The Real Velveteen Rabbit

01/02/2016

You decide to make a life change. You have always said you can do your job anywhere so what's stopping you? You apply, get the job, go for it. Gently place your life into boxes, get rid of non essentials and store it all away. Then grab your ski bag and a suitcase and go. Go to where you've always wanted. Go to a new place with new adventures and fears. Find life. Explore. Make new memories and moments and hang on for the ride. Sure it is terrifying not knowing what is ahead but that is life and you are on a new adventure. Go. So when you put on those skis and you are sitting at the top of a mountain, you feel it again. You feel what part of you had lost, and you look out onto the magnificence of the world and you are in the middle of nowhere and everywhere. Hello Jackson, WY. Hello world. What's next?

10/03/2015

With all the rainyday blues I wanted to share a rainbow. The original didn't translate well, however the black and white sets the mood and the story. This was taken on the ferryride from Calais to Dover. It was almost at the end of a nightmare travel day from France to England. My travel companion and I confused the Monday thru Friday train schedules with the Sunday ones. Therefore the train we thought would get us to the eurostar on time never showed. We arrived at Gare du Nord having missed our train and we were almost put on the next one when and at the last second madame told us we had "purposely missed our train and it would be €50 per person to get on the next one." I lost it. The original ticket wasn't that much. When you are 22 working at a pub in London, that's a lot of euros! We walked away and I collapsed on the floor of the train station crying. How were we supposed to get back to London? Solution: our eurorail pass was already stamped for the day so if we could get to London under €50 we won. After a train to Lille then a train to Calais then a ferry to Dover and bus to London we arrived all under €20 plus there was beer involved 😄 It was raining on the ferry and I stepped outside away from my hoegaarden and captured this shot. I love looking at it reminding me no matter how hard or rainy it gets, there is a rainbow on the other side. 🌈

09/28/2015

Of all the beer photos I've posed for, I thought this was the most fun for . This was taken in the cellar of the first pub I worked in. I had never tended bar before and thought that all the kegs in the basement were incredible. They do things a little different in England but it started me on my career of bartending. I've seen thousands of more kegs and drank millions of more pints but this is my favorite beer photo of them all. Cheers! 🍻

09/10/2015

09/09/2015

Everything September comes around I really miss England the first week or so. I had for different adventures that started the first week so I don't know if it's the change in lighting or the beginning of the shift in seasons that makes me want to go back. I crave the food especially my favorite breakfast of two eggs, toast and baked beans alongside breakfast tea served with milk. This is a breakfast shot I took at a B and B in Morecambe, England while I was searching for a grad school to go to. I spent most of the month in London but had a quick jaunt up to Lancaster to visit a school and see the coast. More came wasn't the most lively town, it was surviving in the shadow of its former glory. I saw the beauty and potential it had and wondered if it would ever be great again.

09/06/2015

Let's talk about heat. So of course last week we were teased by gorgeous 70 degree weather to be hit with 90+and crazy humidity. It makes me think of my thirtieth birthday when I went to Chile to ski. Being an August birthday and all, I thought I'd have to celebrate my half birthday skiing when I remembered the southern hemisphere had opposite seasons. After asking around the ski lift during my winter I settled on Portillo, Chile. Was the best and worst vacation all in one. I decided to chill and get over same timezone jet lag in Santiago. What an interesting climate. Hot a muggy and it was their winter. How much could it change for the skiing? Alas before I knew better I sat out on an old town adventure. I found myself at the Cerro Santa Lucia Hill and enjoyed the climb, the architecture and the veiws. But man was a sweating when I thought I was supposed to be in ski gear.

09/03/2015

Passion Passport inspired me to share two of my favorite photos as one in their challenge. My mom and I planned a 10 day trip to Ireland only booking a flight, a car and a hotel in Dublin for the first night. To get over our jet lag I requested we walk to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour. We had a nice scenic walk from our hotel, getting the lay of Dublin and arriving at the infamous St. James Gate with enthusiasm. On the tour I took a look out the window and captured the production part of the brewery through the letters which is exactly how I felt finally being there, experiencing the firsthand.

