Val in Real Life LLC

Latest Posts

  • A Surprise Birthday Trip

    They got me good. My dear man and our Georgia besties had been plotting a surprise birthday trip for most of 2025. And I had no idea.

  • Tall, brown, tufted bunch grass during golden hour backlit by sun gleaming off water in background in soft focus.

    Postcards from Real Life: Golden

    I’m going for double the fun this week—golden grasses during golden hour courtesy of Wild Horse State Recreation Area in northern Nevada.

  • A vast, undulating sand dune field with a pink glow from the sunrise spreads out before jagged mountains in the background.

    Postcards from Real Life: Undulating

    The undulation of rocking soothes our nervous systems. Can we achieve similar emotional comfort from an image? I know I can.

  • Seven rocks spread out into the distance on Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park with a mountain face in the background.

    Postcards from Real Life: Minimal

    Minimal desert environments are worthy of our curiosity. And there’s no bigger curiosity I’ve experienced than The Racetrack at Death Valley.

  • A mason jar filled with wildflowers sits on a table in bright sunlight with a forest in the background.

    Postcards from Real Life: Summer

    Summer is showing signs of winding down and I’m reflecting on this summer and remembering the better ones of years past. Which involved much more motorcycling to cool places.

  • A yellow, black, and blue Butterly perched on a tall plant stalk with small purple flowers.

    Postcards from Real Life: Chaos

    Chaos rules our world. It’s what makes our lives so interesting. The surprises—for better or worse—are probably what keeps us from taking our life outcomes for granted.

  • Cactus with multiple scars resembling a weary face.

    Face Time

    My facial pareidolia discoveries are an endless source of amusement for me. I hope they amuse you, too!

  • A small hand-painted sign that reads "earth" with a small globe dangling from it hangs on a barbed wire fence in a vast valley of sagebrush.

    Postcards from Real Life: Earth

    Exploring scale solar system walks is a groovy way to refresh our perspective our place in the stars. And explore places on Earth.

  • Woman in baseball cap holding up her left hand in a "thumbs up" position.

    Learning to be a Lefty

    When your dominant hand fails you, it’s time to call in the back up. And it’s hella awkward.

  • A waterfall nourishes moss on a cliff face in the Columbia River Gorge.

    Postcards from Real Life: Water

    Water transforms our landscapes every day. And the geomorphology nerd in me loves every minute of it.

  • Rider in high-visibility motorcycle gear standing beside a black BMW adventure bike in a desert landscape with a clear blue sky, giving a thumbs up.

    Moto Tales

    Welcome to Moto Tales—vignettes from my life as a motorcyclist.

  • Large sand dunes stretch towards the sky dwarfing the landscape in the foreground.

    Postcards from Real Life: Big

    Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is big in many ways with its dramatic dunes, mountains, and vistas. More than that, it holds a big place in my life.

  • Abstract angle view of the windows of a sunroom in black and white.

    Postcards from Real Life: Glass

    Our home renovation project has taught us that the amount of glass in our house is a quality of life issue.

  • Four puppies nursing with their tired-looking mother.

    Postcards from Real Life: Growing

    Growing isn’t just for young’uns. We adults need to keep growing too.

  • An alpine lake covered in lily pads surrounded by a wildfire meadow with conifers and rock outcrops in the background.

    Postcards from Real Life: Quiet

    If you feel like you need to go to a quiet place for a noise vacation, you’re probably right.