A Letter To 2010 & 2011

Dear 2010 & 2011,

You rocked me hard. You shook me violently like a ragdoll for months and showed no sign of letting up. You pushed me to my physical, emotional and spiritual limits. It was to the point that I was numb to any emotion and there wasn't any other place to go. I visited multiple counselors, doctors, family, friends, priests, nuns and churches. My job wasn't even a safe zone. I walked in everyday with hate and fear and walked out with self doubt and tears. I felt betrayed and beaten down. I was sick. It was an emotional sickness that cut so deep it made my whole world ill.

I was scared to leave a job in a bad economy because it was required of me to bring my husband in from Mexico. But my happiness was on the line.

Then I got all Eat, Pray, Love up on myself. I decided to get the hell out and dedicated all my time to looking for a new job.....and then, I was laid off. No surprise there. The hatred was written all over my face. Usually losing a job means spiraling down into a deeper hole but this was a blessing from God. I then went to a retreat for 3 days and it was my chance to heal. My wounds slowly callused over and the bleeding slowed down. A month later I was offered 4 different jobs. I picked the best one and it's amazing how different it is. I'm treated like a human. A human with a soul and a mind.

I am thankful for my new job and the retreat. I can only hope that 2013 is way better.

Sincerely,
Christy

I am also thankful for these following happy moments that happened in the past year:

Traveled to Mexico City and stayed with a wonderful family.

Added two new ruins to my "been there done that" list.

Saw my first bull fight in Leon, Gto. Mexico

Became a Godmother at my first Mexican Baptism.

Took a stab at a dream and started a photography business called PhotoBox Studios with my sister. 

Took a girls trip to Belize with a good friend after I was laid off.

Ran right into this guy - Gene Simmons on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Let my sister experience the hipster vibe of Playa del Carmen and the beauty of the Riviera Maya.

Discovered how much I'm in love with cenotes and underground caves!

Took an express trip to Chicago with my mom and sister.

Had a fun anniversary road trip to Kansas City for an art fair. 

Took my dog Rico Suave to his first Woofstock. Then we made him do a dog race and he lost bad.

A Tour Of Chicago's Millennium Park

The Split On Caye Caulker Belize

Soundtrack to this post: http://youtu.be/q46zIMnE92E

I think my friend Chance would have to agree with me that the afternoon we spend being lazy, sipping on cold drinks and cooling off in the light blues of Caye Caulker was the best idea ever. We had been staying the past couple days on the larger island of Ambergris Caye in the beach town of San Pedro but we wanted to see what else was out there island wise. So we took a 20 minute boat ride over to Caye Caulker, walked the quiet sandy town and didn't really find much of anything. For all the hype about this island I figured there would be more. The town just seemed to be rows of bungalows and gift shops and nothing more. But we were determined to make it worth the $12 boat ride.

Erika had read in her guide book the day before that there was an area called "The Split" that is said to have good swimming, tan bodies and good drinks. It was a part of the island that had to be cut so that boats can have their way through. After having misled a group of hippies a few minutes before (they thought we knew what we were doing) we finally found it. We knew we hit the spot when a large sign read "The Lazy Lizard" and behind it were all the bodies sprawled out sun bathing. Hot and sweaty from walking the entire town, we jumped in. 

After our body temps were set back to norm it was high time to quench the thirst. The Lazy Lizard bar ended up being anything but lazy. These bartenders were top notch. They found you beaconing from all corners of the bar, got your order, made it right in front of you with fresh fruits of all kinds, fancied it up with different colors and WALA! Heaven in a plastic cup. Why yes you can have a tip senor!

Now when they talk about atmosphere, this place had it. The ocean was two steps away, names were carved into the bar stools, Bob Marley music was blaring and the locals were gathering. One Rum Punch in and I'm feeling good....I mean happy.

The rest of the afternoon went like this: Sip our drinks, talk to hippies, take a dip, listen to music and repeat. As I floated on top the salty water I could hear the music echoing through the water and into my ears. My only worry that afternoon, don't float into that fisherman's line.

Now if only I could repeat the whole day.

Engagement Shoot With Jenny

Can't wait till your wedding!

Discovering a Secret Garden in Morelia, Mexico

Perched atop a mountain overlooking the city of Morelia sits the Villa Montaña Hotel. Greenery cascades over the walls of the hotel, down into the city. Inside, purple flower petals are sprinkled over the grounds, and green vines reach for the sky. Statues of fish, angels, saints, and lions rest on every corner keeping you company on your walk through the garden, while monarch butterflies the size of your hand brush your face. A piano player on the restaurant balcony above keys his way through familiar Mexican melodies, keeping your walking tempo at an energetic pace. Finally, at the end of the path, the trees part and a brightly colored refreshing blue pool awaits you. Welcome to Morelia's secret garden.


Via my article on Trazzler.

Weekly Obsession: Photo Heat Maps

Recently I ran across this article on PetaPixel called Big City Heat Maps. A guy named Eric Fischer went and collect geolocation data from sites like Flickr and Picasa and created these maps. The blue points represents photos taken by the locals, red points are tourists and yellow are points taken from people that couldn't be determined. It really does shows the "hot spots" of these frequently visited cities and it's very interesting to see it this graphic form. It's even fun to point out the San Fran bridge and Alcatraz and the many spots in Paris. I think it could also stand alone and make some interesting art, especially for map lovers like me!

Photo 1: San Francisco
Photo 2: Paris
See other photos here at PetaPixel

Featured In The Knot Magazine

 

The summer issue of The Knot is out and I have a feature article in it! I had forgotten all about it till I walked past the magazine rack at Borders. I opened it, quickly flipped through the pages and there it was! My travel photography and our interview was lookin good. The editors probably could have picked a better profile shot but who's complaining right? Only two other groups were interviewed (California & New Zealand) and then there is us - México. It includes a summary of one of our trip and then some extra travel tips for those thinking about heading South. Anyways, woohoo! Onto the next magazine!

Photoshoot With My Horse

My sister and I had a very fast photoshoot out at the farm before the sun went down a few weeks ago. The lighting was perfect. She did an excellent job at changing how I view the old place and making it more interesting through the photos. I was excited because I was really wanting some new pics with my horse and she read my mind. The last foot shot is my fav.

Weekly Obsession - Gigapixel Images

I love how photography is catching up with technology in new and different ways. More and more these gigapixel panoramic images are coming out and they are awesome! You can pretty much surf a city from a bird's eye view and get to know a place without even stepping foot there. And it's always fun spotting people doing weird things. Above I have pictured Dubai, Harlem and Prague. Some other fun ones are Dresden, Yosemite, a coral reef and the Swiss Alps. Oh and be sure to check out a past post with Paris!

Images & Links found on Wikipedia

Travel Inspiration #15

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller. 
A beautiful tree in the courtyard of Morelia's Cathedral

Travel Inspiration #14

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again...the mind can never break from the journey" - Pat Conroy (via @travelblggr)

Preparing flowers for mass.

Photo by me.