if you found me by accident or intended to be here, welcome to my little corner of the internet
Long before I was chasing sunsets with a mirrorless camera and a drone, my life looked a whole lot different. Right after high school, I joined the Air Force and served as a crash firefighter. I spent time stationed in Colorado Springs and out at Andersen AFB in Guam. Talk about an introduction to adrenaline! While I was serving, I pushed myself to get through EMT school and pass the National Registry, which set up my next big chapter.
After the service, I became a Paramedic and Field Training Officer in the Loma Linda area, spending years in the high-stress world of emergency medicine.
In 2016, I reinvented myself, trading the ambulance for the classroom. I graduated from San Bernardino Valley College with an AS in Computer Information Systems, where I served as President of the Veterans Club and the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society. It was a reminder that it’s never too late to change your path.
I have a confession: Until two years ago, I stayed safely in the "Auto Mode" zone. I let the camera make all the decisions. That changed when I took a photography group class at the Loma Linda VA Clinic. I finally cracked the code on the Exposure Triangle—understanding how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together. Since that day, I haven’t taken a single photo in Auto Mode.
Currently, I am honored to have ten of my best photos on display at the Loma Linda VA Clinic. They are rotating to the main VA Hospital soon, and I’ve even entered the VA National Creative Arts Festival.
To truly "reinvent" how I capture our moments, I’ve also added a DJI Mini 4K drone to my kit. It allows me to get those sweeping, cinematic "birds-eye" views of our Dutch Star at a remote campsite or the vastness of the Calico Dry Lake Bed that were simply impossible from the ground. Combined with my new mirrorless Canon R7 setup and my existing collection of EF lenses (thanks to a handy adapter!), every "remember when" moment is captured with the vibrancy and detail it deserves.
Today, my husband Gio and I—along with our three furry sidekicks, Dante, Molly, and Bella—call San Bernardino home. Gio and I tied the knot back in December 2015, and we’ve been breaking away from the daily routine ever since.
We love hitting up live concerts for artists like Evanescence, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban. We’re also big on spontaneous getaways—whether that’s jet skiing on the Colorado River, exploring Catalina Island, or camping out in our truck bed under the stars in Joshua Tree. And even though we don't gamble, Las Vegas holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve escaped to Sin City 13 times now, always finding something new to discover, like jet skiing on Lake Mead or checking out the Hoover Dam from the air.
If I am the one documenting the journey, Gio is the heart behind it. At 42 years old, his story is one of relentless perseverance. Born and raised in La Loma, Michoacán, Mexico, Gio came to the U.S. with a drive that is hard to match. He didn't learn English in a fancy classroom; he taught himself by watching the news and listening to music, dissecting the lyrics until the language made sense. When we met, he was working hard as a ranch hand in Temecula, commuting over an hour each way.
Before we ever crossed paths, Gio faced a battle that defines his resilience. In early 2014, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He underwent surgery, but in October 2014, the cancer reappeared in the lymph nodes of his lower back. He didn’t have the luxury of pausing his life. He fought this terrifying battle while working as a ranch hand. He immediately began an aggressive, high-dose inpatient chemotherapy treatment—a grueling process that tested every ounce of his strength.
But he didn’t break. On December 20, 2014, he finished his treatment and was declared cancer-free. We met just one week later, in January 2015. While I didn’t witness the fight itself, I see the strength he gained from it every single day. Today, after years of follow-ups and scans, I am proud to say he has been cancer-free for eleven years.
Gio has never done things the easy way. While working full days on the ranch in Temecula and enduring a brutal commute, he enrolled in Adult Ed to get his GED. He went to class for four hours, two nights a week. Six months later, he tested and passed on his very first attempt.
But he wanted more. He set his sights on the EMT School at Crafton Hills College for the Spring 2020 semester. However, as a first-time college student, he was last in line to register. By late October 2019, the classes were full. His only option to get into the system? A grueling, eight-week, fast-paced Medical Terminology course starting in just two days.
For someone who taught himself English just a few years prior, taking an upper-level, fast-paced medical course was a massive risk. He crushed it, earning an 89.7%. (We are still a little salty that the professor didn't round up to an A!) That success unlocked the door to the EMT program. The standards at Crafton Hills are incredibly high. Statistically, first-time pass rates for the National Registry EMT Exam hover around 60-70%. To pass the Crafton program without having to repeat a single section and pass the National Registry exam on the first attempt is a "unicorn" achievement—something very few students accomplish. Gio did exactly that.
Gio graduated from EMT school in Spring 2020—right as the world shut down. With graduation going virtual and the COVID-19 pandemic claiming thousands of lives a day by that summer, we had a hard conversation. We decided he would not go to the front lines of a global crisis with his medical history.
Instead, he pivoted. He realized his heart lay in helping others in a different way. He chose to pursue a degree in Sociology, with the goal of becoming a social worker to support homeless and addicted veterans. Since that pivot, he has been absolutely unstoppable:
2022: Named Sociology Student of the Year.
May 2023: Graduated as a First-Generation college student with his AS in Sociology.
2024–2025: Served as a passionate officer for the Undocumented Advocacy Club.
May 15, 2026: Officially graduated from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), walking across the stage to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology!
Watching him push through every obstacle to hear his name called at the Toyota Arena commencement was a moment of pure pride. He didn't just beat the odds; he completely redefined what is possible.
Remember when we said we wanted to slow down and live on the road? Well, we stopped dreaming about it and started doing it! In January 2026, we officially traded the stationary life for our 2005 Newmar Dutch Star 4023. We aren't just driving through the country anymore; we're living in it.
From installing new Sterling Oak flooring myself to making sure the 65-inch TV is perfectly mounted for those "Service Account reality" evenings, just so we can see the couch, the Dutch Star is truly home.
Of course, life on the road is all about finding the right balance. As much as we enjoyed our Jeep Wrangler, we realized we’re "truck people" at heart—a feeling that goes all the way back to our first Nissan Frontier in 2017. We needed a practical, flat-towable rig that could keep up with our adventures. After looking at the Chevy Colorado and the Ford Ranger, the choice became clear. We said goodbye to the Wrangler and moved into a 2021 Velocity Blue Ford Ranger Lariat 4WD.
Now, with the Ranger in tow, we’re ready for our biggest adventure yet this summer: a massive cross-country RV road trip. We’re heading up through the mountain west, hitting up F.E. Warren and Malmstrom Air Force FamCamps, checking out Mount Rushmore, and driving all the way to New York and Massachusetts. We're ready to explore every hidden gem from the Cajon Pass to the furthest corners of the map. It’s a new kind of freedom, and we’re taking it one mile—and one photo—at a time. Welcome to our neck of the woods—let’s start the adventure!