It was Spring 2019 and I was with my mom in Austria, touring the famous St. Stephen’s Cathedral. After we studied the stained glass and the beautiful stonework inside, we met a guide in a dark corridor and began our descent down into the catacombs. Deeper and farther down we went into the earth. Beneath the stones of the church we stood around the entombed bishops and were told dark legends of the past.

For the crescendo of our tour, we ascended up to the tallest spire. I remember thinking what a stark contrast it was, to have been in the belly of the earth ,closer to dead things than I prefer and now only a half hour later, we were looking over all of Vienna at the colorful rooftops.

In many ways, our family's trip out west last spring, felt a lot like that tour of the Cathedral.

We decided early on that exploring caves was definitely on the list for our 80 day tour around the west. We visited three cave systems, and our favorite was Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico. While the actual tour of the fantastical stalagmites + tites was truly incredible, it was the getting to the tour that I will never forget.

As we approached the natural entrance of the cave, I was surprised by the lack of stairs. Instead, there was a series of tight switchback trails as far down as I could see.

After our long descent, we tentatively made our way into the inky dampness. At that moment, I was so eager for my eyes to adjust so I could make out something, anything. Even bats and spiderwebs would have been a comfort to what I imagined before me.

After following the dimly lit trail, (hanging onto the back of Dave’s shirt for fear of falling off a ledge), we encountered another set of tight switchback trails as far down as the eye could see. My stomach lurched as we continued on. It was like a fear of heights, but here we were down in a cave. So maybe it was a fear of depths?

I thought to myself, if I can just get to the bottom of this trail, things will level out and we will all get to see the nice tour. I was basing this on my expansive experience of visiting the two other cave systems in recent days.

But this turned out to be very unlike my other cave experiences. A low tunnel before us, we cautiously moved through it only to find on the other end ANOTHER set of switchback trails as far down as the eye could see.

This scenario happened over and over like groundhog day. We descended deeper and farther into the earth than I ever could have imagined. It truly felt like the journey to the center of the earth.

When we reached the designated tour at last (nearly an hour later), my legs were shaking and my mind was reeling.

Now, if my experience at Carlsbad Caverns was like the tour through the catacombs in Vienna, then our hikes to lookout points and drives up the sides of mountains were like the spires overlooking Austrian rooftops.

Dizzying elevations pushing the limits of oxygen, topped off with sinus splitting headaches with the pressure changes. Visiting these incredible heights and contrasting belly of the earth’s depths, pushed my natural limits in ways that made me feel my humanness while making me glad that I live much closer to sea level.

It also expanded my understanding of things unseen and gave richer meaning to these ancient words,

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139

I felt somehow changed by these new landscapes. This wild terrain of the west.

Many of us have wandered through a wild terrain of our own these past 18 months, haven't we?. Blazing trails through land yet uncharted.

There was a day that we spent near the Virgin River in the canyon at Zion N.P. that particularly stands out as a day that changed me

The river that day was the color of a starling egg. The freshly leafed out trees, chartreuse in the sunlight. And the canyon walls a rich copper with hints of vermillion and a purple the color of my darkest lipstick that I only wear when I feel brave.

This place awakened my senses and stirred wonder in me in a deep way that it is hard for familiar landscapes to do.

Being in this place grounded me, like that feeling after you wake up from a dream. I realized that a sense of disconnection and drifting had been slowly taking place in my soul, and this place woke me up to my life.

That day I became aware of my actual beating heart, pumping blood through my body. My legs working to climb and my lungs being stretched to gather as much oxygen as possible

I was suddenly back in a real time and place. April 18, 2021. Wait, wasn’t it just 1999 and we were all afraid of Y2K? Now we are here living through pandemic times, I am 42, I have a son who drives and I have been with Dave longer than all my growing up years.

We only have so many days. And I was beginning to feel the number of them.

There is a very real thing that happens when you wake up. You become aware. You notice things. And what I noticed was a tangible feeling, like being embraced. These are the words I wrote by the river that day:

Standing in this canyon,

I feel embraced.

Towering walls surround me;

like you surround me.

Behind me,

before and

Beside.

These new terrains we have braved as of late, have changed us. For me, I see a grounding, an awakening, and an expanding awareness of the unseen. And I believe that the uncharted paths we are yet to walk, hold great promise of beautiful things ahead.

The originals from the Wild Terrain Collection are sold out. Come and check out the Wild Terrain Print Collection here.

Interior design + styling for this collection by Tara Dennis. Tara is a local designer who loves to work with homeowners to maximize the beauty and function of their spaces. She uses texture, color and natural materials to make houses feel like homes.