Ascent of the Soul
This image embodies my trip to Iceland and came to me before I ever set foot in the country.
Travel has a transformative power, and each of my international journeys has been a catalyst for personal change.
I've grown—spiritually, mentally, emotionally—with every stamp on my passport.
The hardest part about the trip wasn't the trip itself.
Instead, it was the emotional hurdle of leaving my family—my husband and son—behind.
In the eight years since my husband moved to the United States, we had never spent a night apart.
Similarly, since my son came into our lives six years ago, the thought of spending even a single night away from him was unthinkable.
I'm also the one who takes care of everything in the household.
So the thought of leaving the country for more than a week was... crippling.
Not to mention spending it with a bunch of people I'd never met, including people whom I truly looked up to.
This was a HUGE step for me.
I almost waited too long to buy my plane ticket, because of the fear, worry and anxiety.
But growth doesn't happen in your comfort zone.
I aspired to evolve—not just as an individual but also professionally as a pet photographer.
I yearned to broaden my horizons, to be touched by the artistry of the world.
To do that, I had to take the big, scary steps.
I had to confront and ascend my own mountain of fears and uncertainties.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
From the moment I knew this was one of the locations that we would be photographing in, I had this vision.
This. Exact. Photo.
Like a dream. Down to this exact dog.
You all know I'm into all the woo woo, spiritual stuff but when I saw this dog at the beach when we arrived, I got shivers down my spine.
I knew I had to create the image I had seen.
The vision of me overcoming my fears in Iceland.
It almost didn’t happen.
I specifically asked for a chance to work with this dog at the end.
Everyone was happy I did.
The moment she got up there, I could see it coming true.
Then she did it.
Luna sat and looked up the cliffs, exactly as I had imagined it.
If she had been standing, it wouldn’t have been the same. Had she perked her ears up, the emotion wouldn’t be the same.
Instead, she was sitting, as if unsure how to proceed up the mountain. Ears back with hesitation and worry.
Exactly how I had felt before the mountain of uncertainty that was this trip.
This was one of the very last photos I took in Iceland. The perfect conclusion to the trip.
Reflection by the Lakeside
When we returned to Eirð Retreat, we all set out to do a reflection exercise to think back on the past week.
They encouraged us to find a quiet space to think and reflect.
I walked my own path through the tall grass down to the lakeside, sat beside the water listening to the wind (and the sheep in the distance), and cried.
I cried long and hard, till my chest hurt and my heart was wide open.
The universe provides for those willing to take the big, scary steps. To walk the path that it’s laying before them.
Because I was willing to walk that path, I had undergone such immense growth, experiencing a journey that revitalized my mind, body, and soul in ways I hadn't even anticipated.
Thanks to that transformation, because I was able to overcome those fears, it was so much easier for me to say YES to New Zealand next year.
And I can’t wait to see how that trip will change me, too.
Have you ever experienced a moment of transformative growth?
Share in the comments!