I arrived at the Denver airport ready to return home to New York after spending the weekend hiking through the beautiful Rocky Mountains, only to find out my flight had been delayed... and then canceled. A severe storm had shut down flights into LaGuardia, and the next available seat wasn't until 5 p.m. the following day. There was absolutely no way I was spending the next 24 hours sleeping in the Denver airport, so I looked at my boyfriend and said, "Start walking back to the rental car counter." As I rolled my suitcase across the terminal trying to find the cheapest rental car I could, we threw our bags in the back of a truck, looked at each other, and I said, "Soooo... Wyoming?"
Two hours later, we were wandering around Cheyenne.
Some of my favorite travel memories have been the ones that were never planned.
Growing up in Pleasant Valley, I always thought I came from a small town. When I learned that Wyoming's capital had fewer people than the town I grew up in, it made me laugh. Life felt different out there. There was very little litter, people seemed proud of where they lived, and everything moved just a little slower. It reminded me that we don't actually need much to be happy. Life is about making good memories, appreciating beautiful places, and taking care of yourself because you only get one body.
One afternoon while hiking, I stopped for nearly ten minutes just watching a squirrel carry a flower. It probably sounds ridiculous, but moments like that are why I love traveling. Photography has become one of my favorite forms of self-care because it forces me to slow down. When I have a camera in my hand, I notice things I'd normally walk right past—the way the light hits the mountains, wildflowers growing through rocks, an elk quietly grazing in the distance, or a tiny squirrel determined to drag a flower twice its size across the trail. Those are the moments I remember long after the trip is over.
When I came home, I realized the Rocky Mountains hadn't made me want to live somewhere else, they made me appreciate the Hudson Valley even more. They're completely different landscapes, but they share something important: they both remind you to slow down. They encourage you to get outside, support local farms, appreciate the changing seasons, and pay attention to the little things that are so easy to overlook.
I think that's why I've always been drawn to making skincare. To me, self-care has never been about chasing perfection. It's about creating small rituals that remind us to take care of ourselves. Whether that's taking a walk after dinner, blocking off an hour to stretch, lighting a candle while you read, or spending a few extra minutes caring for your skin before bed, those little moments add up. We make our products with simple, thoughtfully chosen ingredients, many sourced right here in the Hudson Valley, because we believe those everyday rituals deserve the same care and intention.
One of my favorite things about traveling is realizing that every state in America feels like its own little country. A four-hour flight brought me from rolling farmland in the Hudson Valley to one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. It's incredible when you think about it. People travel across oceans to experience landscapes like these, yet so much beauty exists right here in our own backyards. Sometimes it just takes leaving home to remember how lucky you are to have it.
So this month, I hope you find a reason to slow down. Visit a farmers market. Take the scenic route home. Watch the sunrise. Buy flowers from a local farm. Go for a hike. Or simply sit outside with a cup of coffee for a few extra minutes. Life moves quickly enough on its own. The little moments are almost always the ones worth holding onto.
- Melissa, Hudson Valley Skin Care
