Did you go to sleep away camp as a kid?
I loved camp. My first year going to camp at CIMI, I didn't know anyone and by the time the boat docked 2+ hours and 26 miles across the sea later, I had already begun to form amazing friendships with people that I would never have met in other circumstances.
Leaving San Francisco on Saturday morning after a whirlwind trip with Samsung as part of their Imagelogger program, I felt the same way. Happy to have had the experience. Loving the new friendships formed. Sad that I will probably never see the majority of the people again.
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
Just a little background on the dynamics of the trip. First, I was the only female "Imagelogger" there (But there were two wonderful women from Samsung on the trip as well!). Second, I was only one of four Americans on the trip. All the other invited guests were men, from as far away as Hong Kong, Korea and Italy. Third, I was the only one that is not a "real photographer." And by "real" I mean professional or even good enough to be considered "amateur." And while I know that as a mom I represent 90% of the household purchasing power in the US, and as a blogger I'm fairly influential, it was still a daunting thought going into this trip knowing that I was the lone girl shooting on automatic.
But you all know me - I'm cool like that.
I can go with the flow and always have a good time. The trip itself was exhausting and amazing. Being the one that always is planning, and prepping and thinking about what's happening next, it was really nice to give up almost all control of my choices for 4 days. The only thing I had to think about was what I was going to wear in the ever changing microclimates of SF and maybe choose an item off the menu for lunch. Seriously, I made 2 choices a day for 4 days, and it was wonderful. If I wanted a new lens to try, I just asked. If I needed a battery for my camera - there was one waiting for me. I was told where to be, how much time I had and when I had to move along. And? It was heaven. If you were following me on Twitter or Facebook, you got a glimpse into everything I experienced. From wine tasting to the races to hang gliding to ferry cruises to a Giants game - we DID San Francisco.
Life is about experiences - people come into it, even briefly, for specific reasons. Each and every moment of your life changes you just a little and adds to you in a particular way. The people I met on this trip have now all added something to my life, and I love them all for it.
My heart is full because I got to know them all and share this experience with them.
And yes, there are still more pictures coming.
