Long before I bought our home in Rehoboth Beach my parents lay my roots. Roots of possibility and potential, of dreams and hard work, of faith and family. Life was hard and easy because of my parents steadfastness and their belief that their children would achieve and that their love would bind us always.
Tagged: beach, family, parents, photography, Rehoboth Beach
We celebrated 13 on the cusp of lockdown; friends warned and armed with antibacterial wipes everyone still showed up and celebrated. A year later with schools just starting to reopen and not sure how comfortable people felt, an outdoor venue was selected in the hopes a few would show up. All showed up. So either everyone is itching to get out or they just love this kid. 
Before our country went into lockdown, Chinatowns were suffering losses up to 70% of their sales due to anti-Asian bigotry. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America. Once boasting over 930 storefronts a mere 150 are operating today. Chinatowns aren’t just restaurants and tourist attractions, they are cultural and financial hubs for generational communities. With Lunar New Year approaching on February 12th, a time of year that provides most of the revenue for these businesses, the streets will remain largely quiet with parades cancelled. These are photos taken of San Francisco’s Chinatown in January 2019.
Tagged: Asian American, California, Chinatown, photography, San Francisco, travel
Gratitude is like the sea
Vast and enveloping
When you are in it you see no end
From small ripples to giant waves
Lean into it and it will keep you afloat
Tagged: 2020, beach, family, photography, Rehoboth Beach
My baby is ten. My last, my youngest has achieved a new milestone of double digits. He is constantly testing, pulling, stretching against the binds I put on him. Seemingly aimless, boundless energy with no purpose he is very intentional and knows that his desired outcome is always achieved, to have my attention.
Tagged: 10, birthday, Oliver, photography
Tagged: giving back, Lucas, photography, Surfrider
When you leave a place, like really leave a place, packing up all your belongings and treasures into what you can carry knowing you will never return.
When you struggle, persist, adapt.
When you see your children realizing your dream.
This is not unique to me or my family, it is the story of every immigrant.
I always envied friends that had extended family, that had generations to reference, that had traditions and family homes, that had roots.
Anthony and I have been taking our kids to Rehoboth Beach, DE since Lucas was five months old. Each year we return because we love the place; the saltwater air and crashing waves but also the charming shops and restaurants that make this place a city-beach town. A day at Rehoboth is crepes at Cafe Papillon with a Rise Up nitro coffee, a greasy sub from Gus and Gus with Thrashers fries, me shopping at Sole Boutique and Bella Luna while the kids hit Candy Kitchen and Gidget’s Gadgets, Muffin Mania and Beach Ball Toss at Funland, dinner at Henlopen Oyster House or Lupo’s or Stingray or Salt Air followed by gelati or Kohr Brothers or funnel cake, skeeball, bumper cars, endless hours at Zelky’s and armfuls of stuffed toys. Over the past few years Anthony and I have discussed buying a second home and as we reflected on locations it was an easy decision to pick this place that had unknowingly become our second hometown.
Traditions are predictable and create connection and while the traditions we’ve made with our children draws us here the future conversations where Penny says “Remember when I won my first Squishmallow in Beach Ball Toss?” or Oliver says “I want to see that black and white movie again that was playing at Lupo’s.” or Lucas says “Remember the surry bike ride when we were so heavy Dad could barely move us?” and the traditions they’ll carry forward are what has made us lay down our roots here.
Deep roots of tradition, of family, of values, of generations to come.
Tagged: beach, Delaware, photography, Rehoboth Beach, traditions
They go off to college, they return, they grow up but traditions always remain, as steadfast as the bond that binds them.
Tagged: cousins, fall, photography, pumpkin patch, Wegmeyer Farms
Easter this year was on April 12th, 27 days into “safer at home”. Keeping with tradition my sisters and our kids got together for our usual egg hunt. Knowing we were breaking the rules and judgements would be harsh we didn’t post or share a single photo. Now as I look back at the crazy haircuts or lack of haircuts, two cousins now gone to college, I am reminded that life still happened and is happening, that traditions can be maintained and these memories, so precious, must be created and remembered.
Tagged: Easter, family, photography
Tagged: Black Lives Matter, BLM, photography, street photography, Washington DC
