The Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The Transition Year
Happy New Year!
I’m sitting here writing this, the first day of 2026, reflecting upon 2025 and the implications it had on my future. I see 2025 as the transition year—a transition between the old life I’ve left behind and the new life I haven’t quite reached yet.
If you recall, way back in 2024 I quit my job of 16 years and sold my home and most of my possessions—my goal being to travel the world taking photos. But that plan was delayed for various reasons, and because I didn’t want to return to my old life in the meantime, 2025 became an in-between chapter—and a year that, although not the final goal, proved to be an important step towards that goal.
2025 was filled with things that are really important to me: photography, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, travel, reading and spending lots of time with friends, family and my dog, Rosie.
But the most impactful part of 2025 was when I loaded my car and began a multi-week road trip through the southwest. The road trip, in and of itself, was an incredible adventure that I’ll never forget, but the experience of living out of my car for weeks is what inspired me to finally buy a van.
Then, in one of the bolder decisions I’ve ever made, I decided to convert that van myself, even though I had practically zero experience doing so. It became, by far, the largest project I’ve ever assigned myself and was an emotional rollercoaster from the start—stress and anxiety followed by overwhelming pride, joy and a sense of accomplishment. What a ride!
I don’t want to count my eggs before they hatch, as life has a funny way of altering even our best laid plans, but thanks to the events of 2025, and barring any bad luck that disrupts the projection of things, it’s looking like 2026 is the year I finally hit the road full-time, to live the life I’ve dreamed about for so long. And I couldn’t be more excited!
As always, thank you for the love and support. I’ll be here sharing photos and writing about whatever adventures unfold in my life.
Much love,
Jake
P.S. I’d love to know, how would you sum up your 2025 and what are you hoping for in 2026?
