5 SOMETHINGS // WARMTH

There is nothing quite like home sweet home after a wonderful vacation to Denmark and Sweden. 

Something Lovely :: Gaidin spent the weekend with us. It's so rare for us to have the weekend off. We spent a lot of time at parks and walking in the sun.  After an epic two weeks in the dark Scandinavian winter, it was lovely to feel the sun on my face and the warmth of my family.

Something Dreamy :: I was a little nervous about going to Denmark and Sweden in the middle of winter, but Maryanne and I brought tons of warm clothes and lucked out on the weather.  This trip made me fall a little bit in love with winter.  I'm really looking forward to my upcoming trip to Iceland in June.  Even though it will be summer, it will definitely still feel like winter for this San Diego girl.

Something Captured :: Oh Copenhagen you are lovely.  Maryanne and I went on an boat tour of the city.  It was wild.  The sun came out for what seemed like the first time ever and kept us warm on the chilliest day.  I can't wait to share some images. Copenhagen is a dream.

Something New :: It was night time for the majority of our trip.  The sun "rose" around 8:30 am and "set" about 3:30.  Mostly, it just made subtle appearances near the horizon but never really gave the feeling of day time.  There was a dark beauty to our adventures and many of our photo walks were at night.  It was really intriguing to photograph the soft low contrast light of winter.

Something Challenging :: My dad was in the hospital this weekend for a blood clot in his leg. It was a tense weekend and my brother and Andrea spent a lot of time in the hospital while we played with Gaidin. My dad didn't want Gaidin to see him in the hospital. I am so glad he is getting better.

Big hugs,

Suzanne and the Wanderers

5 SOMETHINGS // PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

What a week of beautifully wild weather and self reflection. Thanks for following our journey, I hope you are feeling refreshed and content wherever you are. 

Something Lovely :: Seeing the beautiful picture of Suzanne at the ice bar in Sweden. It makes me smile seeing her traveling joy.  I also love coming home to my nephew Gaiden and Miss Molly, the poodle.  They are always so happy to see me!

Something Captured :: With rain, comes the bright green colors in our hillsides and trails. I always rush out during or after a good rain to experience those vibrant colors. 

Something Dreamy :: I am always dreaming of my next vacation to a far-away-land or finding the path to happiness in 2016. It is a continual pursuit but I am learning to enjoy the journey and appreciate every moment, big and small. 

Something New :: I learned something new this week about myself, which is that I am very much like my old self. I have maintained similar interests and hobbies to my younger self. I have loved growing in the things I love most in life over the years and watching my progress. 

Something Challenging :: My continual challenge is to write, see and feel everyday within myself. The Artists Way has been an incredible resource that I come back to, time and time again. I do this to refresh my creativity and maintain balance in my life. 

xoxo,

Mike and the Wanderers

Inside Out :: Underwater

Dear Wanderers,

Shooting underwater is like shooting in a dream world. I’m excited to share these images with you. I loved the early morning bright light; it was blinding and moved so quickly. I loved the feeling of a kind of blinking blindness. It was a unique experience to take photos through the mask and then view the prints afterwards. 

I've known Anna for a long time now. She's infectious, joyous and I've loved watching her grow up. I am always excited to get Annette's voicemail (her mom) because a younger Anna left the message and it's so fun to hear her little girl voice knowing she has grown up into such a beautiful young lady. I asked Anna if she wanted a play date with me on a particularly busy wedding week. Sometimes if I'm shooting a lot, what I need most is to shoot something without any expectations; just to play with someone I admire and see what happens. I'm really grateful to Anna and her beautiful momma for giving me their time during a crazy week. 

The act of creating this shoot was physically challenging to a degree for both of us. We would come up gasping for air and wipe the water out of our eyes and laugh. It was an exhausting shoot, but also a breath of fresh air. 

With wrinkly hands and a contented heart,

Suzanne