About Nichole Emerson, Keeping my Sanity During COVID-19 with Trips to Standley Lake
Like a lot of you right now, I’ve been struggling with keeping my focus and staying positive in difficult times with everything that’s going on in the world. A little about my personality, I’m an optimist and a pretty laid back easy going person. But still this pandemic has been hard. I feel like I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster that changes from day to day depending on the information that comes to me.
I photograph weddings, elopements, engagements and events. Most of which are not happening right now or are changing in a big way this year. There’s a lot of unknowns in the wedding and event industry which has been stressful.
What can I do that will improve my situation?
With all the uncertainty right now, I’ve decided to focus on what I can do to improve my situation. I want to look into the future and make things better. So I’ve been shifting a lot of my work to the back end side of things like search engine optimization, creating more blogs likes this, putting together client guides etc. I’ve also been trying to give myself more time outside. I became a photographer because I love to shoot photographs, not because I like to sit behind a desk. So having that exercise and time in nature is crucial to my mental well being.
Nature Has Always Helped Clear My Head
Nature has always been a grounding force in my life. I live and work on the border of Broomfield and Westminster, really close to Standley Lake. As things have been warming up, Standley Lake has become one of favorite places to visit. The distance to go around the lake from my house and back is about a 10.5 mile bike ride, which has definitely helped me keep my sanity.
Its a pretty wild place in the middle of suburbia. I’ve seen eagles, coyotes, many birds and rabbits through this maze of trails that surround the lake. You can see the mountains clearly from the north shore. Its just very peaceful and relaxing. Everything is starting to turn green right now around the lake. I love the contrast between the mountain views giving off a blue color in the afternoon and the green trees and grass near the lake shore.
I hope You Find a Grounding Force to Help Through the Pandemic
Below are some photos from the pathway I take around Standley Lake on my bike. Full disclosure, my bike is pretty ugly. I am by no means a mountain biker. I just love to cruise around on my little towny bike and be in nature. I’ve had it for a long time and have loved it a bit to death, but it still works amazingly!
I’m so grateful that this beautiful natural resource is in my backyard. I hope you find a place to go or an activity to do that does something similar to what this area has done for me. May you find peace of mind and a grounding force that helps you hold on to some positive thoughts throughout your day. Thanks for learning a little more about me and my life. Much love to you all!
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