Eat. Sleep. Travel. Repeat.

Then chase the Aurora at every opportunity! In our times, I feel very fortunate to live the life I have now, and to share the experience of the Aurora with so many people. It’s an honor to chase our dreams together!

Filled with adventure, travel and Northern Lights, here’s a look at my year in review.

January

Setting out to travel to many states in 2023, I kicked off the year with a work trip to cover the American Meteorological Society conference in Denver. Out west, I toured the Mesa Lab, enjoyed a mile-high view from the hotel rooftop, and hiked in the mountains. It was amazing to experience the Flat Irons!

With a goal to get in the best shape of my life by 40, I also took my first backpacking trip in 2024 — winter camping and hiking 20 miles in 26 hours.

February

After my book was featured in the media and glowing book reviews, I traveled to Leland, Michigan, to give my first invited author talk on Aurora Chasing in the Great Lakes region, adding professional speaker to my resume. It was a thrill to speak for the first time on a topic I’m so passionate about, I enjoyed a beautiful visit to Fishtown, and it was an honor to form connections with so many Aurora Chasers, in real life.

In 2023, the publication of my book led to more than 20 invitations to speak on Aurora Chasing around the state and the region. “Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region” is now sold at two international dark sky parks and several independent bookstores, as well as many stores online.

March

After waiting patiently for years, I realized a dream of attending AWP23 in Seattle, the most respected conference of writers and writers programs. I’m thankful I was able to attend on a work trip, making this my professional development conference. I learned a ton about writing, writing programs, and what it takes to become an established author. Turns out, I’ve got what it takes.

Now, all I need is more focus.

While on travel in the Pacific Northwest, I lived a life of adventure, experiencing Olympia National Park in Washington and climbing the trail at Multnomah Falls, a 611-foot waterfall in Oregon — the stuff of dreams!

April

After the spring equinox, I worked with my admin team to launch the first Michigan Aurora Chasers Workshop, teaching Aurora forecasting and photography to a packed house at Headlands International Dark Sky Park. The 2nd Annual Michigan Aurora Chasers Workshop is slated for March 16, 2024!

I also had the privilege to speak at the Inaugural Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, spending an entire weekend in the stunning Keweenaw Peninsula. While there, I visited ruins, hiked down the canyon of Michigan’s tallest waterfall in the snow, and visited Eagle Harbor — by day and by night. I’m grateful for this amazing opportunity, and proud to share that I’ve been invited back for the second annual event in April 2024!

On the ride home from the Keweenaw, our skies presented the display of the year, as a powerful Aurora danced from nightfall until dawn, pulsing, sparkling and shooting neon pillars and swirls across the entire sky. I can hardly believe this happened on the death anniversary of my twin angels, 12 years later, on the night of April 23-24, 2023. It was deeply moving.

May

On a cloudy weekend morning in May, I took up a kayak on a whim, and ventured out for my first solo paddle. This was a year of empowerment and strength, as I decided to pursue outdoor sports all year long, whether traveling solo or not.

For 14 years, I wasn’t able to pursue outdoor sports as much as I hoped, and I’m making up for lost time. I’ve been gearing up and studying what it takes to be truly self-reliant in nature’s wild spaces, while having safety checks in place too.

It was my first year of SUP paddle-boarding, too, and I’m hooked! I’ve now paddled two lakes and part of the gorgeous Big Sable River. Drawn to the water at every turn, it was also my first year of open water swimming. I spent the summer swimming to the center of two local lakes, and finally traversed an entire lake by the season’s end— using a buoy like the ones people use to train for marathons.

In 2024, I took a leap into solo camping. Starting with easy and accessible sites, I worked my way up to getting off the grid. No regrets! I’ve camped more this year than any year before! Sometimes solo, sometimes with amazing companionship. It lifts my spirits.

