Pinching Myself
There are moments in life when I have to stop, look around, and ask myself, How did I get here?
This trip was one of those moments.
As I wandered through centuries-old villages, lingered over long meals, visited bustling markets overflowing with fresh produce and flowers, and painted alongside an incredible group of artists, I found myself thinking over and over again...
How lucky am I?
Not lucky because life has always been easy. It certainly hasn't.
Lucky because somewhere along the way I decided to follow the little whisper that kept telling me to paint. To keep showing up. To keep learning. To keep sharing what I love.
And somehow that path has led me here.
It still amazes me that I get to travel to beautiful places, teach something that fills my heart, and meet people who begin as students and leave as lifelong friends.
One of the greatest gifts of these workshops isn't just the art we create—it's the community that forms around the easels. We come together from different places and different walks of life, connected by a shared desire to slow down, notice beauty, and create something with our own hands.
There is something magical about painting in a place you've only dreamed of visiting. The light is different. The colors feel richer. Even simple things—a basket of peaches, a weathered doorway, fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see—become unforgettable.
But what stays with me most are the conversations over coffee in the morning, the laughter around the dinner table, the encouraging words exchanged while paintings are still in their messy middle, and the hugs goodbye that never seem long enough.
Art has given me so much more than paintings.
It has given me friendships.
It has given me confidence.
It has given me adventures I never imagined were possible.
Most of all, it has reminded me that it's never too late to build a life that feels deeply aligned with who you are.
If you've been following along from home, thank you for being part of this journey. Your encouragement, your kind messages, and your enthusiasm make these experiences even sweeter. I truly love bringing you along, whether through photos, videos, or stories shared from a little café or a sunlit studio halfway around the world.
As I unpack my suitcase, I'm smiling because this isn't the end of the adventure. In the months ahead, I'll have the privilege of teaching in Connecticut, Morocco, and France, and I still have to pinch myself that this is the life I get to live. Every workshop reminds me that art has a beautiful way of bringing strangers together and sending them home as friends. If one of these adventures has been calling your name, I'd love to paint alongside you someday.
Until then, I'll keep pinching myself... because this creative life continues to be more beautiful than I ever imagined.
