Finally! I’m Back on the Grid!

17 06 2012

It’s been a long time since I posted my last “Adventure on the Road”.  You may think that nothing interesting has been happening – no adventures to be had!  In part, you would be right – for a long time I was mobilized.  Nothing interesting to talk about when your day to day experience is hotel living, work, doing some crazy ‘Insanity’ workouts, and spending your evenings on lists and spreadsheets.

But it’s those lists and spreadsheets that filled up my evenings that really took time away from the adventures; but they were also in preparation for a big adventure…

I Got Married!

June 3, 2012 – Santa Fe, NM

And although I did not become the crazed Bridezilla that entertains the masses on TV and in books (at least I don’t think so, and no one told me otherwise), I will say that I played the role of Event Coordinator to a T.  People laughed – oh yes they laughed – when I supplied them with their own 10 page weekend itinerary (personalized for each family), Master Itinerary (for my Maid of Honour), Production Schedules (for my vendors) and Shot List (for the Photographer), but all you event people out there know that those spreadsheets mean Event Survival!!  And even better….Event Success!

Now, I know that every bride will say that the wedding day was magical…perfect…couldn’t have gone better.  But sometimes the ceremony starts late, guests are in limbo in between ceremony and reception, toasts start before the champagne is poured, etc.  All of these things have absolutely no effect on the bride and groom (nor should they – it is their day), but guests notice if they are waiting in the hot sun, they end up sitting around in their formal wear not knowing what to do, or they are toasting with an empty glass.

Now, from a bride’s perspective, I can say our wedding was perfect.  It was magical.  I felt beautiful, loved, and we had a great time.  But I don’t remember much of the fine details that I spent hours pouring over – the exact placement of flowers, what the tables looked like, and I don’t think I even saw our Spanish guitar player at the ceremony.   I remember the important things – seeing only Nathan walking down the aisle, looking into his eyes as he calmed me when I was on the verge of tears, and of course….our kiss!

But from an Event Perspective, I will say that the event was perfect.  A Welcome Reception the night before so everyone could meet and mingle.  The ceremony started exactly on time and the weather cooperated to allow the perfect combination of cloud and sun (perfect for photos).  In fact, the sun appeared as if on cue, shining down on us during our vows.  The ceremony finished 5 minutes ahead of schedule, allowing just enough time for document signing and for everyone to regroup outside the Loretto Chapel for a group photo.  As soon as guests were released from the group photo, they walked a few steps to the reception area where they were greeted with champagne and hors d’ourves.  I don’t even think anyone noticed we didn’t join them until half an hour later when we completed our photos.  From then on it was a flurry of food, dancing, photos, hugs and a general good time.

Inn & Spa at Loretto

An Event Success!  I can’t help but pat myself on the back (in fact Nathan and I exchanged notes and high fives on our flight to Maui), but I must also wholeheartedly thank my Wedding Day Team – Mary, Roberto & Vickie – THANK YOU!  And a big thank you to Erin, my maid of honour, who kept me calm and knew exactly what I needed at any given time (oh – and she also flew to ABQ with the dress!).

** One of very few times we didn’t have our camera with us – Thank you Karen, Kathryn & James for the photos


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Categories : New Mexico

Texas Bluebonnets

23 04 2012

A true sign of Spring….and a true Texas experience.

Thank you Nathan for such beautiful photos!


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Categories : Texas

The Greatness of Storytellers

9 04 2012

I love telling stories through photos.  And I love seeing stories through photos.  There is something so attractive about trying to retell a story, or an experience, through your own eyes, to someone else.  Photos have the opportunity to take your breath away.  To make you want to click the photo and see it larger, to zoom in and look at each of the individual details.  Photos create a physical yearning – that feeling that makes you wish you were there, wish you could experience what you’re looking at and wish that you could capture a moment like that.  When you see an amazing photo, you just know, that you are looking at an amazing photo.   And then you feel a sense of appreciation, followed by intense envy.

But as enjoyable as it is to tell a story through photos, there is just something so rewarding about being able to express yourself in words in a way that makes sense to others, and in a way that inspires a connection.

When you can read someone else’s words as easy as if you were the one who wrote them, that’s when you know that you’ve found a voice that speaks to you.  In a time where we communicate in abbreviations and symbols, it is so great to be able to find blog writers that can share even the most mundane of stories, and turn it into a witty and entertaining piece.

