This year.....

My word for 2016 is "Transition".    I am loving this word.  I recently left a career of 32 years when I realized it had turned into a "job".   Now don't get me wrong, jobs are good and jobs are necessary.   People usually talk about jobs as a means to bring in money.  I think if you choose a career and stay in it, you should love it.    Slowly over the past 3 years it went from  being a career  ~ doing something I loved and believed in with every fiber of my being into a job, that I went to every day.  I hated Sunday nights, and hurried through each day on a race to get to Friday.

I still believe that what I was doing was important and necessary.  I still believe it could be something I would commit myself to, but and this is a great big BUT..... change began 3 years ago in the environment.  It first started out slow, then snowballed into an environment that I didn't feel comfortable in.   I noticed my health was being effected.  I wasn't sleeping.  I hated getting up and going into work each day.   That was the biggest issue for me, (aside from my health)  I had spend the past 29-30 years loving going into work....  What I did love and what kept me going and hoping things would change was the people.   I loved the people I was working with, both the people on my team and the customers.....  I just loved them so!!

Now let's step back 40 + years.... I have always had a camera in my hand.  I have always been snapping pictures...  My original major in collage was fine art, with a concentration in Photography.  I went to school in Rochester, NY and was fortunate, thanks to my professor Richard Margolis ~ to do an internship in the darkroom of the George Eastman House!!!!  That was amazing.   It was also 30 years ago and the house and museum have undergone renovations since.     Midway through my Sophomore year of school the Dean called me in and asked my "Why" photography and where I thought I was going in Rochester as a Photographer?  She had good reason, I had another passion where I was excelling.   She had suggested I look more into that and keep photography as a hobby....

I took her advice and graduated with a degree in Special Education.

Zinggggg.... let's fast forward now to today.   I have always been shooting, people, weddings, events, landscapes etc.   This year I am going to transition into taking pictures for "a living".   I am trying to be plan full.   I am trying to take it step by step.  I do think I need to find a happy medium here and not be to plan full leaving space for flexibility and creativity.  Come back here to check and see how this journey is going.

To continue with the "Transition".... I want to transition into a simple life.  I have so much "stuff".  Who needs all these "things" and this much "stuff"?  I don't think I do.  We shall see.  The first step towards the "simple life" I want to take is that of moving to a  "Capsule Wardrobe".   Whew.... let me tell you, this is a process.   I started out by taking everything out of my closet, peppered by making a list of what I think I am going to want and need.  I think I want to limit my capsule wardrobe to 40 items.  I've been reading a lot about capsule wardrobes and I am going to put my own spin on it.  So, 40 items, not counting PJ's ~ (work out clothes don't count either, but let's be honest here, I don't work out! ).   We'll see how this goes.  I think I'm going to like it!

The third part of my "Transition" ... I am going to be 56 years old in 2 weeks folks!  56!  I love my age whatever it is, but let's be honest, if I want to make it to 100, I need to start paying attention to health, nutrition, cardiovascular health etc.   I am going to transition into paying attention to that.  Not sure how, other than by trying to eat better nutritionally and walking more.   This will evolve and the year goes on.   Let the 2016 Journey begin! 

That's my planning so far for the year.  It's Monday night and that means, "The Bachelor" !  So I am going to go and prepare for my night with my sister and "the Bachelor"!!! Yay!!!!

See you soon.....

                                                                                                 Janet