Hi - I'm Samantha!
And I'm so glad you're here.
Currently: Bend, Oregon
In December 2018, my husband and I sold our condo in Oakland, left our family and friends in California, and moved to Bend, Oregon for no reason other than because we wanted to. The decision to leave the Bay Area was scary, and exciting, and definitely a little bit crazy but we are so glad we're here!
We both work from home (did you know Bend is ranked first among U.S. cities in percentage of remote workers?) and spend most of our time outside running, biking, and adventuring as much as possible.
Want to learn more about Bend? Check out these helpful blog posts:
Why Bend? -- Six months update - Exploring Central Oregon
Why Bend? -- Six months update - Exploring Central Oregon
More About Me
I've always been a writer, an athlete, and a little bit Type A. In high school, I wrote for the school paper, was involved in student government, volunteered, worked, played volleyball and softball, and never got a B. My high school years were complicated to say the least, so I drowned myself in school and sports to stay busy. In college, I studied Communication because I felt like I needed to and English because I wanted to. I worked three jobs. My mom hit rock bottom, then got sober.
Eventually, I spent two years at UC Berkeley working on my Masters and began focusing my energies on starting my career. Since then I've dedicated my time to working for technology companies in education like the Carnegie Foundation, Wiki Education, and most recently zyBooks.
In 2016, I met my husband. We are two very different people who have learned to rely on compromise and who together have truly embraced the outdoors. Just before our wedding I started my Medium blog as a way to record our adventures.
Read more: pre-marriage life -- learning to compromise -- our wedding
Then in 2020, I lost my job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Job hunting during a global pandemic and an economic recession was hard but I learned so much along the way and had the opportunity to invest more time and energy into my photography business, The Wealderness. If you're in Bend or the Bay Area and you're looking for brand photos, new headshots, or portraits for yourself or your family then I'm your girl!
Get in touch
Thank you!