39

Boise, Idaho. May 2011.

Boise is a strikingly beautiful little city

but

when you hit the ground you fall asleep, dead to the world

the sunlight still seeping in through the curtains of the hotel room window

is like a drunk friend begging you not to leave a party.

Cumulative exhaustion has finally bested you and it will be another fifteen hours

before you can walk amongst the living.

In the morning you have a leisurely cup of coffee in the hotel

and read USA TODAY which reminds you of your Grandfather

who is almost certainly doing the exact same thing at this exact moment.

You go do your photo shoot and promptly forget about it

the sun is out, after all, and there's a strong positive energy in this town.

After all this time spent in unfamiliar cities, you have three things you always look for

a good non-chain coffee shop to read in

a bar with respectable beer

and a satisfying hike that offers a view at the end.

Boise has all three, not to mention

The World Center For Birds of Prey

one of the coolest places in the entire United States.