OBX Adventure

I failed to mention that I would be going away for a week. I guess I was getting a bit sensitive to telling the world that we would be away from home. The recent break-ins in our town have me feeling a little paranoid. But now that we are home I thought it was time to tell my stories from my Outer Banks Adventure.

I can cross another thing off my Bucket List. I always wanted to take a vacation dedicated to photography. I knew that would be a tough one because I didn’t want to vacation without Karlo, but a great deal presented itself and Karlo was game for tagging along. We took off early on Saturday morning and headed to Pennsylvania to visit our ‘imaginary friends.’ No, of course they are not really imaginary, but Lisa always teased us that they were. We visited a couple that we met on a bike trip years ago. We had a ball catching up with them, meeting their little son, and it was a great pit stop on our way to North Carolina.

The drive was relatively quick and easy. Good weather, no traffic, and a wonderful book on CD that made us relax and reflect on life. It really set us up for a zenful week of relaxation. Something that is so foreign to us, but so incredibly needed.

The week in the Outer Banks was great. We shared a big town house with the instructors and other students and we became a big happy family. Our days were filled with lounging and laughing around the house, photography lessons at the dining room table, roaming around the sights of the Banks, with just enough ‘alone time’ to enjoy our vacation. Of course the highlights were the sunrises and sunsets, which by the way, are the only times a real photographer turns a camera on outdoors. Not so sure I’m likin’ a vacation that requires me to wake up at 4:45 AM everyday, but I was a trooper.

I learned a lot about photography and also got to hang out and play with Karlo every day. We took long walks on the beach, played tennis, hung out on the dunes watching the hang gliders and learned all about the birth of aviation. It was a nice experience to not feel pressure to have a fully packed agenda every day. Maybe this was because I was so tired from getting up so darn early.

The absolute highlight of the trip was gaining the confidence to call myself a photographer. I received high praises from the instructors and that really made my week. I am really looking forward to practicing my new tricks this year.

You're probably wondering where the 'real' pictures are. Don't worry. I have plenty! I just need some time to sift through and decide which ones to upload. Stay tuned.