10 Reasons I’ll Never Regret Quitting My Job to Travel

Living with no regrets: 10 reasons I'll never regret quitting my job to travel

Living with no regrets: 10 reasons I'll never regret quitting my job to travel

Not long ago (10 months to be exact) I quit my full time job with no real back up plan. A Pepperdine grad with a marketing degree, I’d landed a job at a beachfront office 3 years prior, getting a steady paycheck working in my field.  Sounds great, right? Well, not when you’ve got a nagging desire to escape and set your own rules.  I bought a one-way ticket to Europe and put in my notice, with vague plans to become my own boss and do something I could be excited about. And I haven’t looked back.

After 10 months of nomadic bliss, here are 10 reasons I’ll never regret taking that leap.  Continue reading “10 Reasons I’ll Never Regret Quitting My Job to Travel”

Shot of the Week: Geminids Meteor Shower (Red Rock Canyon State Park, USA)

Geminids Meteor Shower Over Red Rock Canyon State Park

Geminids Meteor Shower Over Red Rock Canyon State Park

This past weekend, Ian set out for the chilly darkness of Red Rock Canyon State Park. He captured the stars and the Geminids meteor shower above the rusty red rock formations before moonrise. This shot is a compilation of four separate meteor photos he caught with his camera.

This photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 lens. Continue on to view the full image. Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Geminids Meteor Shower (Red Rock Canyon State Park, USA)”

Shot of the Week: Cookie Decorating Day (Los Angeles, USA)

cookie decorating day

This past weekend, Ian and I joined some friends in LA for a day of festive cookie decorating. We frosted several gingerbread cookies and attempted to make the Quick and Easy Snowy Chocolate Pinecones from handmadecharlotte.com (scroll down to see how that turned out). We had a great time getting crafty and catching up with friends at the same time!

The above photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Sony 55mm f/1.8 lens.  Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Cookie Decorating Day (Los Angeles, USA)”

Shot of the Week: O Christmas Tree (Simi Valley, USA)

Shot of the week: O Christmas Tree on northtosouth.us

Shot of the week: O Christmas Tree on northtosouth.us

I originally thought we had no photos from last week, but I took a second look and discovered this one, so now we’re playing catch-up again! My family’s Christmas tree went up on Thanksgiving night, with lights and ornaments following closely behind over the next couple days.

With winter approaching and darkness falling early, Ian and I have been spending a few hours each evening working and relaxing here in the living room at “The Hoof & Woof Ranch.” And, as we’ve actually seen quite a bit of rain here in Southern California lately, most of our photos from this week were taken indoors. This photo is actually a test shot Ian took on December 4th, shortly after the arrival of his new lens. But I like the warm colorful glow of the lights anyway, so with a little cropping I turned it into our shot of the week!

The above photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Sony 55mm f/1.8 lens.  Continue reading “Shot of the Week: O Christmas Tree (Simi Valley, USA)”

Custom Embroidered Souvenirs Created by the Red Dao Women (Sapa Valley, Vietnam)

Custom Embroidered Souvenirs Created by the Red Dao Women of Sapa Valley, Vietnam

Custom Embroidered Souvenirs Created by the Red Dao Women of Sapa Valley, Vietnam

Though it’s been over a year since our trip to Vietnam, Ian and I look back fondly on our first overseas adventure together. We ended up with several unique souvenirs, none more so than our custom-embroidered pieces created by the Red Dao women we met in the hilly countryside near Sapa, Vietnam.  Continue reading “Custom Embroidered Souvenirs Created by the Red Dao Women (Sapa Valley, Vietnam)”

Shot of the Week: Writings in the Sand (Joshua Tree, USA)

Shot of the Week: Writings in the Sand (Joshua Tree, California)

Shot of the Week: Writings in the Sand (Joshua Tree, California)Last weekend, November 21-22, we visited Joshua Tree National Park to test some new cameras. After a night of photographing the Milky Way, Ian took some photos of me for my new travel fashion blog for women. Once I had everything I needed, he took a few more, just for fun, and this photo is one of them.

The above photo was taken with the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark IIContinue reading “Shot of the Week: Writings in the Sand (Joshua Tree, USA)”

Desert Street Art: 20 Paintings in Twentynine Palms, an “Oasis of Murals” [PHOTO BOOK]

Desert Street Art: 20 Paintings from Twentynine Palms, California, an oasis of murals

Desert Street Art: 20 Paintings from Twentynine Palms, California, an oasis of murals

Located just north of Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert, Twentynine Palms is a city characterized by three things: tattoo parlors, military haircuts, and murals. (Barbershop signs advertise two haircut options here: military and civilian.) Okay, so maybe there’s more to Twentynine Palms than what’s immediately apparent when driving through, but it’s obvious that this town is highly molded by the fact that it’s been home to a US Military base for over 65 years.  Continue reading “Desert Street Art: 20 Paintings in Twentynine Palms, an “Oasis of Murals” [PHOTO BOOK]”

Shot of the Week: My Traveling Dog, Tiger (Los Angeles, USA)

Shot of the Week: My Traveling Dog, Tiger

My dog Tiger sitting in a suitcase

Yesterday (November 19, 2014) Ian and I spent about two hours shooting some photos for my new travel blog for women, and I couldn’t resist taking a few animal shots while we were at it. Plus, Tiger (my dog) totally loved sitting in the suitcase! Isn’t he precious?

The above photo was taken with the Sony a6000 and Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4 NoktonContinue reading “Shot of the Week: My Traveling Dog, Tiger (Los Angeles, USA)”

Shot of the Week: Vegas, Baby. Vegas. (Las Vegas, USA)

Shot of the Week: Vegas, baby. Vegas.

Shot of the Week: Vegas, Baby. Vegas.

This past weekend I finally celebrated my birthday in a city no one could believe I’ve never been to: Vegas! On November 8, 2014, I soaked up the Sin City views from the top of the Stratosphere and continued to celebrate through my birthday on the 10th.

The above photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4 NoktonContinue reading “Shot of the Week: Vegas, Baby. Vegas. (Las Vegas, USA)”