Travel Diaries
📍 Colorado in September: A Fall Lover’s Dream
Fall is arguably the best time of year. It feels reminiscent of the good old days — the fresh air, crisp leaves, and trees painted in warmth take me back to childhood, when life felt safe and comforting, like open arms wrapping me into an embrace.
What makes a travel experience your favorite one? For me, it’s the feeling I carry long after I’ve left. When I can still close my eyes and see the moment, breathe in the scent of the air, and remember exactly how it made me feel. I often find myself sharing those stories with the most important people in my life, and that’s when it hits me — those are the real souvenirs. The intangible ones. The ones you carry quietly in your heart.
I share this because my trip to Colorado in September — almost two years ago now — made me feel like a child again. It filled me with wonder. More than once, I found myself completely at a loss for words, overwhelmed by just how breathtaking this season can be.
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In a photographer’s world, discovering new ways to capture landscapes or people is no easy feat. It’s tempting to fall back on familiar compositions — to return to what feels safe. But on this trip, my eye was drawn to the unexpected corners.
I have never felt more inspired than when I was engulfed in a sea of yellow, surrounded by views so vast and beautiful they quite literally made my heart catch its breath. There was something about the stillness, the light, the way the season seemed to glow from within — it pushed me creatively in ways I didn’t anticipate.
In this piece, I want to share the images I am most proud of, along with small glimpses behind the scenes — the quiet in-between moments that made them possible.
Telluride | 101 W. Colorado Ave
If you are in search of pure western charm, I highly suggest stopping in Crossbow. Their leather pieces are handmade by an incredibly talented team of craftswomen, and there are endless opportunities to customize whatever calls to you. If I could collect a ring from every place on the map, I would — and they carried such striking jewelry. The store itself was stunning, the very epitome of a what it should feel like to shop in the mountains.
I remember wanting to capture that essence in my photo - the quiet magic of watching life continue outside while we admired the world beyond the glass. The sea of fall colors dancing through the trees in the surrounding landscape is what makes this image unforgettable.
This quickly became one of my favorite snippets from the trip. Every time I look at it I am transported back to that window.
Ouray, Colorado
Let me set the scene — you are driving through the twists and turns of the Colorado mountains in your Subaru Outback when suddenly your break light flickers on. A day that was originally planned to be spent cruising the Million Dollar Highway quickly turns into worry of making it to the nearest town possible to figure out what is going on.
Not exactly according to plan, Emmett and I found ourselves in Ouray — a scenic mountain town nestled into a valley and wrapped in cozy charm. With a population of around 900 residents, this close-knit treasure sparked my creativity and left us with one of the sweetest memories, fueled by equal parts adrenaline and some of the prettiest fall colors I have ever seen.
We pulled into a tiny gas station and popped the hood to investigate. As you might imagine, I am not a car expert. During those minutes that felt like hours, I decided to grab my camera and snap a photo from across the street. I was drawn to the red-lit OPEN sign against the mountain backdrop and a Jeep Cherokee parked nearby - a vehicle I had to imagine was on its own adventure.
I wanted to remember this town exactly as it felt: small yet mighty, quiet yet alive, steady even as we felt anything but that.
Even in the midst of all the car trouble, I wouldn’t change a thing. We ended up fixing our Outback later in the trip, but in the process we discovered a place we likely would have driven right past — and a memory that now feels like it was always meant to be a part of the journey.
Ouray | 505 Main St, 81427 (North Corner)
After our car mishap, it only felt right to treat ourselves to some caffeine and explore the mystery town we had unexpectedly stumbled upon. That is when we found the quaintest shop — 1886 Coffee, tucked inside the historic Beaumont Hotel. Known for its timeless elegance, it lived up to its reputation.
As I sat on the couch, I couldn’t help but capture the perfect symmetry of the room — the chandelier descending gracefully in front of the window, framing the mountains beyond. I loved that I caught a man sitting outside, quietly taking it all in. The whole scene felt like the cover of a magazine — a perfect reflection of how this town makes you feel.
It was a great place for us to pause, reset, and savor a simple pleasure. I highly recommend checking this spot out!
Maroon Bells - Aspen, Colorado
I have to give credit where it’s due — my boyfriend Emmett took this photo of me as we spent the day in the Maroon Bells. It remains one of my favorite photographs from this trip — and one of my favorite photos of myself.
I remember being so in awe of this place and how everything was truly golden. I think that’s why this image will always mean so much to me, it holds the feeling of that day and carries a stillness of pure joy.
Chasing the Sunset
Something I continuously talked about on this trip was how badly I wanted to see horses. With the mountains towering behind rainbow-dipped leaves, I was craving that perfect wildlife moment to come to life.
I will never forget driving along the backroads, admiring the unreal landscape that stretched endlessly before us, when — out in the distance of a secluded field — I saw my vision unfold in real time. Not just one horse, but a whole group! Emmett and I pulled over immediately and took some photos, completely in awe.
When I think about feeling connected to nature, my mind drifts back to this field.
This wasn’t our first time adventuring through Colorado, and it certainly won’t be our last. Here are a few extra treasures from our time there — little snapshots of a place that always feels like home.
