I meet SO many amazing people over social media, and yet it still surprises me every dang time y’all. Alex went to high school on the east coast with my best friend Lindsey, and at some point I started following her on Instagram. So when I realized that she and her husband JD now live in Oregon, I just had to reach out and ask if they would join me for an adventurous couples session on Mt. Hood during my #NomadicNovember. I’m so thankful they said yes, because not only did we luck out on a clear day for a fun and (relatively) easy hike up to mirror lake, but I finally got to hang out with them IRL after following along on Instagram. And they’re an even more couple awesome person.

Alex and JD met me in Rhododendron where I was holing up in the cutest Airbnb a-frame cabin for a quick solo retreat, something I tend to do about once a season. One day I dream about owning my own cabin in the woods, but for now, AirBnb will do. From there it was a quick drive up to the brand new Mirror Lake trailhead, which we learned had only opened up the week before. Just shy of a four mile loop, we hiked up to the lake to take in the view of Mt Hood and start our session. I am constantly blown away by the Oregon landscape, but this spot looked like a painting come to life. It was a little chilly, but we had warmed up enough on the hike up to take our coats off. We even took turns skipping rocks and throwing sticks out on the frozen lake to see whose could get the farthest— spoiler alert, it was never mine. After soaking in the view of Mt. Hood, we made our way back down the trail, climbed some logs and tree trunks, and headed back to the cabin for wine and a fire.

Alex and JD, thank you so much again for joining me out in the Mt. Hood National Forest! Turns out I’m not in as good shape as I thought, but I had a blast exploring Mirror Lake with y’all all the same. It was so amazing to finally meet up in real life and hear about your married adventures to Washington, Oregon, and beyond. I loved capturing the beginning of this chapter for you two in the Pacific Northwest, and feel like I’ve gained two new friends and can’t wait to see you again the next time I come to visit!