I can hardly believe that I’m typing this from my aunt’s garden in Langenzenn, Germany…It feels unreal! I’ve been waiting for this trip to get here for what seems like so long, and I’m so thrilled to be here with my sister and German relatives. It’s been almost exactly two years since I was last here, and although I’m feeling extremely fortunate to be on the other side of the Atlantic for a few days shy of a month (and to get to work here no less!), the time never seems quite long enough. So I am soaking up every second! Next week Ryan and some of our friends will arrive here and so will begin the next part of our European adventure…so I’m loving every second of these days full of family time…cook outs in my Aunt Edith’s backyard, lunches with my Oma, trips to the ice-cream store with my Uncle Gerold (who always reminds me so much of my dad!), and plenty of time to wander the streets of other nearby villages…

1. My Oma’s House 2. My 95 Year old Grandmother 3. A building in the town center of Langenzenn

   Life in this small village in Germany is unsurprisingly much different than life in Virginia. Most notable is the slower pace. I find that sometimes when you step away from the routine of normal life, it’s much easier to appreciate how beautiful it all is. That’s what this place does for me. As I breathe in the cool morning air and take another sip of my cappuccino all I can think about is how easy it is to forget to  appreciate little moments daily and to let life fly by at warped speed. Being here unlocks so many sweet, old memories of my dad…Thinking of who he was reminds me to see the wonder in every day life, make new friends wherever I go, to always appreciate the good parts of people, to follow your dreams, and to never pass up the chance to learn or experience something new….Because that’s what my dad did…he came to the U.S. in his twenties to start his own automotive business! My sister was sifting through old photos here and she found this of him in front of his first shop! I like to think he’s where I got my entrepreneurial dreams from…

1. The local drug store 2. That time I found Dahlia’s for 2 euros 3. Traditional Bavarian Breakfast

1. My aunt and I at a Biergarten! 2. A church in Fürth 3. The City Hall in Langenzenn

Traveling is one of my other dreams and one of the things that makes me feel so inspired..ever since I was little my dad instilled in me a love for exploring new places and different cultures. So as excited as I am to be spending time with my family in this place that always feels a bit like coming home, I also can’t wait to head to Venice, Paris, and Scotland with Ryan and some friends over the next few weeks! Ever since I dreamed of becoming a wedding photographer, I’ve also dreamed that I would get to shoot abroad one day…I love the idea of my work taking me to new and exciting places and I can’t believe it’s happening! I’ll be shooting a few Anniversary Celebration Sessions while we’re here and Rachel and James’ wedding in the beautiful St. Andrews, Scotland! If you’re interested in following along with my adventure, I’ll be updating my Instagram regularly! If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll join me on the journey and I can’t wait to share photos of the beautiful couples I get to photograph and spend time with!