Chasing Awe https://ageekmom.com Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:22:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.1 https://ageekmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cropped-IMG_5285-32x32.jpg Chasing Awe https://ageekmom.com 32 32 So Many Armadillos https://ageekmom.com/2026/07/10/so-many-armadillos/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:45:14 +0000 https://ageekmom.com/?p=2065 “Want to join me at the park tomorrow? It’s my volunteer day.”

My daughter was home from college for winter break, and I figured she would rather sleep in than spend the morning helping me tend the two bird blinds at Guadalupe River State Park.

Instead, she said yes.

I volunteer at the park several times a month as a Texas Master Naturalist, caring for the park’s bird blinds. I often go alone, so it was nice to have my daughter’s company that morning.

At the Woodland bird blind, we saw our first armadillo. After tending Woodland, we wandered down to the Guadalupe River for a bit before heading back to the car. We weren’t in a hurry. We still had the Savannah blind to tend, but it could wait a few more minutes. It was a lovely, overcast December morning.

Close-up of nine-banded armadillo looking at the camera

We hadn’t been there long before another armadillo wandered right past us. Then another appeared, and before long it felt like armadillos were everywhere. Some looked young and sleek. Others looked older and a little scruffy. We’d never seen so many in one place.

Most of the time, armadillos scamper off as soon as they realize you’re nearby. These didn’t seem nearly as concerned with us. One got closer and closer to us as it rooted through the leaves, stopping every few feet to sniff the ground before shuffling off again. It eventually disappeared into the brush, and we kept walking toward the river, where we spotted more.

Every time we spotted another armadillo, my daughter looked over at me with the same excited expression. We found ourselves scanning the woods and listening for the unmistakable rustling in the leaves, hoping we’d find another one.

Armadillo approaches my daughter as she takes its photo

I was just as excited and kept hoping I’d spot another to show her. Before we knew it, twenty minutes had slipped by. Eventually, we made our way back to the car, drove over to Savannah, finished our volunteer morning, and headed home.

I’ve gone back to Guadalupe River State Park many times since then, and I’ve enjoyed every visit. I’m grateful this was one we got to share.

]]> Rig Build Log: Hitch & Cargo Basket https://ageekmom.com/2026/04/11/rig-build-log-hitch-cargo-basket/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:14:43 +0000 https://ageekmom.com/?p=1853

How a headlamp, a borrowed torque wrench, and a stubborn streak got me one step closer to my dreams

I’ve been planning this upgrade for a while. Solo trips, one to two weeks at a time, just me and my one-eyed rescue pit mix Lily, chasing whatever breathes life back into our souls. Dark sky sites. Wide open spaces and secluded forest roads.

The challenge is space when at rest. Lily travels in a crash-tested dog carrier that takes up a lot of cargo space. My solar panel is going on the roof, which rules out roof stowage for lighter weight essentials. What to do?

The solution: a tow hitch and cargo basket. Less for towing and hauling than for providing a “landing zone” for bulky items, like Lily’s dog carrier when we are parked at camp. When we are in motion, we fold the basket up, out of the way against the vehicle.

So I bought the parts, cleared the garage, and got to work.

What I Added

The Hitch

CURT’s 13615 Class 3 trailer hitch is a no-drill install that bolts directly to existing frame points on the 2020 RAV4. Prior to installation, the most adventurous automotive installation I’d undertaken was replacing my side-view mirrors with sequential turn indicators (video) or replacing my front speakers. Gravity proves to be the biggest challenge in a hitch installation, everything else is straightforward as long as you have the correct tools. I borrowed my dad’s torque wrench, had the sockets I needed, and upgraded my wrench set at the start of this project.

The Cargo Basket

CURT’s 18153 cargo basket is lighter and more manageable than it looks, easy to maneuver solo. While my solo hitch installation involved a headlamp, bruises, and colorful metaphors, installing the cargo basket was a ten-minute job.

The folding shank tucks cleanly against the vehicle when not in use, which I appreciate more than I expected. It means I can leave the basket on and still park in the garage.

Why All of This

This is the first step of a bigger buildout of my RAV4 so it allows me to work, create, and chase awe across Texas and North America. A solar panel is purchased. Batteries are purchased. Starlink is secured.

The hitch and cargo basket were step one.

Lily has no idea what’s coming. She’s going to love it.

Next Up

Solar panel and battery installation

]]> Meet Shannon https://ageekmom.com/2026/04/11/meet-shannon/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:22:00 +0000 https://ageekmom.com/?p=1839
Shannon smiling

Hi! I’m Shannon.

Welcome to Chasing Awe.

I spent years building a successful career before realizing I wanted a life driven by curiosity instead of climbing ladders.

These days you’ll usually find me working on my latest painting, out in nature with a camera, covered in clay at my pottery wheel, tinkering with technology, or planning my next adventure.

Around here you’ll find…

🌿 Nature – birds, wildlife, native plants, and those moments that make me stop in my tracks

🎨 Art & Creativity – pottery, painting, photography, and making things with my hands

🚙 Adventure Travel – building Astrid, my blue RAV4, into a mobile field studio and exploring places that spark wonder

🛰 Technology & Space – astronomy, AI, gadgets, understanding & making things, and whatever interesting rabbit hole I’m exploring this week

💙 Life – honest reflections on starting over, finding wonder, and creating a life that finally feels like mine

If any of that sounds like your kind of adventure, I think you’ll feel at home here.


