I was a little girl, alone in my little world, who dreamed of a little home for me… 

4:30 am and Priscilla Ahn’s voice drifted through the iPhone speakers.

I was on vacation but set the alarm because I thought it was a good idea to wake up with the chipmunks and watch the sunrise.

I needed a time out. Not the sit-in-the-corner-with-my-head-down kind of time out but meaningful time alone. Time out was easy when I lived in Santa Barbara right across from the beach. Now that I don’t have the beach nearby, I find ways to escape so I can just be.

I found a moment alone and much more…high upon the Rubicon Trail.

Rubicon Trail, Lake Tahoe. Taken with Fujifilm Finepix X100 (Not edited.)