The Third Thing: Life’s Secret Sauce

You know that feeling after a wild swim, epic hike, or even just a really good cup of chai—like there’s something more going on than just water, mountains, or hot leaf water? That’s the Third Thing.

Think of it like D.H. Lawrence did: You’ve got the science (literal water molecules, the geology of the mountains, the spiciness of the tea), but then there’s something else—that magical, unexplainable “thing” that makes it all feel...spectacular.

I’m chasing that elusive magic: The stuff that makes adventures worth taking, life worth living, and stories worth telling. It’s about noticing the ridiculous, wonderful, tiny joys that make you glad to be alive—and MAYBE slightly less interested in your Instagram feed (a girl can dream).

So take a breath, touch grass, and let’s embrace the wild, weird, and wonderful.

About Me

Chasing Magic, One Day at a Time.

I’m a writer and digital storyteller based in Grand Junction, Colorado—where the only thing drier than the climate is my sense of humor.

By day, I wrangle Outlook emails with a full-time gig in public land advocacy and conservation. By night (and mornings, weekends, and every chai-fueled moment in between), I’m hunting down stories about the magic that makes life, landscapes, and belly laughs so ridiculously worth it.

Here are a few of my publications:

One Square Inch also viewable as a standalone essay on Outside here
Mountaineers Books | Campfire Stories II | March 2023

Quark Soup
Jabberwock Review | Spring 2023 Issue

What I Took From the River
Tulip Tree Review | Finalist for the 2022 Wild Women Contest

Passing Through the Keyhole
High Desert Journal | 2021 Best American Science & Nature Writing nomination

Encounters in a Museum
Terrain.org | 2016 Pushcart Prize Nomination

Standing on Stromatolites
Zoomorphic Magazine | Anthologized in Driftfish

Join the Adventure: Chase the Extra in the Ordinary.