As a young child, I never really envisioned what my life would look like after my high school or college years. Maybe I would stay in my hometown, maybe I would travel the world, who really knew where I would be. Although, my passions in life were quite clear at a young age. The arts, music, design, reaching out to those in need. I enjoyed comfortable, I knew what I was good at and stayed in that range, but every once in awhile an unshakable entrepreneurial spirit struck.
Can I teach myself this? How can I create this? Will others understand and learn from this?
I wanted everything I did to have a clear direct purpose. Unfortunately, if I didn't see immediate results, I would give up. Move on to the next "calling".
As I got older, I realized you may not always understand the reasoning behind what life brings you. And that the journey to get to your dreams may not be how you imagined. But if you have a little patience (or a lot in my case), you will see His plans are always beautiful and fulfilling. If you told me 10 years ago that I would meet my soulmate freshman year of college, get married at barely 22, move to New York City and begin our lives together there, I wouldn't of believed you. And that's of course exactly what happened.
22 year old me had some big adventures ahead.
And there were still a lot of unknowns. I grew up in a small town on the Jersey Shore, what did I know about living in an urban jungle? Having a 600 square foot apartment uptown and commuting downtown via subway? Beginning a marriage in a completely new lifestyle?
But we dove right in, head first. Married, honeymooned, moved in, began new career, and started law school all within a two weeks time. And our leap of faith has led us to loving every minute of our city life for the last four years.
I'd love to share a snapshot of my little family for you.
My husband Soren and I met freshman year of college out in western Pennsylvania and got engaged our senior year. He's my best friend, my soulmate, my dance partner for life (we did meet at an on-campus Swing Dance Club). He attended Columbia Law School when we began our lives in NYC, and am so proud of all he has accomplished during his time there and now he is a 2nd year corporate attorney at a Big Law firm in Midtown East. If you need a restaurant recommendation, he's the guy to ask. He loves all things soccer, golf, wine, and travel. He is also my favorite sous chef for our dinner parties and date nights in.
A month after moving into the city Hurricane Sandy hit, but we were able to save and adopt a precious kitten named Purrie a week before the storm. (We thankfully lived far enough uptown that our power remained on). She came with the name Purrie from the shelter, because she apparently purred a lot. Thinking that name was absolutely ridiculous we did everything in our power to try to change it (Mr. Whiskers?! Little Bear?! Fluffy?!), but found that Purrie just stuck. She's quite the cuddlebug and does indeed purr a lot.
I am so excited to begin this photography blog to be able to share what I have learned, grown from, and enjoyed in this diverse and vibrant city, as a Christian wife, fashion retail manager, wino and foodie, lover of interior design, amateur photographer, and as someone who has found the calm in a neighborhood of 8 million people. My hope is that I can share with others the beauty in everyday, joys of family life, encouragement through faith, and inspiration through my stories and photography. Whether you are making the plunge into city life yourself, or simply curious how people do it (and still decide to stay), I am grateful for you taking a moment to read through my perspective and experiences.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
26 year old me still has some big adventures ahead.