Life Is Beautiful

I wake up to our basement flooding, the news blaring about Boston, my phone buzzing that it is time to go to work. This week alone weather aside has been rough. To those families dealing with the bombing in Boston and to those who lost Lingzi Lu across the globe, we are here for you in Chicago.

It is hard seeing all these things on the news everyday; I bet we all remember where we were and what we we doing the moment we hear about these events. I sometimes wonder about the people who do these things, don't they get tired of being so angry? I know the world is far from any form of perfect, but I worry about the families who have lost all over the world. Before 9/11 war was just another chapter in my history text book, life was simple. I thought the poster in my class of children from all over the globe holding hands was real. The word foreign was unknown to me, I thought the other side of the globe was just our neighbors despite the distance. These wars don't define us, I believe there is good out there; even where people least expect it. The Muslim people are not all the same, Americans are not all the same; we all have our own views, because we are individuals. We are all human beings, so I send out a request to my readers to pay it forward to your fellow man. Do something kind for another human being that doesn't benefit yourself.

So here is to today, and tomorrow, and ten years after that we can not let ourselves be afraid of these events and stop living our lives. Life is beautiful and I think we forget that sometimes when things get hard. Think that right this moment someone is being born and their today has only just started, and I know I want to show them how beautiful life is. My piece of advice would be to live life passionately, because any other way isn't living. Want more from life for yourself and others!

Think about all the things we live for...

Like love:

"Unless it’s mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it’s a waste of your time. There are too many mediocre things in life; Love shouldn’t be one of them.”

Being silly:

Adventure:

Friendship:

Beauty:

There is so much more people live for and sorry about my rant, but for today I'll leave you on this note. One of my favorite quotes from V for Vendetta is, "I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you." Until tomorrow...Natalie. 

Going International

You know that song "I see London I see France" well I can say I saw both, and I have to say quite an experience!

Well friends let me just tell you it was no easy feat getting to Paris to begin my trip due to a little passport mishap and layovers. We all love air travel right? Well I not the biggest fan, but the real issue I had on this particular flight was the amount of babies who traveled along with us, I lost count at 15. Babies are sweet and cute but when trapped in a small plane at high pressure they feel the need to let everyone else know they don't like it. They continued on like so for about 4 hours until they had had enough and fell asleep, I almost wept with tears of joy. I also made a new friend on the plane who lives in London and works for the British Imperial War museum we had fascinating conversations, and he gave me tips of some great pubs to visit. I thought well my adventure was finally in motion this was good. This eight hour flight was not over yet. Due to excitement  packing, and other reasons I hadn't slept in almost a full day. By the time I began to even drift to sleep I was rudely awoken, not by the turbulence we hit but by the compartment above my head dropping it's contents upon me. A very tired flight attendant huffed at me, as if she thought I did it on purpose, giving up on sleep I suddenly knew this was only the beginning of a long trip. 

 These are just some of the photos I can share from the trip I was planning on making little photo shoots but it was so unbearably cold for me (I'm really a chicken when it's 30 degrees and below). The photo above I took when we were on this bridge full of hundreds upon hundreds of locks. These two happen to be my favorites.

Trust me i had brought all these really cute outfits to wear and take pics to have for later but it was just way, way, way too cold. :(

 One of my best friends Mary who is studying abroad in France is originally why I planned this trip that and I had never been. I loved France and I would definitely go again if I ever get the chance.

Our first spotting of a double-decker I went total tourist on this one!

This is my sister and her boyfriend now fiance (he proposed in London). We were museum hopping. 

Me still missing Paris when I see anything French related.

That was just some fun stuff I liked. I was having fun :D. There are many photos of us just wrapped up in layers of jackets and wool sweaters not the most flattering because it was simply too cold to smile either.

Oh you can count on it I went to Whitechapel for a Jack the Ripper tour, This occurred on Easter. Amazing. Afterward my sister, her fiance, and myself went for a fancy dinner at a place called The Phoenix a Chinese restaurant where there happened to be a reception for a wedding going on, and they had this live singer and she had a voice much like Norah Jones and it made the night magical. There was a beautiful bride and her groom who danced together, as the music makes you smile. What a time it was I only wish I can return one day to take the photos I mean to take. Until tomorrow...Natalie.

A Sunny Afternoon

I have been enjoying the sun that has been out lately. It puts me in a brighter mood. I also have been working more often but I got switched to early hours which is good because I have the rest of the day to do homework or work on fun projects and take tons more photos like I've been wanting too. so Here's a bit of what I've been up to the past week or so. 

There's nothing like sunlight filling up a room

I have been working with different lighting effects 

The sun light has been a good thing it has been warming up and melting the days; they have become longer and more exciting I look forward to more warm sunny day's ahead. I have just returned from my Paris and London trip my next couple of post will be sharing pictures and my adventures and trust me there are quite a few. Until tomorrow...Natalie.