11.11

November 11th has meant something to me since 2001.  On November 11, 2001, I got on a plane in Newark, NJ at the crack of dawn and headed to LA to meet Gary Fong for an interview.  At that point, I had never been anywhere further west than Ohio and I was 21 years old.  I had just completed photography school, finished an internship in NYC with celebrity photographer, Timothy White and survived being in NYC on 9.11.  I had absolutely NO idea what the next 8 years would mean or be yet I remember sitting at the window on the flight out to LA, glued to the landscape of possibility below.

I celebrated my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th year anniversary of living and experiencing California on every 11.11.

November 11th 2008, I packed my car and I drove out of California with my dog, Leo to embark on a journey east and I was 28 years old.

November 11th, 2009, I’m amazed.  This entire year has been a crazy ride from what started with a cross country road trip with my Mom, {Momma Mullen}, to spending the holidays being with my family buried under many feet of snow, rediscovering my family and my roots.  To discovering Portland, Maine as my home, to building a business here doing what I love for wonderful people and for creating a studio space that is simply my own little dream.  There has been an abundance this year in many forms.  One key ingredient that takes me a bit of time to get to is being proud of myself for trusting my heart, taking the leap and creating something that is uniquely me.

So, this November 11th . . . I’ve just experienced my first fall season in 8 years and I have a VERY different view on life.

{studio view}

Thank you friends . . . who have stuck by me, embraced this change along side me, believed in me and encouraged me to grow.

xoxo!