The Hearnes Adventure Photography

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reflections from the nomad life // it's getting cold


writing from: a laundromat in moab #adulting


When we first started the nomad life, our biggest fear was winter. What do you do when the sun sets at 5pm, the coffee shop closes at 6, and it's too cold to be outside (we're wimps) by 8? Some people hear we live in a camper and they assume we're talking a nice camper, like something with heat, a table to sit at, and maybe even electricity. No. We have a glorified car-top box. It's literally a plastic shell that holds our bed and tons of storage. While we love it, I must stress that we do not "live" in it. We sleep in it. We live in coffee shops, libraries, deserts, and mountains. So when the first two are closed and the second two are miserably cold, we sit in the car trolling our phones until bed time. I'm just being real here! Although, we met some new friends that have graciously invited us to hang out with them in their RV (with a heater!!!) a few nights this week so we've been pretty spoiled. Side note: said friend gave me a tattoo in his RV and I'm obsessed with it. I had to keep taking my wedding ring off to do cool stuff (like skydive and rock climb) so I finally followed in Callen's footsteps and got the tat

ANYWAY. There is a cold front coming in tonight and it's supposed to get down to 23 degrees tomorrow night and I'm already being dramatic about it. It's going to be ROUGH waking up when it's 29 degrees at 8am. Pray for me. 

While it may seem like I'm complaining, I promise I'm out-of-my-mind thankful for this life. We're sticking it through the end of November in Moab for a big festival our friends are putting on for high-lining and BASE jumping (and other rad desert shenanigans) and the festivities have been building this past week. We went out to the place where they set all the lines a few days ago and got to take some rad photos of walkers and a few BASE jumpers. The day after that, Callen and our buddy Andy (remember his epic 30th birthday?) got a wild hair and went out on a no-plan, hope-this-works, mini-expedition to get a rad shot of Andy high lining with the Supermoon. They ended up getting a super epic shot that is blowing everyone's mind. No photoshop involved, just creative guys in the desert with a huge zoom lens (1000mm!) and a fun idea.

It's been strange to settle in to normal life here in Moab. I have been extremely busy editing photos every day, responding to e-mails, booking for 2017, etc. but I am so thankful for it! The work I'm doing in the library, the laundromat, and the coffee shop (I need a change of pace every now and then) is allowing us to be present, camera in hand, when an epic shot like this occurs:

and I couldn't be more thrilled. Life has been crazy but it's been so good. Plus, I'm anticipating quite a few days off next week for the festival! But it does feel strange to spend a full day working and come outside to the sun already gone. Again, I don't want to sound like I'm complaining! I'm so happy. I love editing, love emails :), and love blogging! It's just strange to no longer be on vacation while we're here, because our life is a vacation. 

So, as far as reflections go, the desert is cold. Moab is amazing. We're becoming way better photographers. We're learning a ton. Meeting wonderful friends. Loving life. And I got a tattoo in an RV. Here's some photos of life recently.