They say love hits you when you least expect it. For some, it’s in the glow of candlelight on a first date; for others, it’s a slow burn forged over good conversations and shared Netflix passwords. For me, love strolled into my life on four hooves, smelled faintly of leather saddles and mountain sage, and demanded I pick up a pen. My passion for storytelling and the great outdoors wasn’t born in a big, cinematic moment—it crept in, one dusty trail and half-filled journal page at a time. Now, it’s the thing that gets me out of bed faster than a double espresso (most days).

So how does a mountain kid from Telluride end up chasing his passion, and why is it worth pursuing yours? Saddle up. Let’s dive in.

First Love: The San Juan Mountains and Scribbled Beginnings

Growing up surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Rockies is like being in a long-term relationship with Mother Nature herself. She’s beautiful, but she’ll also give you frostbite if you’re not careful. My family’s ranch sat smack dab in the middle of postcard-worthy landscapes, so while other kids had cable TV and skateparks, I had trails, wildflowers, and an occasional moose encounter.

As a kid, I spent hours riding alongside my parents’ guided horseback tours, whispering to tourists about local legends and lore—not because I had to, but because I loved their awestruck looks when I spun a story just right. Even during my downtime, I found myself jotting down tales in my leather-bound journal, usually from the porch where I could hear the whinny of our horses and the whisper of spruce trees swaying in the wind.

Nature didn’t just frame my childhood photographs; it shaped my imagination. Frontier ghosts, vast wilderness, and the unrelenting human spirit—all staples of Western mythology—were ingrained in me by age ten. It was easy to fall for storytelling when every mountaintop seemed to have a secret to share.

The Breakup Years: When Practicality Pushed Passion Aside

Of course, passion, like love, doesn’t always follow a straight path. I’ll admit, my relationship with my dreams hit a few roadblocks (or dusty cow trails, as it were). No one looks at an 18-year-old and says, “Chase your dream of historical fiction, son.” Nope. They say, “But can it pay your bills?”

So off I went to college, studying history because it felt like a compromise between practicality and intrigue. I flirted with several potential careers: museum curator? Corporate historian? Anything without food service in the title? But the spark that drew me to storytelling waned when I put practicality above passion. It was like dating someone who makes sense on paper but doesn’t get your dumb inside jokes. Something was missing.

It wasn’t until I was backpacking one balmy summer, staring at a wildflower meadow exactly like the one I used to ride through as a kid, that the lightbulb went off. I didn’t have to choose practicality over passion—I just had to work harder to give my dreams dimension, structure, and a bit of tenacity.

From Flirtation to Commitment: Falling Back in Love with Passion

Hobbies are like relationships: at first, they’re exciting, all late-night bursts of creativity and unconditional joy. But turning a passion into something bigger—and lasting—is more like sustaining a marriage. You’ve got to nurture it, even on the hard days when inspiration feels like your third-grade crush: elusive and ignoring your texts.

For me, nurturing my passion looked a little unconventional. I took odd jobs, wrote for travel magazines, and sprinkled historical fiction into every quiet hour I had. I also embraced teaching—not just for the steady income but because sharing stories of Colorado history with community college students brought my love of storytelling full circle. Seeing my students light up when I connected the dots between history and humanity reminded me of why I started this journey in the first place.

Practical Advice for Sparking Your Own Love Affair with Passion

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got a passion flickering in you, maybe buried under spreadsheets and 9-to-5 obligations. I won’t sugarcoat it—flipping that flicker into a flame takes some work. But here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

  1. Find Your Roots:
    Passions thrive when they’re connected to something meaningful. Ask yourself: why does this matter to me? For me, it was my connection to the land and to storytelling as a way of preserving history. Know your “why,” and you’ll never feel directionless.

  2. Start Small and Build Consistency:
    You don’t have to leap into the deep end right away. Carve out manageable time each week to explore your passion. Thirty minutes, an hour—anything that gets you started. Think of it like dating someone new; you don’t start by moving in together.

  3. Celebrate the Wins (Big and Small):
    You finished a chapter? Celebrate with that shameless HGTV binge you love. Your side hustle paid for your Starbucks addiction this month? Call it a win. These small victories build momentum and keep you motivated. Seriously, pull a Taylor Swift and make sure you’re dropping metaphorical Easter eggs for yourself along the way.

  4. Treat It Like a Relationship:
    Passion doesn’t thrive in isolation. Share it. Find a community of people who love what you love, whether it’s online forums, local meetups, or just a fellow nerd who won’t roll their eyes when you ramble. Relationships—literally or figuratively—grow stronger with a little give and take.

  5. Know When to Let Go of Perfection:
    In relationships and passions alike, perfection is overrated. Your work won’t always be glowing—sometimes it’ll feel like downright trash. But guess what? You learn more from the messy drafts and awkward moments than you ever will from flawless execution.

A Forever Kind of Love

These days, I’m proud to call my passions both “work” and “home.” Whether I’m writing historical fiction, regaling students with colorful accounts of Telluride’s mining days, or simply saddling up a horse for a nostalgic horseback ride, I feel like I’m living in a way that honors the kid I used to be. Don’t get me wrong—there are still days when the words don’t flow, or the trails feel steep, and my coffee runs cold before I’m halfway through. But chasing what makes your heart beat faster? Well, it’s a lot like falling in love—equal parts exhilarating and terrifying, but absolutely worth it.

So here’s my advice: go after what sets your soul on fire. Maybe it’s painting landscapes, hosting a podcast about ‘90s sitcoms, or baking pies so good they’d make Mary Berry weep. Passion is what makes life rich, layered, and worth peeling back for another bite.

You might just find that giving yourself permission to pursue what you love isn’t just good for the soul—it’s downright irresistible.