in transit

Visual journal of Dec 2025. Back in March, just three months into Abby and I’s Brisbane-Tahoe long-distance journey, I took a leap. I guess applying and being granted an Australia Visa isn’t much of a leap in the moment. That is, until the weeks pass – a silly two weeks together in Indo of scuba, surf, and ‘trail running’, and another 2 weeks stateside in September made that leap become oh so real. On Dec 1 I moved out of Tahoe, leaving behind a rich, adoring community, and familiar terrain to explore the world Down Under with my partner. The following visuals are some of my favorite moments through December as we embark upon a new chapter. 

Cheers

A woman with blonde hair wearing sunglasses, a white sweater, and black pants sits at a wooden picnic table eating food from a plate with a fork. There are two plates of food on the table. In the background, there is a food truck, a flag, and outdoor seating. The setting appears to be an outdoor dining area with clear skies.
Two people, a man and a woman, wearing warm clothing, including hats and scarves, outdoors during sunset or sunrise. The man's hands are near his mouth, and they are close to each other with a landscape in the background.
Person wearing a helmet and backpack sandboarding down a large sand dune in a desert landscape with mountains in the background and cloudy sky.

departing the Sierra, we couldn’t miss an opportunity to earn a few turns - sand boarding Death Valley National Park (middle), a taco stand in Lone Pine outside Whitney –the best of our entire trip– (left), Lee Vining outdoor mecca Woah Nellie Deli closed for the season (right)

Barren landscape with rugged, layered hills and mountains in the distance under a clear sky.
Woman standing outside a closed business at night, with signs on the door and window indicating it is closed, and a bench to the right.

Zabriskie Point (left and right) overlook shots midday before a playful trail run through the grain. Thank you Sierra Trail Run guide book for the recommendation.

Aerial view of the Grand Canyon showcasing layered red rock formations and deep valleys with a clear sky above.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a red puffy jacket sits on a stone ledge at the Grand Canyon with the canyon's colorful landscape and blue sky in the background.
Black and white photograph of a rugged mountainous terrain with ridges and valleys.
Black and white photograph of a canyon with a full moon in the sky above.
Aerial view of the Grand Canyon showing layered rock formations and deep valleys with shadows and sunlight highlighting the rugged terrain.

Our meander to Minneapolis brought us to Flagstaff, another integral community in the trail running scene. However, we were greeted with snow. We took refuge with a day running the trails of Sedona, a bit south and lower elevation. Our next stop was the Grand Canyon. Fearful the steeply shaded north facing trails out of Kaibab were out for the season, we visited Pizzicletta as word on the street was their pizza was as divine as the trail wisdom from the employed pipeline of NAU running athletes (highly recommend). Abby and I enjoyed the most scenic leg-day descending and ascending Bright Angel trail.

Pics left to right: GCNP from South Rim, sunset supermoon rise above the Canyon, GCNP from South Rim.

A woman standing on a rock ledge holding a drink at the Grand Canyon, with layered rock formations and a clear blue sky in the background.

Stuart being Stuart (left), Abby at Gooseneck State Park (middle), I would never quit running… (right)

View of a rock formation through a small opening in a wooden structure.
A person walking along a deserted road in a desert landscape with mesas and buttes in the distance under a clear blue sky.
A woman standing outdoors on a desert-like terrain with rocky formations in the background, posing with one foot on a metal chair.
A vast landscape featuring a dark foreground with distant rock formations and a clear sky.

Our time on the road cultivated so much childlike play, days of the week faded away and movie locations, trails, and the most scenic spots to see the stars and make coffee were our guiding lights. On our way north from Arizona, spent a frosty night outside Monument Valley to see the famous Mittens at sunrise and experience the Navajo taco, detoured into Gooseneck State Park to make cowboy coffee and enjoy the view (bottom right), and act out classic scenes from Forrest Gump (imagery from location in left and top right). Moab provided the comforting milestone of intercepting two of Abby’s dearest pals - Saydee and Tessa - who were on a Heart Song adventures backpacking trip. After a couple days in Moab, including an epic of a canyon trail run, and an easy touristy morning in Arches, we were onto Grand Junction, and our last leg of the roadtrip.

Two hikers with backpacks sitting and standing on a rocky outdoor area, surrounded by dry shrubbery and rock formations, with a trail and a picnic table visible in the background.
A woman smiling holding a bottled drink and a man with long hair wearing a headlamp and a red jacket, making a funny face with a glass in his mouth, both dressed in winter outerwear.
Two women are outdoors in a desert-like area with red rock formations in the background. One woman is on her knees taking a photo, while the other woman is standing and holding a large backpack.

The last of our southern detour brought us to Grand Junction, Colorado to stay with some family friends. We indulged in a shower and a bed, chatted climbing stories, shared opinions on Bloody Mary mixes, and career pursuits of the healthcare flavor. Next on the itinerary was early Christmas in Minneapolis with my family, and a week of the holidays on the east coast. A looming storm in the Rockies prompted us to expedite our stay in western CO. A loaded up Subaru Outback lovingly named Ingrid (proxy payload test) at 6am over Vail Pass in storm conditions surely supplements any necessary caffeine to keep vigilance. We rested in Frisco and deliberated our options with Loveland pass ahead. We drew two Tarot cards from the cafe which determined our fate. Miraculously surviving the descent into Denver the plains of eastern Colorado and Nebraska welcomed us with beyond pesky winds - annoyance boarding dangerous.

We pulled into my family’s driveway and embraced what would be the rest of our December: love, comfort, and family.

Cheers.

Tarot cards (1) tune out the noise, when confronted with uncertainty, trust your intuition, listen to your gut (2) you are empowered to manifest your desired strengths