09/01/2015

September 2001 I set off for for the first time. This was before I would make these photos my thing so there aren't that many or good quality. Alas, this was my as I called the area home for four months. How this experience opened up my eyes to the world and left me with a thirst to and live life outside the . So and let's see what you bring

08/29/2015

Continuing on with Dornbirn in a unique way because I shot the photos on film and they got double exposed. This montage tells the story a bit better though. I sat off to hike the second peak and got a map from the cable car people. I asked what was a good hike and they said the walk up to the restaurant was nice. I smiled and thanked them. They didn't know that I was from Colorado and needed a real hike. So as I set off on the trail I was following the group of people and thinking they didn't know what they were getting into when the next thing I knew I was at the restaurant! So the path really was just a simple service road that I had deviated from... I smiled, me deviating??? On the right road, there are signs leading you and one pointed me to the second summit. En route, I caught up with a man on the trail. In our broken understanding of each other's languages, I learned he was German, hiked this trail once a year and was happy to have a companion to share his hike with. As we were crossing this field with amazing scenery, I stopped as I heard the most amazing symphony that was coming from cowbells. I was awestruck! Who knew they could make such music? That's when saw the snail in my path smile emoticon We reached the top and there was a cross with a box and a book in it. I signed and dated my accomplishment as a took in the breathtaking view. We made our way back down. We parted when he stopped for a rest. I was literally skipping down the path as the sun with the trees reminded me of my days at summer camp. Then I heard running water and rushed to see where it was coming from when I came across a lake. The lake poured out into what were some of the most well known falls in Austria. There was suddenly an influx of people and I sat at a cafe with a beer to recap my adventure. A quick five minute walk brought me to a parking lot with the Rolls-Royce Museum. Who knew that I didn't have to try as hard for my adventure, but it wouldn't of been such an experience. Then I looked to my right and saw the caged bunnies chillin. That was the icing on the cake leading to the ultimate smile.

08/27/2015

Carrying on from the previous picture, as I looked out at the mountain, I noticed a cable car. Well it had to take people to something. So I looked at a map and went to the base of Karren. (the name of the mountain) I saw the cable car price and although it looked fun I wanted to hike the trail. So I set off and I started following someone that could have been my grandpa. He thought it was fun I joined him and he began to look out for me. He held back branches and when spots got steep he would offer a hand. I learned he did this once a week so it was good I followed him because this trail up was crazy! We arrived at the top where low and behold there was a restaurant. We parted ways and I went to take in the view of what I had just climbed with a fresh beer vom fass. I looked out over Dornbirn and across Lake Constance. Maybe my adventure should continue over there. But for now, beer before I worry about how to get back down...

08/26/2015

As I think of escaping to the mountains, it reminds me of this one spectacular time I had in Austria. I was in Switzerland for a school trip and wanted to stay on the continent longer so I found a plane ticket for 11 euros out of Friedrichshafen. I had no destination in mind to visit just explore. I pointed at a map and picked St. Gallen. I got off the train found a hostel and explored. Everything was so expensive, nothing looked like an interesting outing and on top of it the place smelled like cow p**p. That night in the hostel I talked to a guy that was studying there. He told me to go across the boarder and everything was half price. So I work up, packed up and left the cow stench on an automated train that took me to Dornbirn, Austria. The town had an awesome vibe and it kinda reminded me of Aspen. Just something quaint at the base of some mountains. There wasn't a hostel so I set out for a Gasthaus. I found one nestled closer to the mountain trail and asked for a room. She had no singles but said if I didn't touch the other bed, she would give me the room for half. I took it. I walked around the Gasthaus and found this little balcony. I sat and enjoyed the fresh non cow stink air and looked out at the mountains, wanting to hike not just the first but the second peak too.

08/24/2015

It's so hot and humid in the city it makes me want to escape to the cool crisp beauty of the Rocky Mountains. They used to be in my back yard and are great to escape to and play tour guide. This photo captures the Maroon Bells, the most photographed mountains in the world. I was taking Karen Lichon on a "burp, fart and run" tour of Colorado crossing the Continental Divide about seven times and covering Rocky Mountain National Forest, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Canyon, Telluride, Aspen, Twin Lakes and of course Denver in three days. Oh the beauty of Colorado. That's why when people ask me, "Why did you move to DC?" I reply, "I got so used to everything being beautiful, I forgot what ugly was." Happy Monday!