Is the year REALLY half over already?

June.  The halfway mark for the year.  How is it possible?  Wasn't it January just a few weeks ago? Time is brutal. 

Just ask the crows feet around my eyes and the grey hairs on my head.

I wanted to post about this right after the trip like a normal person but today will work.  Especially when I SHOULD be packing for the big move tomorrow.

Procrastination is a very misunderstood and undervalued talent.

6 months ago while recovering from a very mellow New Years Eve....so mellow in fact I have no memory of what I actually did. Probably just went to bed after watching the fireworks from mom's balcony - that sounds about right.

What I do remember is excitedly getting ready to travel outside of the country, for the first time in several years.  People who know me understand why this was such a huge deal. It had been over 3 years since I had left the country, something I used to do multiple times a year.  I was jones-ing in a bad way for a stamp in my brand new and pathetically empty passport.  Yes turning 40 meant a brand new passport and it looked far to shiny, new and lonely without stamps and visa's from other countries. My old one was 2/3 full  and I am optimistic in the next 10 years I can do the same or more to this one.

Meanwhile this virgin passport was headed to Nicaragua.

I was thrilled to be invited on this incredible trip.  My roommate from college Betsy decided to organize a trip there for HER 40th birthday, 1 month after mine and I was flying to meet her, the 2 Heathers (the other half of the "fearsome foursome" (don't ask) and about 24 of Betsy's closest friends and family.

I could write and write and write about the trip, but I think it is better shown photographically with a brief summary.

Great food & drinks, old friends, new friends, sun, heat, pool time, exploring, lakes, mountains, buses, horse drawn carriages, boats, roofs of busses, monkey's, bats, mean ducks, volcanos, tunnels, adventure, hiking, volcano surfing, dancing and more drinking.

Almost there!

Here are just a few of my favorites, in no particular order - actually completely and ridiculously out of order. You can check out more on an album on my Facebook Photography Page if you are so inclined.

Just hoping I get to go on another adventure during the second half of 2013!

Choices Choices

The Fearsome Foursome still going at 40 and Fabulous!

This is just a given

Thanks to our hosts this was home for the week

Private Island - oh ok.

Splash

Perfection

Hike to the top and then surf down?  Ummmm Ok.

Close to the top now as the sun starts to set

Yup. Volcano Surfing.  We did that.

Sunset Post Surf

Our lodgings were an oasis 

My new friend

Sunset on Lake Granada

Volcano Gasses

Happy Birthday Girl!

My Favorite spot

Mean Ducks

Seeing the photos makes me want to go back! I miss everything! 

Well except the mean ducks.

Go West My Girl, Go West

2 years, 296 days and 2 1/2 hours ago I pulled my highlander away from the curb in front of my house in Venice Ca to head east on the 10.  But who's counting?

Yesterday afternoon, my plane skimmed over Sepulveda right before it hit the tarmac at LAX with the big blue pacific in view ahead of me and my eyes filled up with tears.....of joy.   I was born and raised in Philly and Jersey,  spent 4 amazing years in New England, and half of my family and loved ones live with me in Florida - so those places should be home.  And they are, in a sense.  There are many things I love and miss about all of those places.  However, on an early morning walk down the hill to the pier this morning, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee in hand, the pacific ahead of me, the sun shining on me face while I was bundled up against the crisp cold morning I can't deny the truth that tugged at my very soul.

I. Am. Home.

Mountains.  How I have missed them!

My host Nick.  Missed him so!

Just a beautiful Southern California Morning

Waves!  Surf-able Waves!

This is how to start a morning.  Hello Surfer boys!

This is just the beginning.  I have days of reconnecting with friends, my old home and if I can get ahold of a wet suit and a long board - the Pacific.

I'm back where I belong.

Monkeying Around Bali

I've been pondering why I have been feeling so restless and frustrated these days. I live in a beautiful place - for all it's strangeness, and while job hunting and depleted funds are frustrating I do have a fair bit of freedom. So why is it that I feel so blah about everything?

So in a fit of the dull-drums the other day I started going through all of my old travel photography from my years past. Those years right before I invested in my starter camera and after. The years where there was money to spend and miles to re-deem on my constant quest for adventures and that's when it dawned on me.....

I am 100% going through travel withdrawal. I mean as fun as the past few trips up to New Jersey and Philadelphia were (my old homes) they are not quite the adventure and exploratory travel I love and was spoiled and lucky enough to do a bit of for a few years before that pesky economy bungled everything up for me.

These photographs of Bali made me recall that 2 week adventure a few years back (oh it seems like a lifetime) where I was searching for some kind of revelation about my life. I was exploring and shooting for the love of it - if I am honest with myself it was then on that trip I realized that travel and photography was what my heart desired more then anything. Of course I had a business back home to run - and eventually lose, so it was a good year or more before I was able to even entertain my "silly dream" of traveling the world and shooting pictures as a lifestyle.

How I wish I could go back with a better camera (well in that respect how I wish I could afford to buy a better camera). I didn't even graze the surface of the beauty there to be photographed. The techniques I have learned since then - how much more I have and want to learn.....

For now though I must find a way to be content here in the place that I am with my family around me, even though I feel like the "odd-man out" as I seem to be the true restless soul born into my brood. Different - a little like this baby monkey who doesn't look like the rest of it's family. I wonder why it is that some of us are born so restless ......

Until I can find a way to continue to travel and take pictures - and ideally get paid to do so - I must stay in place and find a way to be content.

And, I suppose, take my camera out more in my new environment and consider it an adventure!

Sunsets are a weakness

After spending several weeks rescuing my photos and going through a tedious process of "re-processing" the masters for my new editing software - I felt it was igh time to grab a few that made me very happy a month ago

These were all taken from the private beach of Sandy Cove in Siesta Key florida. Thanks to an old dear friend from High School and her parents having a condo there for winter. It's nice knowing "Snow birds"!




Just some photo fun for me. :-)

Siesta Key Sunsets

I didn't realize just how much I missed sunsets being back on the East Coast for 8 months now - until I headed to the West Coast of Florida for a few days! WOW!

These were taken on the private cove/beach behind Sandy Cove in Siesta Key Florida. I was lucky enough to go visit one of my oldest and dearest friends from High School after far to many years between our last visit.




While I was there her mother introduced me to her neighbor, a semi-retired professional Photographer who gave me a little of her time my last morning here. In 15 minutes I learned more from her then I had in 2 years of self-teaching, and was THRILLED when she complimented some of my work and helped me critique some more of it.