Last week, we went to Raleigh for a work event. We stayed the weekend and found a couple of hikes. I admit, I wasn't too excited about the hikes to begin with. I like to hike for the views, the big views. So on the drive to the first hike, I was kind of dreading it. It was so humid and damp and there would be no mountain top, sweeping vistas to reward us at any point.

But as we started, I kept thinking about a photographer I follow. He's been published in National Geographic and other publications and he does YouTube Videos where he takes you on a photo shoot and walks you through his thought process. He made dried mud, in Death Valley look beautiful and interesting! He has a common theme, photos should tell a story. So I decided to find my views elsewhere, in the unexpected places of the forest, and see what story I could tell. I had so much fun and found beauty in the most unexpected places.

But of course, it made me stop and consider how I live life... How often do I just trudge through the mundane, always waiting for the next mountain top experience? How often do I miss beauty and joy because I'm not always looking for them, because my mind is somewhere else, wishing for something bigger? We're off to hike again this weekend! I can't wait to see what treasures are in store.

Here are some of my favorites... who knew moss could be so beautiful!