Breath

Dec 8

Breathe, I thought to myself, standing next to Chris… Just breathe.

Since I was little, I had an urge to adventure beyond my hometown of Amarillo. I would lose all track of time immersing myself in books, getting captivated by lives I felt were too far out of reach.

Now, I look back on all my travels and realize how quickly I dive in—wanting to explore every nook and cranny, afraid to miss something I’d regret—never taking a moment to enjoy the present. Worried that the life I built will be stripped away in that very second.

So in this moment, while standing on a beach next to the man I love, watching every worry get swept away with the push and pull of each wave, I breathe. My toes sink deeper in the sand while the insecurities of life are buried under the rocks, shells, and coral of the Pacific. The never-ending horizon grasps my soul, intertwining passion and adventure as if I could take on the world—waving goodbye to the trauma, pain, and cruelty that so often torment us.

Pura Vida, as we learned from many locals, means hello, have fun, good times, and so much more. But to me, standing there gazing into the unknown, it means a new start—a new perspective on a blessed life I so often take for granted.