photography

Four Years

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my best friend.  One of the first things that drew me to Fausto was our mutual love of adventure. I remember how we used to spend endless hours talking about all the places we wanted to go over a hot cup of tea, back when we were just friends. So after 7.5 years together and 4 years married, I am glad to say that our passion to see the world has not waned.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary than to go to Hong Kong for a few days. It was a spontaneous decision that we made this week after seeing some cheap airfare.  Since this is the second time around, we won’t be rushed to visit all the tourist attractions.  Instead, we will spend our time leisurely strolling through the markets, taking in the sights, and eating some tasty food local to South East Asia.

We are that crazy couple that pack our bags at a moment’s notice and travel half way across the world, and that’s what I love. I am thankful for our time together and will end the post with a few of my favorite photos of us throughout the years.

IMG_0338

Crete, Greece 2007

Continue reading →

Louisiana: Oak Alley Plantation

/ lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Getting out of the airport, we were hit with a wave of hot humid air so thick, you can almost feel it enveloping you like a sticky blanket. We’ve arrived in New Orleans. Instead of getting into a cab and heading to the hotel to freshen up like normal sane people, we decided to rent a car and head out to the plantation. Gotta make the most of our time right?

On the outskirts of New Orleans the road was flat for miles on end, and on either side of the highway, swamp land crept up on the pavement. Driving about an hour west from the airport on the Great River Road towards Baton Rouge, you’ll enter Plantation country. Here, on either side of the Mississippi river, you’ll see magnificent old mansions built by rich plantation owners before the Civil War, a relic of yesteryears. These historical landmarks provide the public with a glimpse into bygone days.

IMG_5149-test_thumb.jpg

Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Afternoon Glow

/ lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

IMG_2200Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is on our minds the past few days as we try to decide if we want to take advantage of a recent airfare sale.  Hong Kong is the bustling epicenter of Asia with a similar feel to New York, except more intense.  Here, people move faster, the streets are more crowded, and there is a Chanel on every corner.

I was going through my old photos and saw this one taken from the top of Victoria Peak, one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island. We took the tram up the top in the late afternoon where we saw this beautiful view of Victoria Harbour as the sun started to set, creating a soft glow over the city. On the right, you see the the International Finance Centre, the tall building featured in the Dark Knight movie. The tall building on the left is the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong.

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.

Photo of the Week: The Bayou

/ lifeafter9to5 / 3 Comments

IMG_5386New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Last weekend my parents visited me and we made a little trip down to New Orleans. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Honey Island swamp; winding through the waterways deep into the bayou where the majestic cypress trees covered in Spanish moss grow over the green velvety water. The sun rays shining through the moss covered branches created a beautiful lazy landscape, reminiscent of the scene from The Notebook.

This is one of the most truly unique places that I’ve ever seen. Stay tune for more posts from our trip down South.

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.

Photo of the Week: Cascading Waterfall

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

IMG_8478Watkins Glen, New York

A few years ago I saw a picture of this place on Pinterest. The cascading waterfalls and the curious rock formations immediately grabbed my attention. This ethereal landscape looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. I thought for sure it was in New Zealand or some other far flung place; imagine my surprise when I discovered instead that it is located in Watkins Glen State Park, near the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.

It’s nice to discover beauty right in our back yard, and we wanted to go and see it for ourselves so we rented a car and drove 4 hours upstate.  Hiking along the main gorge trail, you’ll be able immerse yourself in Mother Nature’s embrace and appreciate her grandeur.

If you are in the area, this place is definitely worth a trip.

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.

Day Tripping to Cold Spring

/ lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments
IMG_20140830_080635518_HDR

View of the Hudson River from the train

This past weekend, once again finding ourselves in the city on a long weekend with nowhere to go, we decided to venture out of the city on a day trip. We’ve seen those posters in the subway that urge you to “get out of town” and see the all the natural beauty that New York has to offer. Lacking a car, we had to find a place that’s convenient and accessible by train. After a quick search, we came upon Cold Spring, a small historical village nestled in the Lower Hudson Valley right on the bank of the Hudson River. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Illuminated

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_3838Paris, France

This photo was taken at the Eiffel Tower, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Paris, perhaps in the world. While we were there, we decided that it was a good idea to go up to the top of the tower.  Even though the line was long, we were not deterred, that is, until a few hours in.  Four hours later, we FINALLY made it to the observation deck.  The view was amazing, but I am not sure it was worth the wait.  

The line down was almost just as long and we didn’t make it down until midnight.  At this point we were starving because we hadn’t had dinner, so we decided to spread out a scarf and have a picnic on the grass right at the base of the Eiffel Tower.  A guy came by and try to sell us a 5 Euro bottle of champagne.  Again, for some reason we thought this was a good idea.  It was not.  

It was a long night full of bad decisions, but it was memorable.  We will never forget the night we had dinner under the Eiffel tower with a cheap bottle of champagne.

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.

Photo of the Week: Foggy Cliff

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

IMG_6181Cliff of Moher, Ireland

This photo was taken at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.  After watching this spectacular site featured in many movies, we were excited to finally make it to the Emerald Isle in the summer of 2013 to see it for ourselves. This Irish natural wonder is where coastline rises high above the Atlantic ocean. If you are not scared of heights,  you can walk along  the cliff side all the way to the edge, staring down into the abyss.  This magnificent vista is one of the most popular tourist locations in Western Ireland.

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.

Peru: Machu Picchu

/ lifeafter9to5 / 6 Comments
IMG_2996

Getting ready for the Inca trek

Finally, after all the preparation and anticipation, we made it to the day of the trek. Starting off from Ollantaytambo, we packed our bags, said goodbye to civilization and got on the bus taking us to the km marker 82, the official start of our Inca trail. As we wound our way along the Urubamba river, the bus driver was blasting music, pumping us up for the adventure ahead. Sitting at the back of the bus, staring out at the Andes mountains I contemplated if I really wanted to go through with it and if there was time to turn back when I heard the lyric “everything that kills me makes me feel alive”.  I think that’s a sign.

Continue reading →