Sayulita is a surf town. Surfers and surf boards dot the coastline and the beach. There is a vibrant, contagious energy; the thrill of the surfers and wanna-be surfers waiting to catch a wave. But for swimming, for relaxing on the beach, this is not the place to be. Head a bit further south and you’ll find Playa de los Muertos, a little nook of a cove tucked behind Punta Sayulita, creating a calm, swimmable beach.
Tagged: family vacation, Mexico, photography, Sayulita, tourism, travel
The unexpected is profound. No comparisons, no build-up, no presuppositions, it can simply be. And in that simplicity is the impact. We can truly experience all the details for what they are; ordinary. We arrived in Sayulita at noon and by late afternoon made our first steps into town and onto the main beach. I heard the din of dispersed and disparate conversations, a tuba and drums accompanied by other brass instruments play something that belonged in a parade but made so much sense to be on the beach, I saw umbrella after umbrella, tourists and locals intermixed, I felt the energy; enthused but orderly, I smelled delicious flavor after delicious flavor and I experienced the complexity and layers of this culture in this simple setting of a day at the beach. In this moment I wasn’t overwhelmed, I was captivated, instantly falling in love with this town. This feeling would further deepen with each day we spent in Sayulita; the friendly locals, the respectful tourists, the fresh food, the rustic and the chic, a sleepy surf town turned Mexican tourist destination struggling to hold onto its identity while accommodating the eager throngs. I recognize this place is far past discovery but to us it was all new.
Tagged: canon, documentary, Mexico, photography, Sayulita, surf, tourism, travel
I travel to see the world
Not the all-encompassing, overwhelming, unfathomable Earth kinda world
but the everyday world
Tagged: Beaches, Mexico, photography, Sayulita, travel, travel photography
I made a human.
Three actually.
By the grace of God and biology my body coddled and nurtured a human being, releasing it from my womb at the moment it could breathe air.
But my job was far from done.
Breathing alone wasn’t enough to sustain life.
Things like eating and burping and sleeping in the exact right quantities needed to be tended to. Each miraculous milestone followed by the anxiety of achieving the next.
After they learned how to not spit up their meal I needed to focus on things like reading and puberty and social dynamics and politics and being conscientious and being kind and being a good friend and not over-eating and under-sleeping.
All of these little life skills taught over and over again.
With the constant, age old hope that they will be decent human beings. That they will raise another generation of decent human beings.
I am flawed.
How can I not pass on my flaws to my children? As inevitable as the tide and the sunrise.
The best I can do is laugh with them, own my mistakes and ask for forgiveness.
Oh and love them, with all my human being-ness. 
Tagged: B&W photography, childhood, Mexico, motherhood, photography, Sayulita, travel
Tagged: Asia, Japan, photography, Tokyo, travel, travel photography, vacation
Tagged: Asia, canon photography, Japan, Kyoto, photography, travel
When I lived in New York City one of my favorite weekend activities was hitting whatever street market was happening around the city. Many Saturdays were spent strolling past stalls, buying and enjoying a variety of bites, and taking in the wares of vendors. After a few they become redundant, the same vendors popping up on different blocks and by the end of summer market-fatigue had set in. I had forgotten how much I love street food and the energy of markets until this trip to Korea and Japan. One of my favorite memories of our time in Korea is when we went to Kwangjang market and seat-hopped stall to stall eating foods I never dared eat before. We were wrapping up a day of site-seeing in Kyoto when Anthony mentioned there was a food market nearby. We didn’t realize the food, wares and history Nishiki Market held and how enthralled we would be by the colors and energy. Vacation serendipity.
Tagged: Asia, canon photography, Japan, Kyoto, Nishiki Market, travel, travel photography
The Gion District was established in the early 1600s to accommodate the needs of travelers visiting Yasaka Shrine. It evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
Hanami-koji is a wide street bordered on both sides by traditional teahouses called ochaya. On the corner sits Ichiriki Chaya, easily spotted by its vibrant orange walls. Ichiriki Chaya is over 300 years old and is known as one of the most high-end establishments in Gion, offering geisha entertainment to powerful business and political figures – but strictly by invitation only. This teahouse is as famous for its history as its exclusivity. During the 19th century, revolutionary samurai warriors would meet here to plot the downfall of the shogun’s government.
Tagged: Asia, geisha, Gion District, Japan, Kyoto, photography, travel
Before I knew the name I knew of the gates. The thousands of vermilion torii gates, their imagery used in films and photos. Those gates belong to Fushimi Inari Shrine. One of the oldest and most important of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, Fushimi Inari has ancient origins dating back to 711. The torii gates line trails that lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari which stands 233 meters above sea level.
Tagged: Asia, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Japan, Kyoto, travel, travel photography
At the foot of Mount Fuji, Hakone is a town of 13,500, known for its hot springs and is a National Geopark. The town embraces its culture, history and craftsmanship balancing charm and authenticity with modernity.
Tagged: Asia, canon, Hakone, Japan, Lake Ashi, Mt. Fuji, photography, travel, travel photography
