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10 Tips to Improve Your Photography

Written by: Amanda // Category: Photography, Photography Tutorial

Alt title: How to rock the socks off of whatever you take pictures with.

10 Tips to improve your photography

Disclaimer: I can’t tell you how to be an instantly awesome photographer. It doesn’t happen overnight (unless your born with it, which some people naturally are). Just like any art form, you’ve got to learn it, study it, practice it. You can’t just expect to point your shutter at something and win ‘photo of the year’ on National Geographic.

I don’t have a super long history with photography (and am not a professional), I’ve just been working on my skills long enough to know there are little tricks you can use to help improve your photography instantly. Yes, instantly. You just need to know what they are and how to use them!

Nowadays, with the technology that’s out, just about anyone can be a photographer. But what makes photos so great? The time and consideration put into each shot so that it actually means something, and the viewer feels something from it.

You’re not here to read about how I feel about photography though, you want to know how to improve yours! Well, let’s get going.

1. Know your camera.

This is the first and foremost rule in improving your photography. Have no idea what your camera does? Well more than likely your pictures aren’t where they could be quality wise! Learn about shutter speed (tutorial on action photography coming soon), focal length, and ISO. Figure out what all those crazy symbols mean on your camera (this cheat sheet can be a gigantic help!). Once you do, your camera will seem less scary. Trust me!

2. Invest in quality camera equipment.

Sometimes we just don’t have the money laying around to buy top-of-the-line camera equipment. Hey, I get it. But if you’re seriously getting into photography, there are ways to work around the cost! Check out refurbished or used products, rent equipment to see if you like it, or buy the older model. I bought my Canon 5D Mark II right when the Mark III came out because it’s price plummeted. It works like a champ, and I know if it ever gives out I can use my lenses with a newer camera, thus the beauty of certain DSLRs. Camera equipment doesn’t really lose it’s value like other electronics…you’re more than capable creating beautiful images from a camera that’s 100 years old, just like you are with one that’s 2 years old!

3. Shoot in RAW.

If you want to get the most from your photos, PLEASE shoot in RAW. Not only will you have full editing capabilities, but when your camera converts an image to .jpeg, the file is compressed, and that limits what you can do with an image in photo-processing. I’m not going to take the time to fully explain the benefits of RAW on this post, but if you’re intrigued, Photography Concentrate writes a great article called ‘Ten Reasons Why You Should Be Shooting in RAW‘ that I would highly recommend reading!

4. Don’t be afraid to try things.

Itching to give night photography a try? Go out and do it. No one is going to care if it’s an absolute flop but yourself. If anything, it’ll be a learning experience for you. If you end up getting some good pictures and  rocked your impromptu shoot?  Share your images with the rest of us who love night photography! I’m always looking for creative ways to shoot at night.

Photographypost-3

5. Pick a good time of day.

Sometimes we don’t have the option to wait around until ‘golden hour’ or go out first thing in the morning to capture the Taj Mahal before everyone else gets there, but if you have the opportunity and the flexibility to? DO IT. Lighting and absence of random people in your shots can make all the difference in the world between something you’d hang on your wall and something you’d just keep around as a file on your computer.

6. Practice makes perfect.

Let’s get real: everyone takes crappy pictures. Yes, even you. Not every frame is going to look awesome, and sometimes you’ll have to experiment with shutter speeds, ISO, and white balance to get the look you are trying to go for. The other night I took pictures of the lunar eclipse, and it took me about 8 frames to get my focus right to where the moon looked crisp, bright, and in-detail. Good photography takes patience, learning from your mistakes, trying again and again to get the shot you were wanting.

7. Learn from the best.

One of my favorite things to do is to find experienced photographers and study their jaw-dropping work. I have so many favorites that have so many different styles I could spend all day sharing them with you. Is there a photographer you look up to? What intrigues you about their photos? Is it their artistic approach in a shot, the lenses they you, or their post-shoot editing? Try to learn how they do it. Use these photographers for inspiration and examples to bring your own work to a more professional level.

8. Value quality not quantity.

It’s easy as pie to go around and take a million pictures of one thing. As aspiring photographers we’re all guilty of it. I often look through my photos and have to shake my head. Why did I think it was necessary to take 350 pictures of the whale watching tour we did a few years ago in Hawaii? Yes, you want to make sure you the shot, I understand that.  Here’s the problem though. As you go through those 350 pictures your mind is going to get more and more distracted clicking through each and every frame you may just pass up the 20 or 30 really good ones you took. 300 pictures of one thing is a lot to go through and mentally exhausting!

