It all began in Colorado… (because of course it did.)
Buena Vista, Colorado, stands as one of my absolute favorite destinations. Over the past several years, I've been fortunate to visit multiple times, and each experience has been uniquely rewarding.
On my most recent trip, I had the pleasure of experiencing Buena Vista's winter season for the first time—a truly delightful experience. Each morning, as the sun rose over the freshly snow-capped mountains, I was met with their breathtaking beauty.
As I designed this site, I aimed to capture the magic of this special place, infusing its unique charm into the design of the user experience.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
The "desert" themed pages of the site are inspired by the Great Sand Dunes National Park . I was fortunate enough to hike one of the tallest dunes, the "Star Dune" in my early 20's with one of my best friends. It was a real butt-kicker, but the memory of successfully making it to the top still stands today as one of my proudest accomplishments (hiking uphill in sand is ....really tough), and peaking the dune right as the sun was setting was a sight I will never forget.
Milky Way Galaxy
The "cosmic" pages in the articles section were inspired by a recent hike I took near the Midland Tunnels in Buena Vista, Colorado.
There, I stood on an abandoned railway bridge overlooking the Arkansas River, enduring near-freezing temperatures. As I gazed up, I witnessed the most breathtaking and complete view of the night sky I had ever seen. The Milky Way stretched across the heavens, its depth and beauty beyond what any photograph I had ever seen could capture. In that moment, my concerns and problems felt insignificant compared to the infinite expanse of the universe.
Other Inspiration
I always have Spotify on while coding or designing. While building this site, I've worn out the new track "Jupiter" by one of my favorite artists, deadmau5.
Honorable mention goes to m83's latest amnesia and gorillaz cracker island - thanks for the jams.
Special Thank You
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the following individuals, without whom this site might not have come to fruition—or at least not in its current form.
Lindsey: For your unwavering support, constructive feedback, unconditional love, and invaluable contributions to the site. And for your awe-inspiring photography skills 😊
Daniel: For taking me to the most beautiful hidden gems and exciting adventures in Colorado, and for your unending personal support and deep conversations.
Ben: For inspiring me to dream without limits and to pursue what truly brings me happiness.
Jack McDade: A very very special thank you to Jack McDade and the entire Laravel community for their exceptional work on Statamic CMS, on which this site is built. Statamic is a masterpiece in its own right and a joy to develop with.
I also wouldn't have had the confidence to take bold design leaps (or any leaps for that matter) on this site without Jack's excellent course, "Radical Design." I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their design skills or who has ever felt they couldn't design something worthy of the public eye.