Happy September! Here's to a New Adventure!

This week, kids started school and as I've watched the big yellow school buses drive around, it's got me thinking.... September is a month for embarking on great adventures.

When I was 6, I set off on my first adventure. 
I left my parents' house and spent my first day (of an endless many) at school.

Lessons from Adventure 1
1. experimenting is fun, especially with a black & white composition notebook
2. working hard for something meaningful is more rewarding than taking the easy route
3. a happy day starts with exercise and singing

Here's me on my first day of school (one of my favourite photos from my childhood)....


When I was 18, I left my parents' house for the second time and flew to Scotland for five years of university. This was my second adventure. 

Lessons from Adventure 2
1. if you want friendships, you have to build them and the best way to begin is with a simple honest and slightly cheesy question, "Shall we be friends?"
2. the beauty of writing & receiving handwritten letters
3. you can help other people but you have to take care of yourself first and protect your own passions and happiness

And now here we are. I'm 24 and I'm about to set off on my third adventure. 
Once again, I'm leaving my parents' house and this time I'm flying to the middle of the Pacific ocean to a tropical paradise where I will photograph happy people, have a kitchen of my own to make messy, and a beach where I can learn to fall off a surfboard gracefully. 

Things I'd Like to Learn from Adventure 3
1. how to celebrate
2. how to live with a steady tranquility and kindness (weed out that stress, anxiety, harsh words and selfishness)
3. how to cultivate discipline

Cheers to your next adventure!