Soaring!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Can you BELIEVE it's 2010?! Some years it seems timely for one year to come to a close and a new year to begin.... but I feel like this one totally caught me off guard! Not to mention the fact that a new decade is a bit baffling to me, too! Where did time go?! Was it really TEN YEARS AGO that everyone was freaking out about Y2K?! The first decade of a new century, now complete... CRAZY!!!

Perhaps sometime in the next week or two I'll put together a post with some thoughts from last year and some thoughts for this year (it really is such a good time to stop and reflect and set new goals), but for right now, I want to share one of my last big leaps of 2009.


If you've read any of the other recent posts here, you know that Josh and I bought a house November 20, completely renovated it ourselves, and moved in December 19. Oh, and went to NY for Thanksgiving, and worked our jobs. So, you know, we had tons of spare time for all that house work. =)

Well, during that time I also found out about a photography scholarship contest called the SOAR! Scholarship. The contest is the brain child of Me Ra Koh, and let me tell you, it's pretty incredible. This scholarship is for the entire year of 2010, and basically equips you with all the gear, software, website, business mentoring, photography instruction, etc. that you would ever need to get a successful photography business up and running. And trust me, while all the camera gear and the software and the website is fantastic... the mentoring? With who it's coming from, it truly is priceless.

When I found out about the scholarship, I got really excited! As you probably all know (since I rarely go anywhere without a camera at my side), I really love taking photos and I really love photography. It's an outlet I've enjoyed and been passionate about for pretty much as long as I can remember. So of course I wanted to enter... I just didn't know WHEN I would find the time to make a video (a big part of the application process), since we were literally using all of our available time (and then some) to get the house finished and moved into, along with everything else that accompanies Christmas-time. But I knew that if I didn't submit my application, I'd regret it.

So, through some pretty providential circumstances, LOTS of love from Josh (largely in the form of doing, oh, pretty much ALL of the work for the last half-day before we left so I could have some time to put it all together), and some really wonderful friends (thank you, Chris and Lauren!), my ideas and thoughts and words (because you know I had a lot of them!) became a real, tangible, actual video (in as much as a video can be tangible, I suppose).

And then, well, then I just HAD to submit my application!


It was a pretty scary thing to do, though.

It's so much easier to say NO to things...

But to say YES.... YES with arms wide open?

YES, I can actually do this, YES, I want to do this, YES, this is the right time for it...

And to put myself out there for consideration?

Well, that's a pretty big leap, a pretty big YES, and there's no room whatsoever to hold back. So, I went for it!

I have to admit, it's more than a bit nerve-wracking to put this out for anyone and everyone to read and see... however, I REALLY mean what I say in my video. Living in Philly and being with these kids is a huge, non-negotiable part of my life. It would be an absolute dream of mine if I could do photography for non-profits and schools, and to teach photography and mentor kids in our neighborhood and other inner-city Philly locations. So, this jump is definitely worth the risk.

The videos are all up on the SOAR! website, and here is the link to my video. If that doesn't work, I'm on page 3 of the video entries, and I am #235 (not to be confused with "235 of 263"... just #235 on page 3). It's frozen on a frame of me and some kids in the snow.

I'd really love to hear your thoughts about it. There's a comment feature, and while the comments were supposed to close on January 1, they're still up, so feel free to post!

These kids, these people, these injustices... these are the reasons Josh and I are where we are. It's not always easy, but it's always better when we have friends along with us. I'm so grateful for the love and support so many of you have shown to us over the past few years - it's such an encouragement and makes such an impact on our lives.

So, that's all for now... the three recipients will be announced on January 8th and I'll be sure to let you know what happens!!!