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Confession Friday / Traveling

August 7, 2015

Adventure, Travel, Destination Photographer, Madison Wedding Photographer

As I sit on my couch and relish in the Kittie cuddles and the relaxation that comes with being home, I think about the misconception of the traveling photographer. I got home from 2 weeks of travel that consisted of 1 wedding, 5sessions, 6 flights, and hours of travel in the car – along with 4 days of reconnecting with Justin. In between those travels I had 2 days home filled with returning emails, editing, invoicing, cleaning, mail, going to the bank, 1 wedding and 1 engagement session. Then it was off on a plane again … Life as a photographer may seem glamorous and beautiful, yes we get to travel to awesome places and experience wonderful things with wonderful people … but … the honest truth of this is that we spend so much time away, in beds that are not ours, eat out a lot, work on our laptops with free wifi at the closet coffee shops and rarely get to sleep.

This blog has been written and re-written a few dozen times and yet again when I returned home from Wisconsin Brides award night in Milwaukee, and it was so great to see vendors that I adore and have worked with.  I also got to finally meet some wonderful people in person rather than in emails and Facebook! We all cheered on our fellow wedding peeps, along with drinking and mingling with great food. But it also reminded me that we are all awesome, we all work our butts off for this – we don’t just sit back and drink coffee in our yoga pants and wish clients came, and poof they are there. We work late nights then wake up early, groggily walk to the kitchen to make coffee, some wake up the kids, walk the dog and when we are all bright eyed and bushy tailed we get to go to our office and work on a dream we love and adore working our butt off for.

Another reason for this blog is to let those who think the struggle isn’t worth it, and that you are doing something wrong because you haven’t won a certain award or don’t have thousands of followers on social media —- they are not better than you! You are awesome & if you work hard you just might get that award or beat that person on followers! We all start somewhere – and I highly doubt that person was fabulous when they first started!? Keep doing what you are doing and learn from your mistakes along with building your career with the blood sweat and tears that will come with it. And you know what? When you accept that award and kick that persons butt in followers – you will hold your head high, look back at those tears and say “it was worth it”.

No, I am not whining to you in this blog, those 2 weeks have made me feel so blessed so honored and so loved. But as I returned home and was welcomed with “How was your trip?” “How was your vacation?” before we left, we were asked,  “So your going on vacation again?”. We have to explain that it was not vacation, it was a business trip filled with everyday work events, with few bits to relish in the fact we are in a beautiful place. This year is a year of experiencing as much as possible with work and life – and you know what all the sleepless nights and plane rides with crying kids have been freaking awesome! And I wouldn’t change a single thing – and I want to sincerely thank you all for your love and support over the past 4 years! Without you this career of mine wouldn’t be possible – thank you thank you thank you for all the encouragement and support! I love you sending cyber hugs and high fives to you all!

with so much love – christine

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