Not all journeys lead us to our destination.

This summer, I set out on a trip to the mountains with one goal: find a hidden waterfall. I had visions of capturing something magical out there—but the universe had a different plan.

On the way, we pulled over to admire a herd of wild horses. Absolutely breathtaking. What I didn’t realize in that moment was that when I stopped the car, my GPS shut off. Out there, deep in the backroads, we had no service and no way to pull directions back up. Hours passed driving in circles, following bad leads, chasing sunlight that was quickly disappearing. Finally, I had to face it—we weren’t going to make it to the waterfall that day.

But here’s the thing: as we headed home, those wild horses were still there. We pulled off the road one more time, and instead of feeling defeated, we created. We did nudie photos in the middle of a field, surrounded by untamed beauty. Our trip didn’t go as planned, but the art we made, the memories we carved into that sunset, turned out just as powerful—maybe even more so.

That day taught me a valuable lesson: always download your GPS directions. But beyond that, it reminded me that life isn’t about controlling the outcome. It’s about rolling with what comes your way, even when it feels inconvenient, disappointing, or messy.

Later in the summer, I went back to the mountains—and this time, I found the waterfall. Since then, I’ve returned four more times and created some of my most breathtaking work there. I even had a shoot in Drumheller that turned into a mud pit disaster—slippery rocks, no way to get the shots I wanted. But that led to a rescheduled session, and the second time, the timing, the light, the circumstances were so much better. Truly epic.

Here’s what I’ve learned:
The path won’t always look like you imagined. Life will twist, stall, and sometimes downright derail your plans. But if you’re willing to lean in, adapt, and trust the process, something beautiful always rises out of the chaos.

So if you’re in a season where your plans feel delayed, disrupted, or completely turned upside down, I hope this story reminds you: your detours can still lead to magic. Sometimes the most beautiful art, the deepest growth, and the strongest memories come from what wasn’t planned at all.

And trust me—next summer, when I’m back chasing waterfalls in Drumheller, I’ll be embracing it all, mud pits and wild horses included.