About

Hi! I’m Nicole, a recent transplant to San Francisco by way of Denver, Colo. I started Trajectory of a Life as a way to share my life’s trajectory with friends, family and anyone else interested, as well as to connect with like-minded individuals.

Trajectory of Life celebrates living purposefully with curiosity, courage and simplicity as guides. I use the blog to document this philosophy through writing about my adventures in reading, travel, cooking, photography, fitness, being a dog mom, minimalism, sustainability, living childfree by choice, marriage and setting and meeting life goals. As someone new to the Bay Area, the blog is also where I share tips for things to do in San Francisco as we explore this new city of ours.

While I began blogging in 2007, I’ve been putting words to paper since I was quite young, starting my first writing club — The Petite Poets — in elementary school. More recently, I formed and led a monthly writing circle, Denver Creates, a community of writers who met monthly for three years from 2016 to 2019.

Originally from a small town in South Dakota, I have also called home the states of Wyoming, Delaware, Colorado and now, California, where I currently live with my husband, Dustin, and our fur baby, Ellie.

To find out more, visit my website and connect with with me via social media:

• Instagram: @_nicjoy + @trajectoryoflife
• Twitter: @nicjoy + @denvercreates

{All opinions, including product reviews, are my own. All photos unless otherwise specified are my own.}

my manifesto

I believe in kindness for self and others. | I believe in do-gooding regularly with no need for recognition. | I believe in pedicures and spa days. | I believe learning new things and taking classes is the path to self. | I believe taking steps outside one’s comfort zone should be done daily. | I believe accessories make an outfit. | I believe music is truly good for the soul. | I believe in solo travel and movies and dinner dates. | I believe in wanderlust. | I believe in making lists and plans and goals. | I believe in taking time to laugh and learn and love. | I believe your life is your message to the world and you should do all you can to make it inspiring. | I believe in leaving a legacy. | I believe being at 36k feet with no access to cellphones is bliss. | I believe in home-cooked meals prepared with loved ones. | I believe in pausing and mindfulness and taking time to just be. | I believe the city is where I belong but there’s something to be said about wide-open spaces. | I believe in friendships and time spent laughing and building relationships. | I believe we are all connected. | I believe that book stores and libraries are magical. | I believe in hard work and integrity. | I believe we are all doing the best we can with what we have. | I believe rescued is the best breed. | I believe in mountain air and campfires and stargazing and majestic peaks. | I believe less is more + one in, one out. | I believe in writing in the margins (and all over the pages). | I believe that my feet hitting the pavement and fresh air filling my lungs can change even the worst day. | I believe in lazy weekend mornings of writing and coffee drinking. | I believe in being a little bit overdressed for every occasion.  I believe in four-legged, furry kiddos. | I believe in BYO and reducing single-use. | I believe in recording life through journals and blog posts. | I believe living in the arena and being vulnerable is the only true way to grow as a human being. | I believe true love is worth waiting for. | I believe in doing what sparks joy. | I believe the only way out is through. | I believe in owning your story. | I believe nothing is wasted. | I believe in holding myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. | I believe in beginning again, and again, and again.

~Nicole Joy, 1/3/2016 + revised 10/5/2019