I have a thing for Kachinas, those little Hopi dolls that I used to see around all the time as a kid. We stopped by a store in Kanab, Utah, and it was so much fun to look inside! Cowboy boots, saddles, cowboy hats, beautiful beaded belts, turquoise jewelery, and Kachinas. I bought my own tiny Sun Kachina who lives on my laptop now. He’s a real thing of joy and beauty.

I grew up in the desert surrounded not by Hopi, but by the Navajo tribe. I realize now how privileged I was to grow up alongside such a rich and amazing culture. It’s funny how you take things like that for granted as a child, but come to appreciate it as an adult.