If I accomplish anything in this life, it's to see all the beauty and diversity that God's created in the world. For as long as I can remember I've been struck by the travel bug. I honestly can't remember being happier than I was the first time I left everything familiar and discovered the full, undying extent of my wanderlust in Córdoba, Spain. I wrote about some of my favorite bits that have remained like snapshots in my mind, so without further ado...

I LEFT MY HEART IN SPAIN, AND WITH ME I TOOK WANDERLUST...

            I took walks through tangled, intricate gardens, designed with perfect intention. I set foot in buildings whose architecture moved my soul to emotions of gratitude so extreme I'd never quite felt before. The world fell still while I stood on top of castles and temples, watching the city and landscape dissolve into the horizon. And during this time I discovered undoubtedly, whether I was mid-exploring an old church, caught in a breathtaking view, drinking lemon Fanta at a market, dancing at my brothers wedding, or  doing something as simple as sitting on that balcony, that I would never stop dreaming of this feeling again. That wanderlust had caught me, heart and soul, and I was destined to find it again.

Dear Photography,

            Who would have thought that you would become my nearest and dearest companion. That I would take you everywhere with me. On every adventure, big and small, everyday of my life. You watched me grow up. You were there for me when I didn't even know that photography could be something more than beautiful, but embedded in me, a part of my very being. You were there in my childhood, when I didn't know how to appreciate such a connection. I never realized until many years later that you had a hold of me even then.

          One of my more vivid memories as a child was going canoeing with my family. I didn't know how to swim and I was overwhelmed with the fear that I'd manage to fall in. It wasn't until my dad handed me his old film camera, that I looked through the view finder and other else mattered. I know now that was the spark. Do you remember how awful the pictures were? Blurry, horribly composed...looking back, I have no idea what I was even aiming for half the time when I clicked the shutter.

            My entire life, I've been nothing short of a creative soul. As a child, I did everything under the sun that pertained to creating. I played make-believe, constructing my own little stories and universes, with the imagination of endless possibilities. I loved arts and crafts and I absolutely adored music. As I got older I began to read and write. I learned piano and guitar, and I loved to sing and dance. I did anything to share a bit of that rare beauty with the world.

            But it wasn't until you came along, Photography, that the world made perfect sense to me, that you and I were somehow meant to find each other. As I got older you became not just my way of looking at the world, but a way to hold onto it and an entirely new art form to fall in love with. My camera became a part of me and it never left my side. I set out to learn as much as I could about you and we ran wild.

            You became my obsession and it was because of you that I began to look at the world in a whole new way. You inspired me. You taught me to see beauty in everything, that it was all about perspective. I've gotten so many opportunities out of having you in my life. You've taught me to dream bigger and I thank you for that.

           And just so you know, it's just the beginning for us, my love. I already have great plans for us, just as I'm sure we will find something magnificent and unexpected around every corner. But if there's anything I know, Photography, is that you and I can do anything we set our hearts and minds to. And I don't think any of it would be possible without you, and I love you for that.