Photo of the Week: Stepping Stones

July 21, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Giant’s Causeway, United Kingdom

This picture was taken in Northern Ireland at the Giant’s Causeway. After reading many books about this country, I was very excited when we finally made it here. This small island is filled with so many natural wonders. This particular World Heritage Site has a legend that the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Finn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. Each column has anywhere from 4 to 8 sides.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

California: Yosemite National Park

July 16, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

View of half dome from Glacier Point

A few weeks ago, while we were on the West Coast, we decided to rent a car and drive to Yosemite. It’s been awhile since we did a road trip in North America. We used to drive all the time to Canada, but due to the time constraints and cheap airfares, we end up flying for the most part now. I love road trips because I get to be the navigator. It’s very satisfying when you can figure out how to get from point A to point B. Mind you, it’s not too hard to do that here, but in a foreign country without a GPS, it’s a lot more fun.

Yosemite different from any park I’ve been to. For one thing, it’s massive, driving from one gate to another can take up to two hours. The scenery is breathtaking, from the majestic redwoods to the sheer cliffs at Taft’s point. Everywhere we looked, we were reminded that nature is magnificent and beautiful and we are a small speck in the grand scheme of things.

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Photo of the Week: Sunrise

July 14, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Siem Reap, Cambodia

This picture was taken in the early morning at Angkor Wat. We sat, along with hundreds of other photo aficionados, patiently waiting for the sun to peak out from the dark horizon. As the sun rose over the the ancient empire, the rich colors layered on top of each other creating an effect like the sky and the water were on fire. We were rewarded with this beautiful, unforgettable sight.

Photo of the Week: Starry Night

July 7, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 4 Comments

Inca Trail, Peru

We made it back from our Inca trail trek in one piece! As I sort out my notes and pictures from the trips, I knew I wanted to share this particular one as a photo of the week. This photo was taken on the second night of our hike after we crossed Dead Woman’s pass. From our camping area when you look up, all you see is the open sky and millions of stars twinkling. Personally, I don’t know any constellations, but I did recognize the Milky Way. As a city girl, I never get to see the sky like this. The view was so amazing, I knew I had to capture it. So in the freezing night, I was sitting outside of my tent playing with my camera. I didn’t bring a tripod because it was too heavy, so I put the camera on the ground and propped it up with some rocks (I had a McGyver moment) and set the exposure to 30 seconds. This is the result.

Photo of the Week: Fireworks

June 30, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

July 4th in New York

I thought this is an appropriate photo for this week. This picture was taken from our apartment window on July 4th a few years ago. We just moved to New York and it was the first year the Macy’s annual firework show was moved from the East River to the Hudson River. It was serendipitous that we got to witness this momentous show from our apartment. We set up the tripod, opened our window wide, and leaned back with some beer and Bonchon wings to enjoy the show. Happy Canada Day and July Fourth to all our North American friends.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. This picture was scheduled for this week because we are currently hiking up the Inca Trail! Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: Rising

June 23, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Today’s picture was posted later than usual because I am working from the West Coast for most of the week. Now, without further ado, this photo was taking on our honeymoon in Iceland. We were supposed to go to Bora Bora, but somehow ended up there instead. Aside from the frigid cold weather, Iceland is a great place to visit. At the time we just got our underwater camera, so we thought what better time to test it out then at the Blue Lagoon. The sun was setting low over the horizon and the fog was rolling off the thermal water, creating a nice effect.

Places I Want to Go: Wave Canyon

June 18, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Photo Credits: Mateusz Pitak [via photo.net]

Susan Sontag said it best when she said “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list“. And one of the places on my list is Wave Canyon, located near the Utah-Arizona border in Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona. This sandstone rock formation looks so surreal and out of this world, it’s not hard to imagine it as a backdrop in a sci-fi movie. From the vibrant colors to the fluid lines, this place is a photographer’s dream. It is worthy to note that access to the hike is difficult to obtain, so if you want to go, make sure you plan ahead.

Photo of the Week: Rocky Shore

June 16, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

This picture was taken in Isla Mujeres, a tiny island about 10 miles off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. Getting there takes about 20 minutes by boat or ferry from the mainland. During our stay, we rented a scooter (you can also get a golf cart if you are so inclined) to ride around and explore the area. A short ride away, on the southernmost tip of the island is Punta Sur, the place where the rising sun first touches Mexican soil, you’ll find a sculpture garden, Mayan temple and steep naturally carved cliffs. Walking along the path that hugs the rocky shores, you get a great views of the bay and amazingly blue water. This is a good place to sit and clear your mind as you watch the waves come crashing in.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: Storm Front

June 10, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Manhattan, New York

This familiar photo from our cover page was taken from the living room of our old apartment. I was working from home that day. The storm front was rolling in from New Jersey, the wind was picking up, so what do I do? Grab my camera of course. I pulled open the window (no screens!), leaned out and started snapping away. I like this picture because it looks so surreal over the Manhattan skyline. Very ominous.

My Brantford Homecoming

June 8, 2014October 27, 2014 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Brantford is a small town about an hour west of Toronto. It’s known for being Wayne Gretzky’s hometown. It’s also the town in which I’ve spent 9 of the most informative years of my life. Growing up here, there was not much to do aside from hanging out in the local mall or fast food joints. The minute I finished high school, I could not wait to get out, and I was determined to explore the world. That was 15 years ago (wow, has it been that long?); I’ve changed and Brantford has changed. Coming home this time I wanted to explore the town that I was in such a rush to get out of. Here is a list of things I like about this city in no particular order.

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