And when you find a book you love, that’s the greatest thing of all.  I almost feel sorry for the people that will read books only once, despite how much they enjoyed the experience.  Because, when I read a book, I fall in love with the way I feel when I’m reading that book.  It could be the sense of urgency and intrigue and nervousness that I felt.  Or it could be a warm appreciation of the way a friendship is being told, or the sadness that I feel when a character in the book is hurting.  I love that people have the ability to create images in my mind, without having to show me a picture.  And how people are able to make me cry without telling me how I should be feeling.  And, if you’re like me, and you love how you feel when you read a book, as soon as you finish that last page, you flip back to the front and start all over again.

So this is a post to show my appreciation of all those great story-tellers out there.  Be it through photos, through the written word, or if you are one of the chosen few who just know how to tell a great story face to face, thank you for all those great stories and for everything that they inspire.


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Categories : Miscellaneous

The Grass IS Greener on the Other Side

26 03 2012

Amidst the craziness of Spring Break in Lake Havasu City, AZ, you can still find some peace and quiet.

But you need to head to the other side of the London Bridge and make your way to Topock Gorge.


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Categories : Arizona, Lake Havasu City

Love at First Sight

18 03 2012

I think I may be in love…..

Tall, dark and handsome – every girl’s dream!  He may be a little young, a little overeager at times, but he’s got a face that makes your heart melt and the longest lower eyelashes I have ever seen.  We saw each other from across the desert landscape and couldn’t help but walk closer to each other.  It was if we knew we already had a connection.  I admit, he did come on a little strong, and I shied away.  But he was persistent and wouldn’t give up, and so I finally gave in, and leaned in…

"Dominic" the Donkey

…and rubbed his fuzzy white nose.  It took a little while for him to warm up to me, and for me to warm up to him, but after a bag of carrots, I even pet those fuzzy ears!  It didn’t really go over that well, but I had to at least try.

A close encounter

We always had our chaperones in the vicinity though.  He was a bit of a momma’s boy, and she made sure to keep a close eye out.  But I have to admit, I had a certain fondness for her as well.

Lop-Eared Momma

Trying to get on Momma's Good Side

And then there was Nathan.  He didn’t want to be left out either.

Sussing out the competition

Sometimes I felt like he was getting in the way of my budding relationship.  Or maybe, that they liked him better than me.

Making friends

It may have been the many people before me who stopped to give these guys a treat, it may have been the carrots, but I like to think we had something special.

Our Sweet Connection

Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight


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Categories : Arizona

What do you think when you hear the rooster crow?

15 03 2012

When you hear the rooster crow in the morning, is that a sign that you should be up already or is it a sign that you’re up way too early?

I had to ask myself that question after flying from the east coast to the west coast and waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to tackle the day….at 4:30 in the morning.

A normal person would roll over and attempt to fall back to sleep.  A sane person may get up and go downstairs and curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book.  Well, we never said we were normal or sane….so with a quick note left in the kitchen for our house guests:

‘It’s 5am and we’re going out to explore!  Should be back soon, but if we’re not – help yourself to anything and everything! ‘

We were out the door and on our way to see what’s happening in West Seattle at 5am on a Sunday.

Twinkling cityscape lights, the first early morning ferries zigzagging across Elliot Bay, and the very noisy sea lions chattering up a storm.

Seattle Skyline from West Seattle

The Space Needle

After taking in the morning and realizing that the sun wasn’t really going to come out from behind the clouds, we still made it back before everyone woke up.

A few days later we decided to repeat our early morning photography expedition, except this time we had a specific location in mind.  However, this time we were not fresh off the plane and still on the east coast time zone.  This time the 5am wake up took a little more coordination – an alarm clock that I couldn’t seem to turn off due to my hand having fallen asleep (and not woken up yet), and a body that knows without a doubt that it was too early to be awake and did not want to be hustled out into the cold.

But, we made it to Kerry Park, and we weren’t alone.  There were no less than 3 other photographers (and more who showed up later) who had kicked themselves out of bed and set up shop to capture photos and time lapsed video of the iconic Seattle skyline with the Space Needle in the forefront and Mount Rainier in the background.

Scenic View from Kerry Park

Seattle Sunrise

The Space Needle & Mt. Rainier

A Morning in Queen Anne

I have to admit, it was worth it.


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Categories : Seattle

Ten Minutes of Philadelphia

21 02 2012

I don’t know much about Philadelphia.  I’ve only been to Philadelphia four times.  The first time, I saw only the outside of the Wachovia Stadium.  The second time I have no idea where we were but we found ourselves driving along backstreets and did an event in a country club of sorts.  The third time I actually got to walk the streets of downtown Philadelphia while doing a site check, and although a quick trip, I still managed to grab an ice cream at Reading Terminal and try out the lobster mac and cheese at The Continental.  

