Endicott Arm: Where Wonder Finds You

There are some places in the world that simply refuse to be captured by a photograph.

Endicott Arm Fjord is one of them.

As our ship slowly glided between towering granite cliffs carved by ancient glaciers, I found myself speechless. Waterfalls spilled down the mountainsides like ribbons of silver, patches of snow clung to the rocky peaks, and every turn revealed another breathtaking view that somehow seemed even more beautiful than the last. It wasn't just scenery—it was majesty. The kind that reminds you how wonderfully small you are in the very best way.

Rather than joining the crowds on deck, I slipped back to my balcony with a warm cup of coffee and settled into my favorite place to watch the world drift by. From there I read a few more chapters of Theo of Golden, a novel that seems perfectly suited for a place like this. Theo's quiet appreciation for life echoed the stillness of the fjord, reminding me that beauty isn't something we rush toward; it's something we notice when we slow down long enough to see it. Between chapters, I opened my sketchbook and attempted a few quick watercolor sketches—not because I expected to recreate the landscape, but because sketching helps me linger. It invites me to really look.

As I watched pieces of ice float silently past my balcony, I realized this journey wasn't only taking me through Alaska. It was inviting me into a slower rhythm, one where reading, creating, and simply being become just as important as checking destinations off a list. Some places ask us to keep moving. Endicott Arm asked me to be still. And perhaps that's the greatest souvenir I'll bring home.

From My Reading Chair

This week, my reading chair happened to overlook one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. As I read Theo of Golden, I found myself thinking that the most beautiful lives—like the most beautiful landscapes—don't shout for attention. They quietly invite us to notice what has been there all along: wonder, gratitude, and the courage to slow down.