Outside is my BEST side.

It all started when…

I was crushing hard on this cute guy in my college study abroad program. It was Fall 2011 and I was living in Hong Kong for a semester. I met this boy during welcome festivities at our host university and we became friends. Near the end of our program as we were about to return to California, he asked me to go on a hike. I was thrilled to do ANYTHING with him, so I agreed immediately. I let him pick the hike and he selected Sharp Peak.

As the name suggests, Sharp Peak is the highest peak in Hong Kong. Although I was previously exposed to hiking (shout-out to my best friend for bringing me along her family excursions!), Sharp Peak was my first real hike. I slipped numerous times during the steep ascent, but Cute Boy was behind me and literally caught me when I fell. There were a couple of close calls where he heroically saved me from rolling down the hill. Swooned.

Fast forward to today…

Cute Boy (now a man) and I are married. On that fateful day at Sharp Peak, I did not fall off the mountain, but I did start falling in love with my two greatest joys: the outdoors and Reko.

Reko is an adventurous soul. About 1.5 years into our relationship, he introduced me to REI (take all my money). I didn’t know it then, but he was slowly converting me to an outdoorswoman. We were tackling more serious hikes, and I realized I needed more legit gear. Reko purchased my first daypack in 2013: a CamelBak Trinity backpack, which I retired after seven solid years of use. He also bought my first pair of hiking boots: Salomon X Ultra 2 Mid GTX (these are the best). It was a long overdue upgrade from my budget Big 5 tennis shoes. All of this is to say, Reko played an instrumental role in connecting me with the outdoors. He’s been my trail partner since 2011. And he’s the mastermind behind 91% of the pictures on my site. Photo creds go to him.

Note on photos in this blog: Reko is into film photography, so a majority of the pictures here have a grainy feel to them. He uses a Nikon FE with a 50mm prime lens, and mostly shoots in Portra or Ektar. All digital photos are captured with our smartphones.

Reko and I reside in the Bay Area. Our favorite way to experience nature is by hiking and camping. We love the challenge and reward of trekking to rugged, hard-to-reach places. It’s also a fantastic way to disconnect from civilization and day-to-day distractions. Each summer, we try to take at least three backpacking trips. This is a huge accomplishment for me because I’m as OCD as they come. Can you imagine a clean freak and germophobe hiking for days in the same clothes, zero showers, and basically surrounded by dirt? Neither can I, but here I am. Further proof that Mother Nature has stunning and mystical powers.

As much as I adore spending time in the outdoors, I equally love the behind-the-scenes elements: planning trips, ironing out logistics, and dehydrating backcountry meals. I want to share my insights and experiences so you feel inspired to get outside.

So, go out there! Explore the remarkable wilderness, learn to respect it, perhaps commit to protecting it, but always leave it better than you found it.