Yesterday during my bike ride, my friend Rachel sent me some stunning pictures from her family’s vacation to Florida’s Gulf Coast. I ran out of different ways to say, “Wow!” So I started sending her some Washington winter pictures. (You can see my offerings below. Very different from the tropical paradise vibe from her end of the world.)

This photo exchange gave me the idea for the Great December Photo Swap. Every single day in the month of November, Rachel and I will send each other a picture of something beautiful we saw that day. No explanation required.

I’m pretty excited about this. First of all, because it gives us a reason to connect regularly. I love Rachel like a sister, and any time spent connecting with her is like balm on my heart. Second, because it will force me to spend my day looking for something beautiful — a joyful way of perceiving the world that I want to cultivate.

It’s going to be difficult some days, I’m guessing. I have days I don’t even leave the apartment. That’s a small world. But I’m looking forward to finding something beautiful even in that 1100 square feet.