Ever since I was a kid, the USA has been a land of hope, wonder, and awe. The country is romanticized endlessly on the big screen. From watching Westerns with my grandad to The Simpsons with my parents, I was always drawn to this magical, faraway land. Heroes are made here, from Gherig & Ruth to Morrison & Zappa. The lure of the US has been too strong for many, including myself. I always dreamed of living here, but of course, you're supposed to have these wild dreams when you're a kid. You get older, and these dreams get pushed aside for us to continue on our "predetermined" course. However, our path in life is delicately balanced by chance meetings/opportunities. By following my heart on one of these such meetings, I fulfilled that childhood dream and got to make a new life for myself in the land of Hope & Dreams. I get to travel to the same places and walk the same steps as the heroes I had gotten to learn so much about. This realization really hit home on the morning I took this photo. I was standing alone in the Valley Of The Gods, watching the sun come up and paint these ancient buttes with its first rays of the day. I got to thinking about what my Western loving granddad would have to say about it, and I could almost hear him say to me, "you've done alright for yourself, kid!" Don't be afraid to flow those dreams that you may have put on the backburner. Sometimes a leap of faith is the thing that you didn't realize you needed. Walk in your hero's footsteps. Travel to those magical lands. But most importantly, do what makes YOU happy.
