Our last adventure in Sicily was a trip to the island of Vulcano, one of the eight Aeolian Islands. Currently 470 people live on the island which primarily live off of the tourism. There are a few little restaurants and small places to stay. We headed straight to the beach.

This is a post that I put up on Mother's day while I was in South Africa in 2005. Today I am enjoying a Mother's Day while sitting right next to my mom. I thought I would re-post this old blog for the fun of it. In fact, I may make a habit of re-posting old blog posts every once in a while. It is fun to look back and see where I was and what I was feeling. So, enjoy!



Happy Mothers Day Mama!!!

I was going to send you a letter in the mail but I was afraid it wouldn't get to you on time, so instead you get a posting on my site...I guess that is the way it goes when you are twelve thousand miles away from someone. I could go on and on about how much I love and appreciate you, but I thought it would be better to compile a list of just a few of the many things I have learned from you in the last 23 years. (In true Sara fashion...when did I start this crazy list making fanaticism??)

1. It's easier to catch a bee with honey than with vinegar...this has proven to be true time and again!

2. Never underestimate the power of a hug (giving or receiving).

3. Ibuprofen fixes everything.

4. Your brothers may smell bad and pick on you but they will always be there for you.

5. If you starve your guests they will eat anything.

6. Even if you are just going to take out the garbage, brush your hair and put on some lipstick!!! You never know whom you will meet on the way! (I know it seems as though I haven't listened to this one...)

7. With number six in mind, don't ever be afraid to get your hands dirty.

8. Why use a recipe when you can wing it??

9. Don't forget to send thank you notes, people really do appreciate it.

10. No dinner is complete without a tablecloth.

11. Never be afraid to speak your mind and stand up for your morals, if it bothers someone, they probably needed to hear it the most.

12. When cooking, whenever possible toss the spoon and use your hands.

13. Always leave a clean house; it makes it much better to come home to.

14. Always lock your doors.

15. If you want to talk to someone about something really important, do it in the car... that way they can't get away.

16. Little kids love to receive gifts, always try to have something for them to unwrap.

17. Animals are good for the soul (my soul is doing great!)

18. Take time to smell the flowers, and if no one is looking...steal them.

19. If your husband is acting up...or even if he isn't, run him over with the car.

20. Friendships take work and need to be maintained.

21. You will have a better day if you are wearing matching bra and underwear.

22. Mom is always right.

23. A girl can never have too many purses or shoes.

24. It's the little things that count; let people know that you are thinking about them.

25. There is nothing better than a mom made bed.

26. Life is too short to behave all the time, break the rules every once in a while.

27. Happiness is a walk on the beach with your mom and your dogs.

28. Always say please and thank you.

29. Let people do things their way and then fix it when they aren't looking.

30. The easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

31. Don't take life too seriously

32. Never give up on your dreams (I know this sounds cliché, but if it weren't rue I wouldn't be in Africa right now)

33. No matter where you go or what you do, your family will always be where your heart is.

34. A smile and a hug can do wonders for a broken heart.

35. You never get too old to need your mom.

36. If it won't matter a year from now, don't fret.

37. If the dog has fleas, burn the house down.

38. Everyone needs a passion.

39. Nothing helps to mend a broken heart like staying busy.

40. Your day will run more smoothly if you make your bed in the morning.

41. Animals work wonders to ease an aching heart.

42. Things don't matter, people do

43. Don't cry over spilled milk

44. Nothing like a pedicure to brighten your day!

45. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

46. You may not always like your family, but you will always love them.

47. No one else is going to live you life for you, take chances.

48. Everything in moderation.

49. Sometimes it is ok to sit on the couch with nothing but a jar of peanut butter and a spoon.

50. Don't let your mistakes go to waste, learn from them!

51. You should try everything at least once.

52. Flowers and candles make a home more inviting.

53. You can get through just about anything, just give it time.

54. When things aren't going as planned, improvise!

55. A squeaky wheel gets oiled.

56. You can never have too many dishes

57. You appreciate the things in your life more when you have to work for them.

58. Every cloud has a silver lining

59. You can't wait around for someone else to fix things, do it yourself.

60. You are never too old to learn something new.

61. Your mom really can be your best friend.

Mom, I have never met a stronger or more loving person, I am so lucky to have you in my life as my mom, friend and teacher. So many women are mortified when they see themselves becoming their mothers, I am honored. You have lead your life with such grace and have taught us kids so much about what really matters in life. You keep us honest and we will forever be indebted to you for the life lessons you have taught us. I hope you have a wonderful day; I wish I could be there with you! Have a pedicure and an artichoke and think of me!!!

