs, and sharing the experience with him, so I hope to get up early this weekend and go watch the sunrise in the same spot and sip some Tahoe House coffee with him.
// the spot: Gatekeepers Museum in Tahoe City // photos taken at 8:35 pm during sunset //