My point is, have patience lining up your frame, getting the lighting right, waiting for the right time to press that shutter button. If you do, you won’t have 300 pictures to go though, but maybe 100 (I mean it IS a whale watching tour) really good quality images to pick from to use how you wish.

10 tips to improve your photography

9. Seek out tutorials.

Google is a goldmine, and so is Pinterest for any kind of photography tutorial you could possibly want (taking pictures on the beach, star photography, learning manual mode, editing tutorials, etc, etc). The benefits of being a photographer in our digital age is that you can learn just as much as you would going to a photography class in school 5 years ago. I only say that because I did go to a photography class 5 years ago, and I’ve learned more on the internet than I did in class.

However, if you do have the opportunity to enroll in a class, you probably should. Outside the textbook you will get invaluable practice using your camera, and fantastic coaching and feedback from your classmates and professor that you won’t get reading tutorials online.

10. Make yourself use ‘Manual Mode.’

The problem with DSLR’s nowadays is they make that ‘AUTO’ mode so simple to use and you can get some really great shots. Yes, that’s a problem, and here’s why: Using only ‘AUTO’ mode doesn’t force you to learn and grow with your camera at all. Your camera is doing 98% of the work, while you just have to find something to photograph and line up the frame. It does take some skill and a good eye to find those perfect shots, but to really learn how to capture it, you need to discover life beyond automatic mode.

‘Manual’ can give you amazing shots. You have the power to control every aspect of you picture: lighting, speed, and focus instead of letting your camera do all the work. There are certain details your eyes pick up on that the camera just won’t, and by flipping over to that ‘manual mode’ you can refine the camera’s sensors to capture those little details. This is what can make a shot extraordinary.

In summary, photography can be daunting. By learning how to master your camera, you can take gorgeous pictures! Just like any other art form, photography takes practice, patience, learning from your mistakes, and investment. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies, and I enjoy learning anything and everything I can about it!

10 Tips to Improve your Photography

Have a good tutorial or camera guide? Please share it with me in the comments, I’d love to read it! 

​

Welcome to Living in Another Language! Thanks for dropping by. We’re Derik and Amanda, a couple with a permanent case of wanderlust. Follow along with us as we travel the world. Read more about us HERE.

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Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays, but the ones we get to take are oh so sweet. 

My daughters are now 2.5 years and 6 months old. Life never slows down, but only gets faster with each day we’re blessed to live. Social media may not be a part of my life how it used to be, and instead I’m working on living life intentionally each day as we raise our girls during these crazy times. 💕
2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦

