Embracing Dark Skies and Astronomy Adventures

I’ve been spending the majority of my time outside since early 2020 and one of the fascinations that blossomed and stuck with me over the years is an interest in dark skies and astronomy. Camping across the southwest desert, rafting 21 days down the Colorado river with almost no light pollution, mountaineering to the tops of some of the largest peaks in the PNW, spending late evenings basking in remote hot springs, backpacking for days to weeks on end, and remote camping across the Wild West, all of these experiences have gifted me with new eyes to see and experience the beauty of the night and the stars. The ability to tell what time it is by which stars are out, approximately where I am by where the North Star is located, become familiar with certain stars and constellations and know which are seen best during certain times of the year. These skills and connections have made me feel more raw and human than I can describe. It awakened a primal, instinctual, sacred part of me I didn’t think possible. If you haven’t become familiar with dark skies - I HIGHLY encourage you to seek them out. If you google “best dark sky reserves, preserves” etc. great lists will point you in the right direction to get started on forming your own relationship with the universe and your place in it. Here are some of my favorite dark sky locations thus far for infinite 💫 🌟 ⭐️ 🌚 🌙 opportunities: - Jasper National Park Planetarium - did this last night and it was great - got to literally touch a piece of the moon and mars, hold several meteorites, gaze through mega telescopes to see Saturn, Jupiter, and several star clusters with my naked eyes. - Chaco canyon, NM (one of the best in the world) - The Grand Canyon camping overnight - Kanab, UT - White Pocket - The Loneliest HWY -NV - All over Idaho (seriously - everywhere ID outside the cities) - Acatenango Volcano, Guatemala - overnight on top Here’s to wishing on every shooting star and sparking wonder in your journey