I’ve spent most of my life helping other people succeed, from supporting the U.S. military as a civilian contractor to working in nonprofits and Fortune 100 companies. I worked very hard to become very good at things that had nothing to do with birds, clay, cameras, or chasing rainbows.

I decided to find out what would happen if I built my life around the things that actually light me up.

So far, that’s meant countless hours in nature (with and without a camera), behind a pottery wheel and easel, experimenting with a 3D printer, and spending more than a few days in or under my SUV as it slowly transforms into a mobile field studio. Through it all, Lily, my one-eyed rescue pit mix and permanent shadow, is usually nearby.

Chasing Awe is where nature, technology, art, space, travel, and the occasional honest detour all live together, because that’s how they live in me.

I’ve started over more than once.

I have thoughts.

And I’m glad you’re here.

]]> Rig Build Log: The Early Mods https://ageekmom.com/2025/09/13/rig-build-log-the-early-mods/ Sat, 13 Sep 2025 19:06:00 +0000 https://ageekmom.com/?p=1030

Before I knew I was building a rig, I was already building a rig. Meet Astrid.

Astrid arrived via Carvana in mid-2021, a pristine Blue Flame 2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE, and I immediately started making her mine. Not because I had a grand plan. (I didn’t yet.) Just because stock is never quite right and I have opinions.

These are the mods I made in those early years (2021-2025), before the adventure build had a name.

What I Added

Functional Upgrades

Cosmetic Updates

  • Gloss Black Door Handle Covers [eBay] – surprisingly great addition that hold up well
  • Black 17″ Wheel Skins/Hub Caps [eBay] – much less expensive than black wheels; can be a little noisy at low speed, but I don’t mind
  • Hood Bug Deflector (rigid glossy plastic) – what I currently have on Astrid

The LED Interior Lights

The Fyre Flys kit is a simple swap. No wiring, no cutting, just pull the old bulbs out and push the new ones in. The 6000K color is clean and bright without being harsh. This was the first tweak I did after taking delivery and I consider it mandatory. I found the stock lighting inside the 2020 RAV4 depressingly dim. 

The Sequential Turn Indicators

Subtle enough to look factory, distinctive enough to get noticed, these sequential LED turn indicators go in the side mirrors, replacing the static turn signals with a sequential sweeping animation. The SUPAREE kit fits the 2019-2021 RAV4 directly. Installation is straightforward. This is one of my favorite mods, and I think it adds meaningfully to vehicle safety.

The Speakers

I purchased the aftermarket dash speakers shortly after taking delivery of the vehicle, and then let them sit for a year. (I blame the pandemic.) I also convinced myself the stock sound wasn’t that bad.

Post-install, I was instantly reminded why this is such a popular upgrade. The Kenwood Dash Speakers sound fantastic. Honestly, installation was easier than removing some of the interior light covers for the LED swap. 

The Fog Lights

Top: With new fog lights; Bottom: Stock lighting

Like many 2020 vehicles, Astrid arrived with (white) LED headlights and (yellow) incandescent fog lights. The color temperature mismatch irked me from day one. The LED fog light swap brings the color temperatures into alignment and improves overall illumination as well.

The Tires

The stock tires were worn and it had become a potential safety issue. The Falken Wildpeak A/T3W (P235/65R17) was a noticeable upgrade. A popular light all-terrain tire, they’re far more capable than stock without the aggressiveness (and road noise) of going full off-road. They look incredible on Astrid and handle deftly on and off-road in all weather.

The Window Tint

In May 2024, I had the windows tinted by XPEL San Antonio, including an eyebrow strip across the top of the windshield. In the work bay, they discovered Astrid already had aftermarket tint and removed it before applying their own. Living in Texas, this might actually compete with the tires for most useful mod. The heat reduction alone is significant, but an unanticipated bonus was greatly reduced glare on night drives. (Hallelujah!)

XPEL San Antonio treated me and Astrid exceptionally, even letting me walk the active service bay to compare tint values before deciding. I greatly appreciate their customer service and attention to detail and highly recommend their work, which I am not receiving any compensation for. 

Cosmetic Touches

Not every mod is functional. Some are just about making Astrid look like mine. Here are some of the main ones –

The Door Handle Covers

Gloss black door handle covers are a simple, affordable way to add a more intentional look to the RAV4. Mine came from eBay. No tools required, just clean the surface with alcohol or clean water and press fit them on.

The Wheel Skins

Same philosophy. The stock silver wheel covers on the XLE are fine, but gloss black gives Astrid a more cohesive, purposeful look. Also from eBay. Easy install. (They come off with a little bit more… finesse 😉 I always remove them when taking the vehicle in for tire rotations and such.)

The Hood Deflector

Part cosmetic, part functional. Protects the hood from road debris and bugs while adding a more finished look up front. My current deflector is the glossy version, but if I were buying again I’d try the TripleAliners TPE deflector instead. It’s a more rugged, “trail-ready” design and it’s less expensive. 

Why This Matters Now

Initially, all of these were just upgrades to improve comfort, sound, and aesthetics. But somewhere between loading Astrid to the gills for coast runs and realizing Lily’s crash-tested crate had basically become a permanent fixture, something shifted. Astrid stopped being just a vehicle. She became a RIG.

The Adventure Build has a name now. And Astrid, Lily, and I are ready.

Next up: Hitch & Cargo Basket

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