Every once in a while, you get the great fortune of seeing something that leaves you in awe; the kind of great wonder that happens so few times in this life. You find a place that creates this emotion inside of you that you could never truly explain.

This is what nature does to us.

It simply amazes.

And when it happens, it is a moment that you can never forget.

I remember it like it was yesterday:

After a three-hour drive in the middle of the night, me and my boyfriend were both so tired that I was not even sure if we were going to make it; we both had a full day of work and had been up until 4 a.m. the previous morning. I got lucky enough to find myself in the middle of a California desert at 4 a.m. on the night of a new moon.

I had been here before, but stepping out of the car after the drive never fails to take my breath away.

That night it was so dark out, with such little light pollution, that you could see the Milky Way with your naked eye.

It was the first time I had ever attempted to take a photograph of the night sky, and without even trying, I ended up going on the most perfect night at the most perfect time to get a picture of the Milky Way galaxy.

Stepping out of the car that night, and looking up at the sky, I was in a state of complete awe.

And I can honestly say that in my life, that was the only time I have had the pleasure of that emotion, so far.

Now, I am in constant search of it, of finding places that dazzle me, inspire me and change me.

Everyone deserves to experience it, at least once in his or her lifetime, but once you have, don’t give up.

Make it a habitual goal to find yourself in a constant state of childlike awe.

Find a place,

A moment,

that continuously takes your breath away, one that makes you feel small and never let it go.

Live it.

Dwell in it.

If there is one thing I can tell you, it’s that at the end of your journey, it doesn’t matter if you get lost in the wilderness, if you break your phone, don’t pack enough food, drop your lens cap in the ocean or even if you have to sleep in below freezing weather with a sleeping bag that has a hole in it because you ripped it on a rock.

All you will remember is that moment of awe and the unfeigned smile you wore on your face that day, keeping it for the rest of your life.

There is a huge world out there waiting to amaze us, waiting to change our outlook on life.