what Emma G. felt (official journey + photo session)

“mossbrae falls”

i know now
there is
within me
a waterfall
that cannot be
quieted

Cool wind prickling against the nape of my neck and feet teetering on an embankment of smoothed stones, I summon the phrase I use most often for my children.

What’s the best part of being afraid?

You get to be brave.

I shoot a jittery smile at my friend - my guide - and trip, tumble, leap forward. I shout, nearly incomprehensible beneath the Mossbrae’s thunder, “water is a blessing.”

- - - 

To be honest, I imagined my Water and Woods journey would play out something like a domestic Eat, Pray, Love. I would “find myself” sitting under starbright skies, snap a hundred enviable photos, and finally embrace the healing powers of meditation and deep breathing. A whole week off - kid-, husband-, and job-free - to write poignant poems about aging into a new decade, all wrapped in the heady beauty of a lush Oregon in July.

I got it all wrong. And for that, I’m grateful. 

The Water. 

I can still feel the glacier melt current beneath Mossbrae Falls scald my skin and drag me, kicking and laughing, far from my jump-off point on the embankment. The sweetness of Mt. Shasta headwaters lingers on my tongue. My stomach lurches and drops as I recall the Sacramento River crossing. I slip on a carpet of algae laden stones and my feet go all the way over my head. The River babble is more akin to laughter as it rips the water shoes right off my feet and sprints them away around the bend.

That was all just the first day.

Waters found me bracingly and warmly. Still and gushing. Searing hot springs and ice melt streams. The crystal blue waters at Crater Lake National Park. Multnomah Falls draping down the cliffside. 

Our journey saw endless opportunities to appreciate Oregon’s rivers and lakes and I found my quietest, happiest moments on their shores. I lived in Phoenix Arizona at the time and so water really was a blessing. In Oregon, meditation became as simple as time spent silenting appreciating the sounds, sights, and crisp air of a churning river.

The Woods.

I didn’t know that Oregon was a high desert until my journey began and it was often hard to believe given the endless back roads framed by towering pines. “Woods” took on new meaning as the journey moved on. I sat in a field of lavender humming with honey bees and filled a basket full of blackberries from a bush as tall as a house. I marveled at the pines charred black in the prior year’s fires and green regrowth below them. 

And it was among those pines that I found my photoshoot inspiration.

It was a forest still recovering from wildfires but already lively with an undergrowth of ferns and purple wildflowers. We arrived at dawn with plans of shooting near hot springs, but I was stopped halfway down the path. A large stump stood in the middle of the wildflowers and Queen Anne’s lace. With encouragement to go where I was called, I sat on the stump, breathed deep, and stretched my arms as though to hold the warm sunlight itself.

I cherish the photos taken of that moment deeply and can’t help but grin when I recall that it’s the freest I’ve ever felt; bathing in sunlight on an old tree stump in the earliest hours of my 30th birthday. 

The Guide.

“What do you want to do, Emma? This is your journey.”

Noelle’s grounded guidance made seven days of transition, movement, and novelty the wonderful, wilding journey it was. The itinerary came together over several calls. Noelle prepared a Journeys travel deck that wove together my goals and expectations for the Water and Woods journey and the nitty gritty details of life on the road. She went the extra mile with transparency, going as far to provide airfare estimates and pricing for a range of accommodations along the route. Noelle pushed for intentionality and empowerment in planning but didn’t shy away from flexibility or meeting the moment. Her confidence was rooted in more than a decade of experience as a photographer and nomad, and it was contagious. I arrived at our Journey with jittery excitement but also grounded in a sense of safety and support.

Noelle proved to be a capable and inspired guide, with much of the Journey spent in untread havens and each day led with intention and curiosity. Noelle encouraged reflection and mindfulness through early morning journal prompts and daily check-ins. Her itinerary suggestions were invaluable; our spur-of-the-moment adventures included camping in an A-frame cabin along the Sacramento River, cooking ramen atop Crater Lake National Park, and wandering through fields of lavender abuzz with thousands of honey bees. Noelle always had a Plan B and C, and she encouraged me to listen to my body for signs of the need for rest. 

Above all else though, Noelle shone the brightest through her photography. Noelle’s talent for capturing the joy and serenity of simple moments was truly incredible. Her professionalism and passion guided us through a session full of communication and laughter; you can see my ease and excitement in every photo. Noelle’s photos truly captured me at my brightest and I find myself transported back to those deliciously free moments each time I look at them.