September, 2026 marks the 7-year anniversary of my decision to start Sunshine Ink LLC. As I reflect on this month’s milestones (this anniversary and more), I’m proud of how far I have come.
My journey began in 2019, when I decided to start a business so I could have the freedom to live the life I wanted. I wanted to be a travel writer, taking photos and sharing stories from travels and adventures around the world.
In 2018, the year after my son turned 18 and left the nest, I decided to sell my farm in Wellington, CO. I had lived there since 2007, and while I loved farm life and will forever cherish the years of life, love, and adventure on Sunshine Farm, I was burnt out and ready for the next adventure. I began traveling more often, doing big adventures like a trek to Everest Basecamp, and closer-to-home ones in my ever-evolving adventure-digs setup and mission to climb Colorado’s 58 tallest peaks.
In early 2020, thanks to a change in living situation where I was renting a place with my brother and sitting on business-startup investable funds from the sale of my farm, I prepared for my first big adventure under Sunshine Ink. I would spend a month in Australia and New Zealand, and connect with an aunt I hadn’t seen since childhood. The trip kicked off in March, just as the Pandemic swept across the nation. After flights were canceled, I decided to set off on a road trip instead. A four-month-long ‘Pandemic Roadtrip ‘ in my Subaru Outback with my golden boy co-pilot Maverick taught me a lot about personal growth, my limits when it comes to adventure rig comfort, and the challenges of working full-time on the road. At the time, I was working as a journalist for a northern Colorado news publication and had very little money coming in because journalism doesn’t pay much. I was gathering a ton of content for a book I hope to write someday soon, and the road trip changed my life for the better. But, I had lots of work to do before I could sustainably live full time, or much of the time, on the road.
The Pandemic, its impact on the world around me, and a lack of satisfaction with my journalism work had me heading back toward work in the human services field. By the end of 2020, I had returned to a local nonprofit mental health & substance use treatment center where I had worked for my first 4 years in Colorado. It was also the nonprofit that made me fall in love with nonprofits, leading me to pursue a Master’s in Public Affairs (2013; emphasis in Nonprofit and Community Services Management) so I could work on the admin side of nonprofits.
From 2022-2025, I gradually transitioned from part-time development work (Grants, Marketing, Fundraising) as a W2 employee to contract work under Sunshine Ink. I also shifted primarily to grant writing and grant management. I absolutely love serving in the nonprofit world. So many incredible missions are doing incredible work for vulnerable populations. All the work I do is remote, and part of the shift in service offerings over the years has also been to align with work that I can do well, remotely. I found my niche in the nonprofit world, and I can do it remotely; I serve incredible missions and humans, which makes the work fulfilling, and I have been blessed with word-of-mouth referrals that mean I haven’t had to spend time marketing my services. I have had more work and referrals than I have had the capacity to take on.
Moving into 2026, I feel drawn to get back to where I started with Sunshine Ink. My travels and big adventures have continued, and I share pictures and stories with my private social media following. I love the work and volunteer opportunities that take me back to Sunshine Ink’s roots, and it is time for me to commit more time to building it up. Among so many milestones from 2025- 2026, one includes an adventure rig upgrade that fully meets me remote office needs. A 2025 Tab400 Boondock, with a full power upgrade. And a boyfriend and dog who are willing, financially able, and happy to share this life with me.
The list of things I want to do creatively through Sunshine Ink feels endless. I have SO MUCH content, and so many back burner things I want to do. I am grateful to be in a place where I am financially sustaining my business and lifestyle through the contract work I do for my predominantly nonprofit client base. I LOVE the nonprofits I work for, and that all the work I do can be done remotely from anywhere in the world. I am grateful for the partnership of my boyfriend and dog, which helps make life so much more fun and less stressful. We are living in an ever more challenging world, and the joy and peace that comes from nights spent far away from it all, in land filled with things to explore and experience, is what keeps us moving forward.
I have decided to kick off year 7 of Sunshine Ink as one of more sharing and more priority towards the creative endeavors my heart has been desiring. After all, life is short, and I sure am spending A LOT of time stockpiling content for the books, blogs, photos, and adventure tips that I have been collecting over this wild ride of a life I have been living…
Another milestone this month is embracing my newly upgraded remote office. In fact, I am writing this from it.
‘On the road again….’ ~ Willie Nelson
“Find out who you are. And do it on Purpose.” ~Dolly Parton
More to come.
Happy trails friends,
Annie
