A quick note from our executive director and founder
September 13 marked my tenth anniversary at Astoria, and it has been a transformative journey. I remember walking through the park with Chris Deming when we stumbled upon a baby deer beneath the cottonwoods. At that moment, I thought about Astoria’s return as a community hub, focused on providing equitable access to wellness experiences—an ambitious goal. That was in 2014, and I was 32.
Many of you likely have your own journey with this place and with the people who find restoration and connection here. And countless others came before us, each with their own stories of Astoria. As supporters, you contribute meaningfully to this vision, and I am so grateful to be building this community resource alongside you.
I recently came across a quote: “Happiness is not finding success by a certain time, but finding something you love so much that time itself seems to disappear.” This resonated with me, even though I do have a few more wrinkles and gray hairs than I did at 32.
Another line that stood out to me was: “Happiness is not something that comes when every problem is solved and all things are perfectly in place, but in the shining silver linings that remind us the light of day is always there if you slow down enough to notice.” As we approach our fifth year of welcoming visitors, we still have much to accomplish. Yet, in the midst of the daily grind, I hope to slow down enough to notice these silver linings.
With fall upon us, Jackson Hole’s pace begins to slow, and I’m finding time to look inward and focus on my own self-care. Fortunately, my once-ambitious goal of creating access to wellness experiences has come to fruition, allowing me to take part in some of our upcoming wellness offerings, like the Wellness Retreat, yoga and sound healing, and meditation classes—along with a soothing hot springs soak, of course! Please join me.
–Paige Byron
