Well in keeping my promise to share with you my "Northern Adventures" I had this past summer, I wanted to share with you my trip to Washington, D.C. Before I do though, I must first apologize for taking a little too long in between blog posts. Yes, it's been that busy in my business, but that isn't the reason. I have been guilty of mixing business with some fun. The acronym, 'YOLO' comes into mind. You Only Live Once. Let me explain. When someone approaches me with amazement about my traveling adventures, I humbly let them know that it's not all what it is cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, I am having the time of my life going to different places and carrying my camera by my side. However when your job has you travel, it's not the same as if you are traveling on a vacation. The majority of the time you wake up, get your gear ready, PRAY that you arrive safe and go do your thing. There is barely anytime to sightsee, get a spa treatment or even enjoy some local cuisine (MY version of a vacation). I'm lucky if I get a chance to people watch, my heating pad is my spa treatment and my version of local cuisine involves fast-food and a drive thru. My mindset changed though when I was planning my trip to Washington, D.C. for one reason and one reason only; Billy Joel. He was performing the same time frame I was going to be there and I was compelled to break my "business trip" frame of mind. Hubby joined me for the trip, I upgraded the hotel and away we went!
One of the sessions was with John Machado and his beautiful family. He is an attorney in D.C. and his posts about his days in court are sometimes sad, always heartfelt, but most times are hilarious! He is truly passionate about his job but he is even more passionate about his family. That was the first thing I noticed when we met. We met between the Thomas Jefferson and the Lincoln Memorial to capture some great moments between him, Nancy his wife and their two kids. His oldest Katie was a spitfire and I had so much fun watching her that I was compelled to pull her aside and photograph her on her own. I admired her boldness for life (a quality I didn't have at that age.) and her humor. I can remember being her age struggling with the phase from, "girl" to "teenager". For her though, she showed confidence and a happiness for life. For sweet Nicholas he announced , "I don't like taking pictures." That statement didn't scare me. I have boys of my own that would proclaim that very same sentiment every time I break out the camera. Overall, it was nice to observe such a loving family coming together laughing and enjoying each other's company. The icing of the cake was when Nicholas approached me afterwards and said he had fun. That made me happy. In between takes, John told me some fascinating facts about D.C. and him and his wife recommended some great places to visit. After all, here we were in a great city. It would of been a crime had we not stop and take in the sites.
Sooooo, where does Billy Joel come into play? John and his wife were gracious enough in where we did a little bartering that involved a photo session and a Billy concert. Lol. I'm sure you get the gist. For those who don't know me, Billy Joel is my all time favorite performer.
By the end of this trip I looked back and realized that, yes, I should incorporate a little bit of fun into my travel. After all, we only live once and what is the point of life if you don't once in awhile stop and smell the roses. Thank you to John, Nancy and the kids for a great afternoon that day. You two are truly blessed with such a beautiful family. Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I loved watching you all as a family.