The first thing that people ask me when they meet me is often, where are you from? Me? Well, my answer is normally that I am trans-Atlantic. Or, 'I'm a global citizen'. I should probably say: I am from South African Airlines, I spend so much time on their planes. I have met so many people in the last few weeks that I feel like I am saying this over and over. So, I am just going to put it out there. Now when people ask me I can just direct them to my blog. Now maybe I won't feel like a broken record (which is good because the majority of people I meet have probably never even seen a record before).

So here it goes. My Dad was in the military, yup I am an army brat. I prefer army sweetheart. I was born in Oregon. We moved to Texas and then to Germany where we lived for 5 years. I traveled throughout Europe with my family which is probably where my love for travel started. We left Germany when I was about 8 years old and our family landed in Monterey, California. I went to U.C. Davis for my undergraduate degree and finished my degree in South Africa at the University of Cape Town. (deep breath) I fell in love and married my fella in South Africa after bouncing between hemispheres for a couple of years. We decided to start out in the San Francisco Bay Area and that is where we have been for the last few years. And now, we are between homes. 

It is ten days until my next departure. My next few months are going to be filled with adventure, travel and of course... photographs!! Next stop: Johannesburg, South Africa.

You can see a map of my travel plans Here.

As always, none of our plans are concrete yet. But that's the way I like it. It keeps things interesting. I will be in the Bay Area until the 23rd of March. I will not be back until April 27th. If you have any portrait needs be sure to let me know, I still have a few spots open before I leave!

When I get back to the United States the plan is to visit a few new cities in the US, then it is off to Italy for a month. When we get back from Italy, my husband and I will be moving to a new city for good. But don't worry, I will still be making frequent trips to Northern California. We will just have to be a little more strategic in our planning.

Phew. So do you see why: 'where are you from?' is such a hard one for me to answer? That's right, I am a global citizen. And home, well that's the warm place snuggled next to my husband. Life is beautiful.  

I am writing this as I am sitting in my hotel room in Las Vegas. What a whirlwind of a week. I have had just about every moment packed. I arrived at WPPI bright eyed and bushy tailed and I am going to leave with bags under my eyes but very much satisfied that I have gotten the most out of this experience.  I am somewhere between extremely excited to be in this business and completely overwhelmed. My heart is filled with all of the possibilities that the future holds and the desire to make the best of those opportunities.

For those of you that do not know what I am talking about, I have spent the last week at the WPPI convention at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. WPPI is Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, basically photo geek heaven. It has been great. I have had the opportunity to learn from the best photographers in the industry who have traveled from all over the world. I have learned about the newest technologies at the trade show. I have made new friends.

If I have to be completely honest, I can be a bit shy. I think it may have started somewhere in those awkward teenage years. Last year I came to the conference with another photographer. We pretty much stuck together and I did not meet another single person. This year has been drastically different. I made a commitment to put myself out there. I wanted to meet new people. I did just that, and not only did I enjoy it, I think that my experience would not have been nearly as much fun or meaningful if I had not met them.  Every person that I met contributed to my experience, we shared stories, we laughed, we compared notes. We even shared a few tears.

Anyway, my point is: don't be afraid to put yourself out there. It doesn't matter where you are. Meet new people, smile and share a conversation. What is the worst thing that could happen? If you don't want to eat alone, introduce yourself that other person that just sat down by him or herself. You never know what they may have to teach you. Our lives are shaped by the relationships with the people around us. Why not meet someone new?