My Seven Super Shots

I got up early to take this photo – like 6am early. On my wedding anniversary. When I should have been enjoying a final morning of sleeping in, curled up with my husband in bed at the fabulous Drake Hotel. But I had fallen in love earlier in my trip to Chicago & couldn’t resist one last indulgence… with a huge mirrored piece of public art :)

Seems like I have a thing for early morning photos, because this one was taken on the last day of our trip to Maine in August 2011. We had gotten up to watch the sunrise at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park & afterward decided to explore the nearly empty park. As we climbed on the Otter Rocks, the golden morning light pouring in over the Atlantic, I snapped this photo of my husband, a tiny speck in the vast wilderness. This photo makes me smile every time I see it, because with it comes flooding back memories of lobster rolls, cool breezes, breathtaking nature & total bliss & relaxation.

This photo was an accident. On my second trip to Barbados, I spent an evening watching the sunset. As we walked home afterward, I happened to pause & glance over my shoulder… & saw this amazing pink & purple sky. This photo makes me dream of warm white sand beaches, awe-inspiring sunsets, friendly locals & all the things that make Barbados one of my favorite places on earth.

4. Photo that makes me think

This photo was also taken in Barbados & is of the last sunset of 2010. I was there celebrating the holidays with my family & there was a raucous party full of French-Canadians that would soon kick off. Little did I know that I would only visit Barbados one more time before my Dad (my free plane ticket & my free place to stay) moved back to the U.S. When I look at this photo, I reflect on all the things I loved about Barbados, but especially on the people. The ex-pats my Dad was friends with. The locals who were friendlier than any people I had ever met.

As midnight approached on December 31, 2010, just hours after this photo was taken, a hearty countdown began (in French) as we sipped rum & coke & toasted what the next year would bring.

5. Photo that makes my mouth water

I love bread. Anyone who knows me knows this. I love multi-grain bread smashed into panini’s. I love crusty bread pressed down into Cuban sandwiches. I love a simple meal of baguette, cheese & sausage (added bonus: Eiffel Tower in the background). Bread & I? We’re like this (picture me holding up two fingers crossed).

6. Photo that tells a story

This is the West Side Market in Cleveland. It has been there forever. When I was a little girl, I used to go to this market on Saturday mornings with my Dad. I remember being enamored with the sites & sounds of all the vendors, as I stood on my tippy toes to see into their cases. Sausages, apples, pirogi (this is Cleveland, after all), bread, & meat all enticed my five year old nose. When I returned to the market a few years ago, my first visit in almost 15 years, all those memories instantly came flooding back. It was exactly as I remembered it. There aren’t many things in life you can say that about.

I snapped this photo on what can only be described as one of the most terrifying experiences of my entire life: a helicopter tour over New York City. My dear, sweet husband, despite knowing that I’m  obsessively terrified not a big fanof flying, decided to book the tour for our first trip to the Big Apple together. I actually started freaking out several blocks before we even arrived at the helipad, as I realized where we were headed (not for a nice walk along the Hudson, as I had hoped). I pretty much just held my camera to the window of the helicopter & pressed down the shutter throughout the flight, too nervous & scared to properly compose a photo. Luckily, this is one the shots I ended up with.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. I’d love the following five bloggers to carry on the torch!
Pulpology
Packed Suitcase
100 Miles Highway
Jet-Lagged Journeys
Finding the Freeway