It was a cool September day, and I had spent the morning scrolling through social media photos from other photographers of this same area—showing off some of the boldest fall foliage I had ever seen. If you haven't gathered already, I’m a sucker for fall colors, and I was dying to go photograph them. I had never driven to this area before, but I was up for the random adventure.

After about an hour and a half of driving, I found myself near Sutton, staring at the most surreal scene. Reds, purples, oranges, and bright yellows stretched across the valley—everything glowing below me as I stood at the highway overlook.

I looked at this mountain, and I remember thinking, “Oh, how I wish you could see this”. Immediately, my mind went to my boyfriend. I felt guilty that we weren’t seeing it for the first time together, like we do with so many other new experiences in Alaska. Still, it instantly became one of my favorite places—so special that the next fall, it became the place where we stood together, read our vows, and began our next chapter as husband and wife.

Now, every time I come back to this overlook, I flashback to our special day, and I think of all the loved ones no longer with us that I wish could see this.