About Me

You've read my story. You've met my babies. Maybe I should introduce myself, as well.



I'm Nika.

Runner. Dreamer. Dancer. Writer. Adventurer. Superhero. Future rockstar.

I grew up on a farm in East Tennessee with 2 brothers, a sister, and our 3 cousins that lived next door. We rode our horses through huge fields of flowers. We caught bull frogs in the pond. We rode bikes and tractors and blew things up and shot things to pieces. We learned how to make things grow and how to make things better. Like the bunnies we rescued and bottle fed every time Papaw pulled out his bush hog. We had sandwiches and sweet tea and naps on the porch swing. We wore pretty dresses to church and then wore them straight into big puddles of mud. We learned how to drive when we could reach the pedals, and we learned how to fix it when it broke down. We had HUGE imaginations and a whole lotta love from our very large, small town family.


When I was younger, my grandpa would sit me on his lap and show me old photos. I fell in love with that amazing connection between story and photo. I have been hooked on photography ever since. I got my first "big girl" camera in 2009 after my divorce. I carry it everywhere. It's more important than wallet or cell phone. You can see some of my work by clicking the Photography link if you'd like.


I worked in a nursing home after high school and a few semesters of college. Best job EVER. My residents weren't my job. They were my friends. They taught me so much about love, life, and all the things that really matter. One day I want to have my own nursing home. More on that in a future post.

In 2007 I joined the Navy. I was bored and wanted an adventure. I definitely got what I was looking for, and then some.  I currently work on P-3C Orion aircraft, but I'm working toward a nursing degree and eventually an officer commission.

In 2008, I married my best friend. I quickly learned that distance changes people. So does not having mommy around to do everything for them. He couldn't handle me being in the military. I couldn't handle his drinking and angry fits. After 10 months of never being good enough, I was finally broken. I couldn't take the fights, the angry fits, the nothing ever being done to help out. When his fist hit the wall next to my face, I was done. We were divorced within the first year. I'll never see marriage the same.

In 2010, I met Bryan while in school for Avionics. I was in a new place, didn't know anybody, didn't have friends, and I was still in a downward spiral over my divorce. Bryan became my friend, and in doing so, became my saving grace. We eventually started dating. A year and a half later, he is still my saving grace. And my best friend. We live in Washington with our collie Austin and our cat Alice. Bryan makes all the bad shit go away, makes me happy again, and hopefully will be around to do so for the rest of my life. I'm still not so sure about the marriage thing, but we're getting there. One step at a time.


I love being outdoors. Hiking. Kayaking. Fishing. It doesn't matter, as long as it's outside. I love to eat. Turkey sandwiches, fried pickles, and sweet tea is the best meal in the universe. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and never get bored of it. I love music. Especially if it's being played around a bonfire. I have a guitar, and it's one of my most favorite things in the world. After 6 years, I still haven't quite learned to play it....