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The Past

  • ►2019
    • ►April
      • Traveling During Pregnancy: First Trimester
  • ►2018
    • ►October
      • Campervan Iceland with Happy Campers
    • ►September
      • A Taste of German Tradition in Spreewald, Germany
    • ►August
      • Changes, Life in Germany: an Unpublished Year
    • ►March
      • A perfect stay at House of Bruges
    • ►January
      • An Overnight Layover in Singapore
      • A Day in Brugge, Belgium
  • ►2017
    • ►November
      • Switzerland on a Budget
      • Travel Guide to Krakow, Poland
      • Korcula Town to Stari Grad with MedSailors
    • ►October
      • Andronikos Hotel Mykonos
    • ►September
      • Sailing to Vis, Croatia
    • ►June
      • A Visit to Berchtesgaden, Germany
      • A Day in Oslo, Norway
    • ►May
      • Why it is Important to Blog for Yourself
      • Staycation at Hilton Palacio Del Rio
      • Oh Hi, We Moved to Germany
    • ►April
      • Norway in a Nutshell
  • ►2016
    • ►December
      • Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift
      • 36 Hours in Istanbul, Turkey
    • ►October
      • Visiting The World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival
      • One day in Mykonos, Greece
    • ►September
      • 10 Ways Alaska and New Zealand Are Remarkably Similar
      • Exploring the Alamo with Jord Watches
    • ►August
      • Exploring Kenai Fjords National Park with Major Marine Tours
    • ►May
      • Hiking Bodenburg Butte
    • ►April
      • 6 Tricks to Enhance your Images
      • Hatcher Pass with Pins To Kill
      • Monkey Forest, Ubud
    • ►March
      • Glamping Bali with Sandat Tents
      • Cruising Milford Sound
    • ►February
      • 5 Reasons to Book a Yacht Charter This Summer
    • ►January
      • Bali Cooking Class
      • Revisiting the Grand Mirage
  • ►2015
    • ►December
      • What to do in Mallorca, Spain
      • PNW Coast with Jord Wood Watches
      • Why Park City, Utah Should Be On Your Winter Bucket List
      • Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler and Expat
    • ►November
      • 24 hours in Wanaka
      • Finding and Photographing the Aurora in New Zealand
    • ►October
      • A Luxury Villa Stay in Mallorca, Spain
      • 20 more travel quotes you probably haven't heard before
      • Anniversary Getaway at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
      • 8 Must-Try Foods in New Zealand
      • Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
    • ►August
      • A Day in Ruedesheim
      • Living Expenses in New Zealand
      • A Romantic Stay at The Gangsa Private Villas
      • The Best Time of Day to Post on Instagram
      • 5 ways to encourage travel bloggers
      • A Luxurious Getaway at Samabe
    • ►July
      • The Other Half
      • An Adventure Tour through New Zealand
      • A Clean Slate
    • ►May
      • 5 Tips to Help Overcome Travel Anxiety
      • Staying at Sala Arun Bangkok
      • Fall in New Zealand
    • ►April
      • 6 lesser-known vacation spots you should definitely consider for 2015
      • Let's catch up.
      • Aurora Australis in New Zealand
      • Are You a Traveler or a Tourist?
      • 8 Things I Don't Like About Long-Term Travel
      • Maré, New Caledonia
    • ►March
      • 15 Blog Post Ideas for Travel Bloggers
      • 5 Reasons New Zealand Should Be On Your Bucket List
      • Finding a Place to Live in New Zealand
      • A Weekend Getaway at Kinross Cottages
      • Beachcomber Island, Fiji
      • How to Grow Your Travel Blog
    • ►February
      • Central Otago Wine Tour
      • The Best Times to Travel Internationally
      • Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
      • What 1,095 Days of Travel Has Taught Me
      • The Story Behind The Name
      • 10 Travel Quotes That Will Inspire You To See the World
      • Cruising Sydney Harbor
    • ►January
      • Let's Chat
      • The LIAL Guide to Seoul, South Korea
      • So You're Going on Your First Cruise...
      • Sunrise at St Clair Beach, Dunedin
      • 10 Ways to Save Money for Travel
      • New Years Eve in Sydney Harbor
      • What's In My Camera Bag
      • 2014-Our Year in Travels.
  • ►2014
    • ►December
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014 RESULTS
      • Travel Insurance: Yay or Nay?
      • Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography
      • And We're Off!!!
      • Yonderbound: Make Travel Planning a Breeze
      • Things All Expats Do But Won't Admit To
      • Wellington, New Zealand
      • 12 Songs for Your Travel Playlist
    • ►November
      • Why You Should Travel in 2015
      • Travel Blogging + Marriage
      • Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka, Japan
      • Things I Find Strange About New Zealand
      • Pearl Harbor
      • Five things you should do before you start traveling
      • Tunnel Beach, Dunedin
    • ►October
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014
      • Queens Park, Invercargill
      • The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers
      • The Lunar Eclipse
      • 10 Tips to Improve Your Photography
      • Minus 5 Ice Bar, Queenstown
      • Rain Boots or Wellies?
      • What Travel Means To Me
      • Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula
      • Real Life Friends
    • ►September
      • Moeraki Boulders
