Road Trip Update from Portland, Oregon

June 16, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

A week ago today I flew into Fresno, California to begin a National Parks/ National Forests road trip out West. I’ve had so many adventures in the last seven days, and many more to come. I’m already feeling refreshed and inspired, my heart full and grateful. I have a lot that I want to share […]

Here I Am, A Black Woman in America

June 5, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Me 2020 ✊🏽 Grandma 1956 In the years between these photos so much has changed, but still so little progress has been made. Why have I been told before “ you’re so white” What am I doing that’s reserved for white people So much so that I’m no longer true to the color of my […]

Contrasting Landscapes: from Safari to Sea in South Africa

December 12, 2019.Reading time 10 minutes.

Swimming Through Forests We departed from where we were staying in Cape Town at dawn to traverse an entirely different South African landscape. We were headed about 45 minutes south down the cape peninsula to Simon’s Town, where our snorkel safari was set to take place. The drive was nothing short of stunning, the landscape […]

Contrasting Landscapes: From Safari to Sea in South Africa

December 9, 2019.Reading time 13 minutes.

Safari through the Sub Saharan I sat wobbling from side to side in the farthest back row of an open-air van as it made its way down the rocky dirt path into Pilanesberg National Park. Tori Caba, a close friend and fellow naturalist and conservationist whom I had met in college through our shared marine […]

Meditations in nature

August 4, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

“Everyone of us already has the seed of mindfulness. The practice is to cultivate it” -Thich Nhat Hanh To some, meditation may feel unaccessible. It’s a practice that often seems too time consuming, too difficult or unfamiliar, or maybe it just seems impossible simply because a quiet mind is a foreign concept. But truthfully, meditation […]

5 benefits of spending time in nature

July 15, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I think everyone can benefit from getting outdoors a little more, so this week I’m doing exactly that. I’m hiding away on Hog Island in Maine for a nature writing retreat. As I go into this week with a blank notebook, a pen, and an open-mind, I’m already beginning to think of all the benefits […]

To the women who raised me on Mother’s Day

May 12, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

The women who raised me shaped me. I think most men and women can agree with that to some extent. While today the strong female is a rising figure, for me a strong female role model has been a thread throughout my whole life. I think of how I move about my life day to […]

2018 reflections| 2019 resolutions

January 1, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

2018 was a year of tremendous growth for me. I’ve learned so much about myself, my desires, and my values. I’ve grown to appreciate the strength of the relationships that I have with my friends and family. The more I grow the more I find that these are really central to my happiness and how […]

Announcement: I’m releasing an ebook!

September 21, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I’m excited to announce that the blogger behind Thoughts and Thank Yous will be releasing an ebook! The book will touch on intentions, affirmations, and motivations as we all navigate through this crazy journey we call life! Learn about setting & achieving goals, working towards your dreams, all the while staying true to your heart and […]

Words that got me through my week

September 8, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

I’ve been giving myself a lot of pep talks lately, trying to remind myself of who I am and where I’m going. As summer shifts into fall my life has been shifting with it. A whole lot of change has been happening lately, and as excited as I may be to start a new chapter […]