How to Get Over Yourself and Get Out There!!!

All it takes is one step and then another and another and soon there you are... "out there".

In November I held my breath and took a leap.... here I am!!!  The future is bright!   We've been here in Florida since the end of January and life is oh so good.   My husband has never been happier. What's not to be happy about?   The weather is great!  We're living with some crazy friends and the opportunities for "getting out there"abound!

I have been jumping on every opportunity  I see to learn all I can about photography.   I joined a few groups, and sign up for everything.  I scour the paper and internet for anything that might be interesting.   I'm taking steps all over the place.

I signed up and participated in a "photo walk" workshop in early February around beautiful Naples, Florida.   The group was led by the incredible travel/landscape photographer,   Brian Jannsen.   Check him out!   His work is stunning.  I was honored to be able to learn from him as we walked around this incredible town.  During the walk, Brian mentioned that there would be an opportunity for a great shot of the full moon over the Naples Pier during the early morning hours on March 23, 2016.    This was in February,  I filed it somewhere back there in my brain.   While gazing at the moon last night, I realized that today was the day for that photo opportunity!

Naples is a little over an hour away.   To get there in time, I would have to wake up and get out of the house by 4:30 am!   Yikes....  I thought about it all evening.  Finally I decided I would just have to get up and go....so I did!  

I stopped talking to myself about why it really wasn't a big deal, why I didn't have to go, why it really didn't matter.   I started to remember that it might be a great  opportunity for a once in a lifetime shot!  All I had to do was to get over myself and go!  I stopped thinking about it and just did it!   I prepared everything before I went to sleep last night.   Woke up this morning and went.   I got there, tried to take some images of the moon and the pier, but really didn't like what I was getting.   Then Brian showed up!   Yay!!!  After a brief conversation, he answered a few of my questions and voila !!!   I was able to capture some okay images. (better than what I was taking before his guidance).  Then taking what I had learned previously and doing some additional exploring in the area, I stumbled upon it ... some magic!  

My husband looked at this image and thought I made it up!   Silly guy, this is straight out of the camera.   While I like it,  I wish I could go back and do it over.   I would do somethings a bit different.   That's what it's all about isn't it?  Getting over yourself, getting out there and taking a shot.   Learning from you did and doing better the next time.  

Now I want to get out there in the early morning hours more often!   I still have over a month to explore this part of our country!   Who knows what I will come up with.  I do know I will revisit this location in the image and try it again!

Well thanks for checking in....  The crazy Russian we are living with keeps asking if I'm posting about him....  Stay tuned for the crazy Russian's story!

                                                                                                   Janet

Balance...

We've been down here in Florida living a "snow bird"life for over a month.  Life is good!   This change in lifestyle has given me the time to reflect on many things along with the time to spend on me!   While I have been lax in posting here, I have been very active on Instagram and Facebook.  There was a point early on that I feared my activity on social media would alienated some of my friends.  At first I understood and felt bad.   I stopped posting about how warm it is here, how happy I am and all the great experiences we're having.....     Then I got to thinking....

I believe there is a natural balance to life.  There are good periods and things in our lives and there are bad periods and experiences in our lives.   We are all born into different families.... with that comes certain advantages or disadvantages... a variety of opportunities .... values.... skills.... I could go on.  I also believe that by our mere existence, bad things will happen.  We don't have to do anything and boom~someone we love has cancer or a tornato will blow through and we lose everything.  We can't escape the bad, but we can minimize it.  We can look for the "silver lining" we can appreciate the good when we can see or feel it.   No matter how bad it seems at the time, there is always someone out there going through worse.   I believe the we should not look to create bad, we should focus on creating a happiness and love around us.

I very strongly believe that there is a natural balance to life.   We all go through tough times, but if we are open to it and recognize it, a period of good will follow.  I hurt and am sad when I see people I love  and or care about going through hard times.  I hope I can offer some relief or understanding to their situation.  I am happy and thrilled when things are going good for them.

I love my life.... I love the good, bad, happy and hard times.  Everything I have been through has made me who I am.

My life is good right now, very very good!  I hope that the people in my life are happy for me.  Remember, I think life has a balance.    I remember when I was 10 years old, I thought that was the best year in my life.  I didn't think it could get any better!   If my life was a novel, that would have been foreshadowing.  Little did I know that probably was one of the best years of my life.... I had it all!  I had a home, unconditional love of my family.  I had a "traditional" family, (you know two loving parents, siblings)  I had friends. We lived in a neighborhood where people talked to each other, visited and spent time together.   I had  Grandparents who adored me! I had Aunts and Uncles, cousins I loved and did things with.    I had it all!!!!!!   While some S#*t did happen earlier in my life, it was nothing compared to what I would face in future years.....Thinking back to that day I proclaimed 10 was the best year of my life, I now realize it was all those great people who made it the best year of my life!

As a young person I hit that balance really fast.  I lived some really good times,  and then the down.  It took many years before I could see the good, but when it happened it was great.  My sister and I were always determined to recognize the good when we found it.  We would look for it.  We knew that if we had roofs over our heads, people in our life who loved us and were alive and healthy that life was good!  We knew it, celebrated it and let it happen.  We knew at any moment the natural order of things could change, and tragedy could strike and all we did to cause it was wake up in the morning.    We had a good 25 years!  Life was good.   Balance!  The past 10 have been rough for me, really rough, but you know what..... right now life is good!   Life is so so good!  If you can stand it, and if you can be happy for me, come on this journey with me.  I will let you into this good life we are living and share the joy!  Please don't be jealous, or envious or hate me!    Look for the balance in your own life.   Take control of it, recognize it, call it out.  


Today is one of those days, I can't help be seeing how good I have it!   Tomorrow I will bring you up to speed on the life of a "snowbird".


Go fine some good in today!   Hugs  all around!  

                                                                                           Janet