H E Y T H E R E !

I’m Adele

Chasing beauty and freedom through travel, wilderness, and art.

Blending Land, Story and Soul

From Alaska to the ocean and across the American West, my life has been shaped by wild places, honest work, and a deep connection to the outdoors. I’ve split wood in minus-40, guided Class V whitewater, worked with sled dogs, and spent years navigating remote landscapes. Those experiences taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of trusting both preparation and intuition.

Today, I live full-time on the road in a DIY truck camper, exploring the landscapes, people, and stories that exist just beyond the expected path. Through West of Normal, I share reflections on adventure, intuition, self-trust, and building an unconventional life rooted in freedom, curiosity, and connection to the natural world.

My background spans design, storytelling, outdoor leadership, and hands-on work. I’ve run a creative business, taught at the university level, worked in construction, hospitality, and outdoor recreation, and spent much of my life learning through experience rather than convention. That combination of creativity and practicality shapes how I approach both work and life.

Whether I’m camped beneath a desert sky, helping friends on a ranch, exploring a backroad, or sharing stories from the road, I’m most interested in the intersection of land, adventure, personal growth, and the quiet wisdom that comes from paying attention. Around here, you’ll find stories from the road, lessons learned the hard way, and a reminder that there’s more than one way to build a meaningful life.

Adventurer

Adventure has been the thread running through my life for as long as I can remember. At 18, I began guiding wilderness trips, learning how to navigate uncertainty, stay calm under pressure, and trust both preparation and instinct. Since then, I’ve traveled extensively across Alaska, the American West, and beyond, chasing wild landscapes, meaningful experiences, and the kind of growth that only happens when you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone.

Creator

I’ve always been drawn to creating things. Sometimes that looks like building brands, writing stories, or designing websites. Other times it looks like building a truck camper, fixing what’s broken, or finding a creative solution to a problem on the road. With a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and more than a decade running a creative business, I bring both strategy and craftsmanship to my work. No matter the medium, I’m interested in creating things that are useful, meaningful, and built to last.

Sojourner

I live full-time on the road, following curiosity more than convention. Along the way, I’ve lived in remote places, worked a wide variety of jobs, traveled internationally, and spent countless hours exploring backroads, forests, mountains, and deserts. Movement has never felt like escape to me. It’s how I learn, connect, and better understand both the world and myself. West of Normal was born from that journey and from the belief that there are many ways to build a meaningful life beyond the expected path.

I have no special talents.

I am only passionately curious.

—Albert Einstein

Places that shaped me...

Colorado

Colorado is where it all began. At 18, I became a commercial raft guide, spending seasons on the Colorado and Green Rivers. Long days on the water and nights under the stars taught me how to lead, adapt, and read both people and terrain. That work sparked a love for the outdoors that still fuels me today. Colorado gave me the foundation to build a life rooted in effort, presence, and adventure.

Alaska

Alaska was my proving ground. I spent a decade running sled dogs, hauling water, and living without modern amenities. It taught me resilience, patience, and how to work with animals in extreme conditions. I also launched my creative business from an off-grid cabin, balancing design with the rhythm of the land. Alaska taught me to stay calm in chaos and trust my own hands to get the job done.

Bali

Bali taught me how to stay grounded while on the move. I surfed, trained in Muay Thai, climbed volcanoes, and built community with remote entrepreneurs. I ran my business from a simple hut, learning how to blend freedom with focus and discipline with flow. Even thousands of miles from home, I kept showing up fully. Bali reminded me that no matter where I go, I can live simply and work hard.

More About Adele

Creative Director & Adventure Guide

You could call me a jack of all trades—with experience ranging from running a design studio and teaching at the university level to working as a seamstress at an outdoor gear company, bartender, construction worker, and cook. That mix of creative, academic, and hands-on work has shaped my adaptability, work ethic, and grounded approach to every project. I earned a Master of Fine Arts and launched Live Large Design to support mission-driven brands with heart and clarity.

I recently founded West of Normal—a platform that brings together adventure, creativity, and meaningful connection. Whether I’m guiding in the field or building a brand from the ground up, my work is rooted in curiosity, craftsmanship, and care.

When I’m not working, I’m usually off-grid in my DIY truck camper, skiing, surfing, or exploring the backcountry. I feel most at home in the wide-open spaces of the American West—riding horses, helping friends with ranch work, and spending long days outside. At heart, I’m a natural host, a steady hand, and a lover of big landscapes—values that guide everything I do.

To say that our trip to Alaska was a once-in-a-lifetime experience doesn’t do it justice. I have dreamt about going there since I was a kid, so I wasn’t sure if it would match up to my expectations. I was proven wrong at every turn with Adele’s guidance. The pure, unspoiled beauty of the landscape, the wildlife, the people... I honestly don’t know how to put it into words.

One thing I do know is that the trip would have been nothing without Adele. You couldn’t ask for a better host, guide, travel companion, and friend.

Her knowledge, expertise, and sense of adventure are second to none: whether you are dog mushing, skijoring, hiking, or cross-country skiing to some remote cabin, jumping naked in the snow from an outdoor hot tub, or doing donuts in the truck on a snow-covered airfield. Adele has a thirst for life that is completely infectious. More importantly, she’s one the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. My experience of Alaska will stay with me forever!

—Andrej Person

West of Normal is a place for people building a life outside the script. Part road story, part practical toolkit, and part exploration of the energetic side of being human, these conversations explore freedom, intuition, self-trust, creativity, and what it takes to follow your own path. Not the normal route. Just the one that’s true for you.