Every year in December, I stop to wonder what I was doing last year around the same time. It basically becomes a month of reflection and introspection. I wonder if what I’ve set out to do in the beginning of the year was actually done? So, here are a few things I wanted to do in 2019: write one blog a month and start taking my photography seriously.

 And, here are a few things that I didn’t plan but, I have to say, made 2019 amusing. Like that time I got a marriage certificate instead of a birth certificate or the time I left a box of tampons by a window and it got stolen by a monkey.

Suffice it to say, 2019 has been an interesting year.  It’s definitely been a year of being reacquainted with my deep and undying interest for photography. 

In the beginning of the year, I decided to take my photography seriously. The decision was going to cost me leaving my comfort zone. I moved to Germany in February, and I braved the cold Bavarian winter to pursue an analog internship. If that wasn’t enough break from my travel nursing job, I decided to move back to my Addis Ababa to start working on my series. 

Living there and taking the time to meet and photograph some amazing people was probably the best decision I made this year. Trusting my decision to take my creative side more seriously is probably the biggest gift to myself.

Even now that I’m in Washington DC on a travel assignment, I’m most likely in the dark room, editing photos, or shooting on my time off. 

When I look back at 2019, it will be the year I will remember what I did to nurture my passion. 

When you walk with intention, you will have moments of challenges but also triumphs. What makes it worth it is the awareness you have about yourself and your needs. It's like becoming a conscious leader of your mind and self, and when you ignore all the distractions and walk in your own lane, you find yourself. And that’s exactly what happened when I decided to walk with intention to take photography seriously, and through it, I am finding my true voice as an artist. Without any further adieu, here are

8 memorable moments that have made 2019 a year to remember.

1. Moving to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

2. Living in Nürnberg.

3. Going to Bangkok for an annual check-up. #selfcare 

4. starting my photo series in Addis and meeting amazing women to photograph.

5. Trip to Mombasa, Kenya.

6. Finding happiness within. #selflove

7. Moving back to D.C. 

8. Volunteering to go to jimma with operation smile.

Thank you for stopping by and making 2019 worth blogging. May 2020 be a year that brings you, your hearts desire. Cheers!

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