      • A Journey Through Middle Earth: Hobbiton
      • Thoughts
      • Travel Blogging Isn't for the Faint of Heart
      • Finding Work in New Zealand
      • Radio Silence
    • ►August
      • Campervan New Zealand
      • A Case for Travel Partners
      • Getting a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand
      • How to Survive Long-Distance Flights
      • 7 Tips to Help You Grow Your Instagram
      • Why Russell, New Zealand Should be on Your Travel Itinerary
      • 10 Things to See and Do While Visiting South Korea
      • New Zealand in Instagram Photos
    • ►July
      • Look Up
      • New Zealand Bucket List
      • Pros and Cons of Living in New Zealand (30 day edition)
      • The Suitcase Designs (New Look + Premades!!)
      • 6 of the best tropical destinations in Asia
      • Why New Zealand?
      • Not Captured on Camera
      • Pololu Valley, Hawaii
      • Thoughts On Living in a Campervan
    • ►June
      • Searching for Whale Sharks
      • Final Words on Korea
      • Moving Overseas? How to Get You and Your Belongings to Your Destination Country
      • Boracay, Philippines
      • Steel Wool Photography Tutorial
      • Things to Do in Phuket
      • Why We're Leaving Korea
      • We're Officially Announcing...
      • Living Expenses in Korea
    • ►May
      • What I Miss About Summer in the USA
      • Phuket Botanical Garden
      • Instagram Favorites
      • Monkey Beach
      • Sunburn Remedy: Instant Pain Relief and Overnight Healing
      • Change is Inevitable
      • The Negative Side to Travel
      • James Bond Island
    • ►April
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 3
      • Macro Photography Without A Macro Lens
      • 21 Household Tips and Tricks
      • Belated Blogiversary
      • Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival
      • Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
      • Pros and Cons of Living in Korea
      • Thoughts
      • Springtime in Geoje
      • 12 Tips on Night Photography
      • Sunday Night Market, Chiang Mai
    • ►March
      • Lately in Korea
      • White Temple, Chiang Rai
      • When Hotels Bite
      • Grand Palace, Bangkok
      • Living Minimalistically
      • Stay Out of Trouble While Traveling
      • Things Only Expats Understand
      • Maui Photo Session
      • Backpacking for 60 days
      • Long Neck Karen Tribe
      • Back Home
    • ►February
      • One Year of No-Poo
      • How to Travel Right out of College
      • Two Year Expat Anniversary
      • Valentine's Day
      • Lessons of Love (From Abroad)
      • Your Questions Answered: The Miscellaneous
      • Teaching ESL is Hard
    • ►January
      • Your Questions Answered: Expat Living
      • Tips on Moving Abroad
      • Blogging 101: When Blogging isn't Fun Anymore
      • What Not to Say to an Expat
      • Your Questions Answered: Travel
      • Initial Thoughts from the USA
  • ►2013
    • ►December
      • 2013-Our Year in Travels.
      • Geoje Sculpture Park
      • Christmas
      • Saturday's Thoughts
      • Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
      • Have I Changed?
      • Korea has Taught Me...
      • Not Home for the Holidays
      • Rokuon-ji (the golden temple)
      • I Need Your Questions!
    • ►November
      • A Post About My Hair
      • Thanksgiving: Through the Eyes of an Expat
      • Blogging 101: Time Management
      • Sandakan: River Adventure
      • How to Photograph Fireworks
      • A Recent Blog Design
      • Chuo Ward, Japan
      • Search Terms for the Win
      • Miss/Don't Miss (part 2)
    • ►October
      • Blogging 101: Using Pinterest to Maximize your Blogging Potential
      • Busan International Fireworks Festival
      • Geisha Town [Kyoto After Dark]
      • Confessions of an Expat
      • Korea: Where Random Situations Rule (on Twitter)
      • Jinju Lantern Festival
      • Quarter of a Century
      • Capture the Colour 2013
      • Do You Have Fur On Your Legs?
      • Simply Just Blogging
    • ►September
      • [Japan] Fushimi Inari Shrine
      • Homeless for Half a Month
      • I Don't Understand
      • Looking for Saltwater Crocodiles
      • Blogging 101: Advice
      • Saturday Takeover: Misadventures in Japan
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 2
      • Expat Blues
      • Snorkeling Borneo
      • LASIK in Korea? You must be kidding.
      • 500,000? That's a Big Number
      • Finding Home
      • [BORNEO] Sunsets and Coconut Water
    • ►August
      • Guess We Didn't Get the Memo
      • Korea Doesn't Care About Miley
      • Step Into My Life
      • Blogging 101: The Sponsor Game
      • Don't Get Mugged
      • Introducing...(aka HUGE NEWS)
      • Three Years Ago the Wedding Bells Rang
      • Let's Talk About 'No Poo' (FAQ 2)
      • We're Back!
      • As of Now...
    • ►July
      • Why I'm the Worst Traveler Ever
      • How To Be a Tourist in Asia
      • It Wasn't That Long Ago...
      • Blogging 101: Wordpress Plugins
      • Lately [10]
      • 30 day challenge
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 1
      • Weird Wednesday (7/17)
      • The temple on the sea
      • I love bloglovin!
      • A saturday photo session
      • Friday Funnies {7}
      • A game of charades (aka everyday life)
      • Blogging 101
      • The collective social blog hop
      • This one goes to the cats
      • This holiday we call the 4th of july
      • The good, the bad, and the ugly
      • Island camping: it's pretty nice
    • ►June
      • Friday Funnies {6}
      • Recipe: blt stuffed avocado
      • Using the shadows
      • Friday Funnies {5}
      • Camping with the locals (expat level: expert)
      • Lately [9]
      • 'No poo' frequently asked questions
      • Would you like to know? [3]
      • Friday Funnies {4}
      • Thanks for having a birthday buddha
      • Weird Wednesday 6/12 + Sponsor Spotlight {june} pt.2
      • No gym membership required
      • Friday funnies {3}
      • Would you like a cup of tea with that? (Boseong)
      • Korea: the country where random situations rule
    • ►May
      • Friday Funnies {2}
      • Lately [8]
      • Weird Wednesday (5/30)
      • Things I wish I had known...part two
      • Seoraksan favorites
      • Lately[7]
      • Friday Funnies (LINK-UP!)
      • I STILL Don't Use Shampoo
      • Weird Wednesday (05/22)
      • The thing about 'selfies'
      • Latey [6]
      • Would you like to know? [2]
      • Green smoothie: grapefruit
      • The time we went to an adult playground
      • Lately [5]
      • Things i wish i had known...
      • Breakfast in seosan
      • Lately [4]
      • Hakdong (pebble) beach
    • ►April
      • Why would i say that?
      • Recipes: fish tacos
      • Lately [3]
      • Would you like to know?
      • Weird Wednesday (4/23)
      • Friend connect bloghop
      • .org vs .com and how I almost lost it
      • Cocoppa: an ocd iphone lover's dream
      • Lately [2]
      • The candid series: busan
      • For every woman
      • DIY Lip Balm
      • Lately
      • Of 'Weird Wednesdays' and liebster awards
      • Recipes: boneless bbq chicken
      • Shopping habits
      • Out with the old...
      • I'm attracted to attractions
      • Preparing for war
      • Recipes: cheddar garlic biscuits
      • The purple mountain (Mt. Daegeumsan)
    • ►March
      • Weird Wednesday (03/27)
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part two)
      • The dentist.
      • I don't use shampoo
      • Weekly photo challenge: my korean happy meal
      • Fireworks + friends = epic
      • Thirty-three reasons why I love my job.
      • Japan: land of the rising sun
      • So...you want to be an ESL teacher?
      • Weird Wednesday (03/06)
    • ►February
      • Bored on a thursday night?
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part one)
      • The time i went to north korea (DMZ)
      • Weekly photo challenge: forward
      • A trip to the bamboo forest
      • Year one
      • Be mine
      • French press lattes
      • Weird Wednesday (02/13)
      • The bet we made with the boys
      • [Vietnam] last day in paradise
      • [Vietnam] $10 dollar scooters and free spray tans
      • Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique (Dr. Seuss)
    • ►January
      • Weird Wednesday (01/30)
      • I practice my hobbies on saturdays...
      • Weird Wednesday (01/23)
      • [Vietnam] the time i ate sea urchin
      • The candid series: farmer's market
      • [Vietnam] landing in paradise
      • Weird Wednesday (01/16)
      • 5D
      • [Vietnam] a morning in the bay
      • Weird Wednesday (01/09)
      • [Vietnam] in silent waters
      • [Vietnam] of busy streets and great food
      • Weird Wednesday (01/03)
  • ►2012
    • ►December
      • Dear santa...love, an expat.
      • Delicate
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer pt.2
      • Recipes: grandma knows best
      • I've become domesticated.
    • ►November
      • Weekend reunions
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer
      • They deserve it the most...
      • Three quarters.
      • 11/11
      • Halloween: 'korean style'
    • ►October
      • I wish I were...
      • Foreign
      • Sorry if i'm rude, i'm american.
      • Expat resources
      • As the days get colder
      • Big
      • Colors of change
      • Chuseok
      • 24
      • Top ten
      • Jasmine: not the tea or the disney princess.
      • Where do i get it? 10/4
    • ►September
      • six months plus.
      • [Bali] late night cruisin'
      • [Bali] water adventure day
    • ►August
      • Grand mirage...a piece of paradise. [bali]
      • The first of many [bali].
    • ►July
      • The dirtiest people i've ever seen
    • ►June
      • Its not always about the pictures.
      • Yeosu world expo. Basically the coolest event i've ever been to.
    • ►May
      • Seoul. It's beautiful chaos.
    • ►April
      • When did time escape me?
    • ►March
      • That BBQ Chicken...
      • Sick Days...
      • Busan
    • ►February
      • Of food and other things.
      • The Journey Over
      • The Grand Adventure
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Currently on Instagram

Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays, but the ones we get to take are oh so sweet. 

My daughters are now 2.5 years and 6 months old. Life never slows down, but only gets faster with each day we’re blessed to live. Social media may not be a part of my life how it used to be, and instead I’m working on living life intentionally each day as we raise our girls during these crazy times. 💕
2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
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