The Blog
A place for moments worth noticing.
Thoughts, dreams, and life in motion...
told through images and words,
honest, unpolished, and present.
For the Girl Who Couldn’t
January 31, 2026
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What keeps you moving when life feels hard, unclear, out of control, or just different?
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For me, it has always been running. It is a space where no matter what else is going on behind the scenes, my mind can rest and feel so in tune with the present moment. I feel my heart beat, I notice my breath, I am alert, and I feel so connected to God.
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When I do not have this outlet, I notice my anxiety increase. I feel uneasy and like an incomplete version of myself… which sounds dramatic… but trust me, ask my husband, he fully sees how much it can change my attitude and well-being.
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During one of the hardest times in my life, I became physically unable to run. I found this out the hard way.. About a half a mile into my run, I broke out in chills, and had to cling to the nearby fence to help me from falling over. The world felt like it was spinning and everything was moving in and out of focus. Luckily for me, no one was around to witness my bald little self almost pass out.
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I was week four into chemotherapy and I was certain that this run would soothe my anxieties.
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Sadly my usual therapy of running miles was no longer an option for me for the next couple of months… which was completely devastating. What else was I supposed to do? I was brought home from my travels in Australia for the surgery that diagnosed my cancer and I was just trying to do what I knew worked for me.
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In this time period where I was incapable of running, I laid in silence and learned to rest and pray. Everything was going the exact opposite of what I imagined or wanted for myself, and I needed an anchor, a safe place. I wrestled with how a good God could allow my life to look like this. I found peace in the truth that God was with me. Right beside me, even in the thick of this mess.
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My dad and I also thought it would be a good time to sign up for the marathon we had been wanting to do. It was going to be far enough out that I would be done with my treatments and would also give me enough time to train. So instead of sulking (which of course I did my fair share of that too), I was able to see outside of my world of treatment and feeling terribly.
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This gave my future self a glimpse of hope. A hope that reminded me my current state was not my forever. It gave me strength in my day to day to keep going even though I did not feel like myself in this season. This simple action of signing up for a race allowed me to keep moving forward, even though I did not know exactly how that would look.
The race ended up getting cancelled in 2020, the year of Covid-19, but I kept running in the meantime, holding onto the dream. Life’s timing and all its twists eventually led me to 2025, the perfect year to finally do what my 19-year-old self had set out to do. I write to you today as a recent marathon finisher, running for the girl who couldn’t. This race was so mentally and physically challenging, completing it for my past self was exactly the motivation I needed.
When life feels out of control, what anchors you? Never stop moving towards the person you hope to become.
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xo, me
The Green Grass
September 22, 2025
My name is Kira Caldwell. I am a California girl through and through, but well… I now live in South Carolina. Growing up, I can assure you that I never once thought about what was going on across the country. I was content, day-dreaming of becoming a pro-surfer and traveling to all the best surf spots… meanwhile so was my future husband from the landlocked city of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
When I first met my husband Carter, I was convinced he was from Australia. His thick accent, his Vissla tee shirt, and let me tell you – he surfed these California waves way too good to be “from South Carolina”. But, here I am almost two years into living in his hometown and it’s true… his whole family is in fact here and his accent, well … it’s Southern… and as for his surfing… that is still a mystery…
Together we have a lot of love for adventure and each other. I have always enjoyed a huge life pivot, so when we were deciding to move here, it made me excited. We came towards the end of fall; with all the beautiful trees' leaves changing and all the family holidays around the corner. This kept me going, but quickly faded (as did my sun-kissed tan) into a long, cold winter with no waves. I quickly fell into what I like to call a ‘mini depression’ .
I was with the love of my life, but life did not look how I ever envisioned it. I wanted my beach days, sunburns, coastal runs, mini surf sessions after work, and to watch my nephews grow up. “If I just think about Cali this much, then I will not miss out on any of it and will be the same person I was before I left.” I did not want to change, to “become a southerner”, I resisted and the more I resisted, the more bitter, discontent, and fake I felt. This makes it hard for someone moving into a new area to make friends, find a good routine, and feel content… but when all I was telling myself was I want to be there and not here… well... I began to live very passively.
I have filled endless journals with my thoughts. – Writing has always helped me make sense of my emotions and connect the dots to what exactly is going on around me. In my writing, I have seen my thoughts and attidude shift towards South Carolina. I do not want to continue to live a passive life and I imagine you do not either. As I have known, this place will forever be a place in our lives because we have family and people we love here. So right now, we are choosing to milk SC for everything it is worth: hikes, family, home cooked meals, seasons, friendship, growing our garden, camping, three-hour mob missions to surf hurricane swell, and everything in between. We want to look back and know we gave it our all.
We are watering the ground where we stand – trying to be present to our everyday and maximize every opportunity in front of us. Keeping our grass green means not looking at what could be, but what is right in front of us… We are seeking to be content but not complacent, which is a very fine line.
I want this blog to be a space where you can feel inspired to do what it is you want, no matter where you are at. To start living your dreams out and noticing just how green the grass is beneath your feet. But personally I hope it builds my writing skills, my communication skills, all the while teaching me to keep stepping out in faith and to stay focused on what matters most.
So, as we drive into this new season of fall, join me in soaking it up: Bake an apple pie, go to a pumpkin patch, run a race, spend time with friends and family, take lots of photos, start that business you have been thinking about, just go for it all. Let’s start giving this life the time and energy it needs to thrive.
xo, me
