Hey friend,Â
We are officially back state-side. Upon returning from our belated honeymoon through Southeast Asia, I was reminded of this profound quote:Â
It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.
-William Feather
I couldn’t agree more. Beyond reading great books, travel and adventure are the best ways to live many lives in a single lifetime. It is a way to experience profoundly different places, people, and experiences, and to grow more interconnected with all the diverse life around us.
I am so grateful for our time in Southeast Asia, and it’s hard to describe just how much our trip left me inspired with a desire to translate my feelings with paint on paper. Picture this: the misty mountains of Northern Thailand and Laos, where every twist in the road leads might lead to another surreal waterfall. The ancient temples of Cambodia, each stone telling a story older than my brain could ever comprehend. And then, of course, the beaches of Southern Thailand and the Philippines—where the oceans delivered precious encounters with wildlife again and again.  Everywhere I looked, nature seemed to be spilling from my senses, overflowing my cup of inspiration with paintings I can’t wait to bring to life.
Beyond the breathtaking views and endless creative fuel, travel also has a way of giving you perspective. It reminds you of how much we really have. On more than one occasion, I found myself sipping fresh water with a heightened sense of gratitude, knowing that something as simple as clean drinking water is a luxury not everyone has. Time for rest, food at our fingertips, access to resources that make life easier like electricity —it’s easy to take these things for granted. But stepping out of your daily routine and into someone else’s world reminds you just how fortunate we are.
It’s humbling, too, realizing how small the world really is. In the most unexpected moments, you’re reminded that we’re all connected, sharing this one beautiful, fragile planet.
And that’s perhaps one of the most profound takeaways from my travels: we only get one Earth. We’re all living here together, whether we’re trekking up a mountainside in Thailand or throwing our trash away in our home kitchen. It’s our shared responsibility to care for this world, to tread lightly and be mindful of the impact we have.
Travel reminds us of that interconnectedness. It teaches us to be kinder, more grateful, and more aware. And as I sit here, reflecting on everything I saw and learned, I can’t wait to channel that inspiration into my painting this year. To capture feelings of wonder, inspiration, and possibility that can only be found in travel and adventure, and translate those moments onto paper.
My goal this year is to create pieces that remind you that if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, remember: the world is waiting. To remind you that if you love travel and adventure, lean into that! Go out, explore, let the world surprise you. You’ll come back with more than just memories. You’ll come back changed, in the best way possible. The world needs changed people. And who knows? Maybe you’ll experience a few more lives in that lifetime of yours, hidden in a sunrise over the mountains, a dip with a shark, or in the laughter of strangers in a far-off land.
I'm excited for all that's to come this year, and I hope you are too!
Jenny