June

After grinding away at both my professional work and my creative work, I considered taking a staycation in June. Instead, I decided it was past time I traveled out of the country again. With two weeks to myself, I spontaneously embarked on a road trip through Canada. The last time I traveled outside of the U.S. was during my sophomore year in college.

For the highlight of my road trip around the Great Lakes, I hiked the Gorge Trail to see the waterfalls in Watkins-Glen State Park in New York, which was even more enchanting than I always dreamed it would be.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to travel even more in the years ahead. No doubt I will, as long as I don’t spend too much on coffee!

July

To bring joy and excitement to my summer months, I adopted a 9-week-old puppy on the eve of July. Elio “Stoli” Sunspot Swayze. Popular opinion was that I was too busy traveling to get a new dog after mine passed away in October 2022, but I decided to go for it. I’d just have to train the little guy to be a road tripping pro.

In just six months together, Elio, the Spunky Pup, has learned to road trip, tent camp, enjoy bonfires, hike, catch, swim and even paddle-board. This cute and curious fellow has truly been a gift!

Best. Decision. Ever.

August

As nightfall approached on a clear Monday in Michigan, the Aurora activity from a powerful CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) exploded in the Eastern Hemisphere. With my new puppy as my sidekick, I announced a #LiveChase in Tawas City, and led nearly 50 Michigan Aurora Chasers to catch their first display of the Northern Lights, right here at home.

After the Live Chase, our group experts were chatting about the sub-auroral arc known as STEVE. When I learned it was visible to the naked eye, I pulled over behind an antique shop to look up — and Elio and I caught STEVE in all its glory.

During the approach of solar maximum in the sun’s 11-year cycle, the entire state of Michigan has been graced with brilliant Aurora many times. I caught a few displays just 30 miles from my home in Ann Arbor, and one just north of Flint. I was interviewed at least a dozen times for local, state, and national news outlets about our efforts in the Michigan Aurora Chasers.

September

With growth being an ongoing theme, I noticed how quickly the Michigan Aurora Chasers Group was climbing toward 100,000 members. To help thousands of new members, I debated launching the educational and cultural podcast I’d been dreaming up. But visuals tell the story, so I launched my own YouTube channel instead!

The video channel now offers tips for navigating our successful group of Aurora Chasers, as well as an entire playlist that can help anyone chase Aurora in their own backyard.

October

Dreaming of international travel, I sent a wish out into the world in the form of an email, pitching my qualities as an Aurora Chasing guide for beginners. To my surprise, I was quickly selected to be a staff expert for a tour of Iceland and the Northern Lights!

Later this year, I will work as an Aurora Chasing guide with the University of Michigan Alumni Association Travel. November 2024: Iceland, here I come!!

November

After hosting the 6th Annual Aurora Summit — our largest event ever — I booked travel for my next work conference to San Francisco, California. On this trip, I was excited to provide editorial coverage and host a U-M reception at AGU23 — probably the largest gathering of aurora researchers, space scientists and Earth scientists in the U.S.

December

As a unique way to celebrate a milestone birthday, I held my first independent professional Aurora Chasing retreat in Northern Michigan in December. We geeked out about aurora, photography and the north all weekend, and it was a blast!

Being surrounded by Aurora Chasers and admirers of the night sky was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday this year. Even the cake was amazing!

To put a beautiful finishing touch on a beautiful year, I also expanded the Michigan Aurora Chasers Facebook Group to Instagram.

40 can have me now.

A year of speaking engagements, event invitations, and interviews in the press all started with the book I published one year ago, “Below the 45th Parallel.” To think, I once considered the book a “fun little side-project.” Traveling up north often and chasing Aurora on every whim (and every hint of clear skies) I saw more Northern Lights in Michigan than any year before.

It’s incredible what happens when you believe in yourself.

Already in January, I have a program coming to the Westland library on January 4, and an interview coming out in a story for Thrillist. The year of 2023 was an amazing year, and I’m grateful to have you along for the adventure!

Good luck on the Aurora Chasing trail! 💥🌎☄️😎