Not all those who wander, are lost

Otago peninsula

Hmm, so what’s new since the last update? Let’s see, new blog layout, new URL, new year, new home, new job… in a nutshell. Wonder what’s new with you?

I’ve been on quite a journey since July. Didn’t start with a particular destination in mind, though I had a vague idea of where I wanted to go.  I quit my full-time, well-paid job. The hardest part was not making that decision, though it took me 3 tries. The hardest part was dealing with people’s judgement. After all, much of who we are in this age is defined by what we do. And if you’re not doing anything…well, then…the conclusion often ends with nothing!
I wasn’t nothing. I needed to look back a bit to see what got me here, what I could still take onwards with me and what I needed to leave behind. Those who know me will testify I’m not the fastest decision-maker in the world – understatement. So I’m really grateful to Bram for his support and patience. Especially since my emotions side-tracked me here and there. But it’s all part of the journey, in the end this is the part where I needed to follow my gut feeling and not think too much about what others expected of me.

To cut a long story short, my focus now is on travel and photography. I can only travel part-time as Bram is still based in Sydney. So in June I am photographing 2 weddings, one in Mexico and one here in Sydney.  I am really looking forward to this. I love love. Weddings make me happy, especially when couples plan the wedding themselves and it reflects their unique personalities, like Bram and I did.  So fingers crossed it will go well and I don’t suck. Meanwhile I am also learning about Australian taxes and how to make a business plan i.e. marketing, financial plan, operational plan and all that jazz. If it sounds interesting, it really is ;-).

And Bram and I have also submitted our application for permanent residency! If all goes well this should be approved by September and we can apply for citizenship next. Europe allows for dual citizenship so we can keep our Belgian passports and also acquire Australian nationality at the same time. Win-win.

But first…New Zealand! Bram and I are leaving for Wellington tomorrow.  Our first holiday with just the 2 of us since…well since erm April last year? Can’t wait to count all the sheep and make fun of Bram’s fuzzy Hobbit feet.  No bungee  or airplane jumping this time. We’ve rented a campervan and will see where the road takes us. To happy places for sure :).

Family matters.

Wout and Stijn

Imagine for a second the worst thing that could happen to you or your loved ones.

Nope, I don’t want to bring bad luck or turn you into a pessimist. And it’s not to make you feel better that the worst thing didn’t happen.
Truth is, it sometimes does.

When we see someone we love in so much pain, we try everything we can to help. Sometimes there isn’t much we can do, but find the things that keep them (and you) going. Like the love for my nephews…that is what keeps my family going.  It is such a hard and stressful time. But at the same time I have never seen them this strong before.

After 2 short weeks in Belgium to visit them, I am back in Sydney now.  Didn’t have much time for photography, but took the portraits of my nephews while we were playing in the garden.  Miss them already.

Our Japan trip in a book, using BookSmart and Blurb

Yay, our book has finally arrived!
After Bram and I came back from Japan I set out to gather our photos into a book as soon as possible. In fact we always plan to do this, but never get around to it. So I promised myself this time would be different and I thought using Blurb might help.

First some stats:
– Made 2838 photos in only 2 weeks. Crazy, but loved it!
– Selected 658 of those to process. This includes Bram’s groovy moves, promise I’ll show those off in another post later.
– And 472 of those made it into the book. I know, a LOT.

This makes for a total of 150 pages. Photos only, no text. Seems I need to sharpen my editing skills a bit more. It is almost impossible to sift through your own pictures and stay objective. Kind of like having gangrene and the doctor makes you choose which limb to chop off. Kind of, sorta.

Book Preview

Here is a preview of the final result. My thoughts on Blurb below.

Continue reading Our Japan trip in a book, using BookSmart and Blurb