The fourth, and most recent trip to Philadelphia was only a few hours long, and I didn’t really see anything except for the inside of our event walls.  But let me show you what I did see the last 10 minutes of our trip.

So these images I was able to capture through the passenger window on the way out of town leads me to believe that Philadelphia has quite a story that I haven’t experienced yet.

Tell me what I’ve been missing and what I need to make sure I see the next time I’m in town!


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Categories : Philadelphia

A Quiet Kind of ‘Hustle & Bustle’

17 02 2012

Just when you think that you may be succumbing to the winter doldrums that inevitably take place sometime in January or February once the holiday festivities have come and gone, and you realize that the Groundhog hasn’t started spring cleaning just quite yet, it just takes a little bit of the hustle and bustle to revive you from that grey feeling.

And how do you get more “Hustle and Bustle” than New York City?

Even the skyline seems to vibrate with a certain energy.  And when you look out at those iconic buildings from across the way in New Jersey, you can imagine all those people, going in all of those different directions, with different agendas and different lives from your own.  And although you may not want to live any of those particular lives, you want to be part of that collective energy.  Because once you step off the train onto that platform, once you reach the sidewalk in front of Madison Square Garden, or Times Square, or any of those iconic locations, you pause, take a deep breath and you look up, before you are immediately enveloped into the crush of people and start walking twice as fast as you normally do.

After visiting NYC for the equivalent of three months over the last three years, we finally stepped inside into a different type of hustle and bustle.  A place where it’s okay to walk slowly, a place where you are encouraged to pause and get lost in the moment, and a place where it’s acceptable to take a break and rest a while (some go as far as taking a quick power nap, although I’m sure they say that they’re just resting their eyes).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET)

The MET

Sketch Classes in Greek and Roman Art

Artistic Pottery

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

A Whole Lota Silver

Gold Masks and Sculptures

Modern Art Sculptures

A Modern Art Cat

A Lone Silhouette

Four hours later I was about ready to sit down and take a nap.  Sometimes you could feel the seriousness of the art like a physical weight on your shoulders.  So after getting a brief second wind in taking in the quirkiness of the Modern and Contemporary Art galleries, we were museum’ed out and vowed that Asian Art, Egyptian Art, Islamic Art and Musical Instruments would have to wait until the next time.

Some Dizzying Contemporary Art


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Categories : New York City

A lil’ Face Time

15 02 2012

It has been years since I’ve been to San Diego.  And, like every person that goes to San Diego as a child, the most distinctive memory that I have is of the San Diego Zoo.

And also like every person that goes to the zoo as a child, as an adult, I just had to go back and experience it all over again.   Luckily, the animals were enjoying the cool weather and the light mid week crowds to give us a little face time.

Leopard in Deep Contemplation

Kissing Camels

Buddha Panda

"Winnie the Pooh" Panda

"Going Gorilla"

Cheetah!

Dinner Time!

San Diego's Baby Giraffe

Bird(s) of Paradise


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Categories : California, San Diego

Winter in San Diego

13 02 2012

As I bundled myself up with layer upon layer of clothes (tank top, dress, sweatshirt, scarf, winter coat, leather gloves, tights, socks, second pair of socks, shearling lined winter boots), preparing for a Sunday in New York in 19F (-7C), I wistfully remembered that just one month ago I knew what the warm sun felt shining on my face.

Even though there was a chill in the air during a trip to San Diego in January, it was still sunny, it was still flip flop weather, and it was still San Diego.

I’ve been procrastinating to write this post and put up some photos from our week in San Diego, but I just found my inspiration – COLD COLD COLD weather.

Welcome to Winter in San Diego:

Longest Pier on the West Coast

A boardwalk and beach still filled with flip flop wearing crowds (wearing a light sweater and a scarf for decoration), surfers challenging the waves and playing chicken with the pier pillars, dogs and their owners playing on the beach, skirting the waves, and then giving up and just committing to frolicking in the water, and a laidback breezy California attitude.

Even during a cold spell, the sun still shines and the water still sparkles.  It’s hard to imagine what the rest of the country is experiencing with snow storms, ice pellets, and a grey cloud cover that can’t help but make you feel a little grey and lackluster.

You can imagine my delight and surprise, when a walk along the downtown harbour, unearths this discovery.

The Times Square Kiss

A Vintage "Bob Hope" Scene

I’ve heard that people say, “wherever you are, whatever the weather, the weather’s always better in San Diego”.

I can’t say that I disagree.


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Categories : San Diego

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