Hi, Annie here. Thank you for visiting my website! Read on to learn more about me….

I spent my first quarter-century in Missouri, growing up on the back of a horse and experiencing farm life, then a hard life. My mom encouraged adventure, independence, and always getting back on the horse. My dad was my rock and most loyal supporter. I became a single mom at age 17, which kick-started my road to maturity. I also cared for my dad, who died of cancer in 2005, at the age of 63.

I moved to Wellington, Colorado, in 2007. I bought a farm, filled it with animals and gardens, and taught my son about farm life. When he turned 18 and moved out on his own, I sold the farm and rehomed the animals. I had cared for the 40 acres mostly on my own for 11 years and was burnt out on all the responsibilities and ready to do more traveling. I did the rental thing for a few years before settling back into home ownership in downtown Wellington. I travel much more with less to care for at home and only one dog. My son grew into a remarkable young man, and I love our adventures together.

I spent 8 years adventuring and traveling solo with my co-pilot, Maverick, who crossed the rainbow bridge in March of 2025. He was an incredibly special dog, a golden retriever, who spent his years by my side through backpacking trips, mountain summits, and weeks and months of life on the road. When he was six he broke his leg playing fetch in the yard. The break was not fixable and ended up being due to a tumor and bone cancer. He then spent 3 years as a super active tripawd, living his best life. Bloodwork and lung X-rays continue to show no signs of cancer spreading. In his last year, he survived a heart tumor but started showing more signs of pain. It was a roller coaster the last 3 years, and the decision to end his suffering was a hard one. But he will always be part of my journey. I am incredibly grateful for the life I had with him, and hope to write a book about our time together.

I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Affairs with an emphasis in Nonprofit and Community Services Management from Park University in Parkville, Missouri. I graduated with both degrees with a 4.0 GPA and received Departmental Honors during my Undergraduate Degree. I am intelligent and committed to lifelong learning.
I have 20 years of experience working in the social services field in the governmental and nonprofit sectors. I worked for Child Welfare for six years, served as a case manager and then development coordinator for a nonprofit serving at-risk youth for six years, and was the Executive Director of a nonprofit focused on downtown revitalization and historic preservation for two and a half years. I am passionate about serving people and understanding how things work in the social services realm. I currently provide nonprofit consulting services under Sunshine Ink, leveraging my experience to help nonprofits grow and shine. I specialize in grant writing, development, and marketing.

I have 15 years of professional writing experience in various settings and forums, and attended the Long Ridge Writers Group course. I research thoroughly, report accurately, and write professionally. I am good at capturing the essence of whatever I am writing about and sharing in a way that connects with the reader. My writing experiences include court documents, grant applications, client bios, web content, ads, press releases, news articles, and travel blogs. I served as a news reporter for North Forty News’s Wellington section for three years. To see examples of my writing, please see my blog: https://sunshineinkllc.com/blog/.

I am an experienced traveler and adventurer who engages in a variety of outdoor activities and modes of travel. I have trekked to Everest Base Camp, backpacked in Alaska’s wilderness, driven Ireland’s narrow streets, summited all of Colorado’s 14ers, climbed five volcanoes in Ecuador, cycled 350 miles of mountain roads in the Tour de Wyoming, and been on countless adventures in the United States. I love trying new things and am confident in solo adventuring. In 2020, amid the pandemic, I spent 17 weeks living out of a Subaru Outback with my dog, camping along the backroads of the western states. I had a Scamp camper and a fine-tuned remote working on the road with internet access and power sources. I am in the midst of buying a van with my boyfriend, as the latest chapter of my adventurous life kicks off.

I have a blog and social media pages with entries about various travel, health, and life topics and links to published articles. SunshineInkLLC.com is my blog, and my Facebook and Instagram accounts are @SunshineInkLLC.

I want to help others reach their goals and share their story. With my travel blog, I do this by educating, inspiring, and sharing photographs. For my clients, I do this by offering a variety of writing-related services that help them connect with the populations they aim to serve. As a journalist, I provide quality informational and heartwarming content. As a photographer, I capture the beauty and wonder of the natural world.
I am intelligent, creative, and motivated to succeed at anything I put my mind to. As a strategic thinker, I enjoy problem-solving and planning. I thrive on challenges and am continually learning new things. As an outdoor and exercise enthusiast, I am always in training for the next great adventure.

In 2025, I was able to shift my hybrid ‘part-time employee and part-time contractor’ hats to ‘full-time contract work’. I have five nonprofits on my caseload, and more that I volunteer for. I served as chair of a grants committee, helping the Fort Collins Interfaith Council refine its grant-making processes. I have helped small nonprofits grow and diversify funding. I specialize in programming that addresses mental health, substance use disorder, suicide prevention, at-risk youth, trauma recovery, and veteran support services. I provide grant writing and management services, as well as development, marketing, and consulting services. My work is 100% remote, though my nonprofits are local, and I attend in-person events when able. I am grateful to have found my niche in the nonprofit world, which also allows me to remain remote so I can travel and have time to manage my own mental health and wellness.

Serving the mental health field is my passion and a major reason I chose this career path. I have complex PTSD and neurodiversity and am a survivor of childhood trauma. Mental health issues significantly impact my life and the lives of many loved ones. People of all ages are struggling, and I am grateful to help however I can.

Shortly after Maverick’s passing, I started dating Nate, who is now my human partner. We got an English Cream Golden Retriever puppy, who was born a few weeks after Maverick passed. His name is Kenai, a name we chose after we took a trip to Alaska. Kenai is in training to be a service dog for PTSD. My boyfriend is a disabled veteran who served for 11 years in the Army, and the training is being funded by a nonprofit that provides no-cost service dog training. We are in the midst of upgrading my solo-life adventure rig (Scamp) to a custom-built Sprinter van, as we work towards more adventure in 2026. In the meantime, we get out every weekend we can. I am excited for the road ahead, and know I will have much more content to share from van life and life on the road.

I am eager to serve and interested in taking on projects that align with my skill set and interests. Please let me know how I can be of service to you. Email me at SunshineInkLLC@gmail.com.

To see more of my photos, and follow my travels, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram under @SunshineInkllc or click: