My Summer Bucket List

The hot days of summer are just beginning, and it is nice to realize that we have all this glorious weather ahead of us. Finally WE have the best days in our region, and I just want to soak all this in, the best way yet. And next year we will try to top what was "achieved" this summer. That's the plan! :)

I noticed that if I make a list of something, it does come true. Perhaps in reality it will take 2 or even 3 summers to do all of this, but eventually we will get to it!

So, here it is - my summer bucket list in no particular order:

• Lots of yummy weekend breakfasts with my hubby 
• Read a book entirely in the back yard
• Kayaking
• See my brother more often
• Patio dinners with with parents and grannies
• Beach day(s)
• Going out to a hot dogs and burgers place for dinner
• Drive-in movie
• Make my own preserves (from berries gathered on a farm)
• Camping with a tent
• Bonfire
• A day on a boat on a lake
• Biking for ice cream, and just biking
• Ice cream social for my neighbors
• Road trip with family
• Lazy days with no agenda
• Belarussian style bacon made over open fire
• Swimming in rivers and lakes
• Learn a few new summer soups and salads
• Sailing
• More photo-sessions with my friend, Yulia
• Hammock in our back yard
• Learn a new pie or cake
• A day in a pine forest to smell it and hear the wind in trees
• Spend quality time with my friends on a join vacation, even just in Belarus
• Visit my childhood summers village - Kopatkevichi, and stay there for at least a week
• Yoga in the park
• Running a half marathon
• Play badminton
• Watch our favorite movie with my friend; the movie we saw at least 20 times, when we were teens 
• Stroll night summer streets and avenues of Minsk
• Visit Cape Cod
• Go whale watching
• Pay a visit to the Pacific ocean along the West Coast
• Attend Ivan Kupala, Belarussian mid-summer holiday
• Fireworks
• Visit London and hear Adele in concert
• Hot air ballon ride
• Fly a kite
• Go fishing

I think this should be a good start. :)

Zero Gravity

Zero gravity is what I come home with after a vacation.

This is a state I am in right now, and will try not to lose this nothingness.

What caused this wonderful state of mind? Lots of time with my love - my husband, Punta Cana beaches and his Majesty, the Ocean. Added to this recipe were luscious jungle of the resort, simply made, scrumptious, almost home cooked meals, champagne in the morning, great two books to read. Mix all of these ingredients and you get zero gravity.

In zero gravity I am free from compulsory dependency on my phone, I stop hurrying from one "to do" to another, I pay attention to hear and now, and I can completely lose myself in watching the turquoise ocean. There is nowhere to be, nothing to do, nothing to worry about.

Gran Bahia Principe Ambar was a perfect place to stay, Paulo Coelho's Aleph was a perfect book to read (in addition to it and to counterbalance was Lemony Snicket's Austere Academy - a perfect birthday gift from my hubby), the ocean was the most beautiful shade of turquoise to soak in.

I will try to carry myself with zero gravity for as long as I can, and if something weights me down, I'll remember this feeling and will try come back to weightlessness.

Hola, Mexico!

I enjoy waiting for vacation as much as being on vacation, because everything is still ahead of us - so much time for each other, the sun, the ocean, flip-flops, good books, day trips to Maya pyramids, breakfasts, good time with friends, a wedding to photo-shot and  to dance at! ......

Any all-inclusive resort cares about their overworked guests a lot by providing very limited and very expensive internet access, so don't be too hopeful to hear more from me this week. Many stories and pictures to share when we are back, and for now a preview of this weekend's photo session.

It is amazing how much you learn with every new photo you take. I love this photo, but also see how I would retake it a little better. What do you think I have in mind?

Thoughts

I think our self awareness sometimes plays it gently and makes you realize your big life changes in very unexpected ways. Last year brought a lot of new: new place to live, new status to adjust. I knew these things happened factually, but in reality this all just hit me. Just now, really.

Driving home a minute ago I thought: I am driving home to MY OWN HOUSE, from a NEW house of my friend, waiting for a HUSBAND to come home... and, I am a go-to person for my PREGNANT friend, when her husband is not around.

Wow!

And yet, this ALL still doesn't make me feel like an adult. And, I hope, this will never change. :)

Changes, Spring, Goofiness ...

There is one fact you don't know about this blogger - she has been laid off!

It happened a month and a week ago and left me feeling a little strange in the beginning. I even cried a little. (Ok, I bawled my eyes out in the office of my biggest boss with a presence of a nice (not sarcastic remark) HR person). But the hard feelings went away very quickly, giving room to the spirit of opportunity and a good change. 

I am very much obliged to my then boyfriend (now known as husband :) making me listen to "Who Moved My Cheese?" one time, when we were on a wavy road heading to Hershey's, PA. I owe my swift transformation from despair to hopefulness and joy to this 45 minutes story. Several years ago I pointed it out to a very depressed colleague of mine when she was leaving our company. Strangely, she reappeared on Facebook just days ago with the following message: "I will never forget "Who Moved My Cheese?" THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU I appreciate it more than you may know."

Our beautiful Spring also helped out - I am enjoying no work situation, when everything is so bright, young, fragile and beautiful. I can't say there is a season I don't like - I really do love all of them,  but Spring is truly special: after all the snow is gone, spring steps into its powers so vivaciously, it takes my breath away every time.

Surely enough, good changes came along much quicker than I even expected: I am starting a new job soon, and it is going to be sweet - literally and figuratively! More things on career side of life on this blog soon, I promise!

For now, to end this post on a goofy note, here is how Andrey and I looked on outrageously warm April day:

I know, you are thinking - why "goofy"? Well, we look goofy to me in this picture. :)

I will: Maryana & Maksim

It is always special, when your friends are getting married. It is especially joyful to see two people clearly so good for each other to grow from being a girlfriend and a boyfriend to a bride and a groom-to-be! I remember the weekend we first met Maksim, I noticed a new glow to Maryana's already always bright personality. And, the frame of Maksim's arms around Maryana looked so good!!

There is another side to M&M: the guys visited us 2 weeks ago and from the minute they stepped into our house I stayed in bended over from laughter position pretty much the whole weekend - such a couple of comedians!

The bride and a groom graciously let me put them in front of the lens for a couple of hours, and since the weather didn't even think to cooperate, we took a stroll underneath the glass roof of Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. Next time you think this is a good place for a shoot, check the calendar and make sure that Easter bunny is not making appearances in the gardens - an oh-so-cute army of toddlers was a little bit of an obstacle for our romantic photo session. :)

Maryanka, Maksim - we are so exited to share your day with you at the end of the month in ..... Mexico!!

Maryanka, you are stunning!!

Portraits

We spent most of the last year making a million of choices from Buffalo neighborhoods to garters, candles, cakes and veils to bathroom tile.It left a little time for photography, but I managed to snap a photo here and there. Here is the recap, part 1: portraits - my friends and coworkers.

Kristie became my first victim, and this is a portrait from my very first photography session:

Toronto, Distillery District session with Tanya 

Coworkers

A mistake, but I like it