Being the last child of the family, I am certainly not the spoiled nor the dependent. The oldest child in the family, my sister, is old enough to be my mother, and most of the time, I lived under the jurisdiction of the older siblings who liked to tell me what to do. Generally speaking, I was obedient but it only meant that my rebellious cell had yet matured and I was brought up to show respect to the older.
I have always wanted to be a journalist, but I did not dare to enter that as my first choice for college. I did what would please my parents, became an English major. It was glamorous in my days (in my hometown) to be an English secretary fresh out of school or a flight stewardess who proudly spoke English in the air. How things have changed, and my dreams have been crushed many times.
Up to this point, I am barely close to doing what I want to do in my life, but gradually I got to do a few things that were just my dreams, big or small. I wonder what’s next when one dream becomes true, dream the next dream? When my life spam is going downhill and I still keep building my dreams uphill? I think the answer is YES! Dreams are timeless.
Among all pets, I only like birds. On my usual walk path, I heard this beautiful and crisp sound many times, but I could not figure out the owner of the voice. How can I miss this bird? I thought I am fully aware of the birds dwelling in our neighborhood. Maybe it is one of the birds I’ve known but I never heard their voice. Who are you, bird (it sounded like from one single bird)? I have heard you for months, show up and introduce yourself. Otherwise, I am going crazy.
A flock of sparrows flew for lives when one day I suddenly decided to walk a different path and they were apparently shocked by my unusual presence. Just sparrows, sparrows have been around since I was a child, no big deal. But, this bird landed on the brush by me, just 2 feet away and IT started to sing. OMG, can you believe it? Listen to its voice. This is exactly what I have been hearing for months. A little dream of mine just came true. It is the golden-crowned sparrow.
Scandinavia was only a geography term to me for more than six decades. It is not a common tourist destination, but I wanted to be there and this desire was getting stronger. My sister Grace has traveled around the world in the last 6-7 years and Scandinavia is one of the very few places she has not been. So, we made the trip and made my dream come true.
I love Norway. Though I could not take quality shots from our tour bus, I have since gone over the images tirelessly. I wish Norway is not so expensive and Oregon has fjords to enhance its beautiful nature.
In the past, I have often dragged about the thought of getting on a cruise. I thought I would rust my brain staring at the water and feel bound and restricted in a confined area. Endless food supply and dress-up formal nights are no temptation for me. But I was obsessed with this image I took.
This is exactly what’s missing a major part of my life. I always have a full schedule and I am always looking to do something. Confined in the ship, I was forced to nap and dream a few daydreams.
So many photographers shoot Space Needle. I am gaining interest to do night shots, but Seattle is not an easy destination for me, and I had no clue where to find the right spot for the shot. Thanks to my husband who maintained his ultimate patience while trying to find me this spot in Seattle. Getting around in Seattle and Los Angeles is surely a task. The bottom line is, that I got my first night shot of Space Needle. It is nothing spectacular, but I did it. It is the thrill of a dream come true that makes me excited like a little child.
By the time when you read this article, I am on my way to another journey, a trip that has been overdue and I wanted to do since a long time ago. I expect lots of photography opportunities if time permits, and I will surely share some with you.
I captured this airplane in the night sky on the way back from Seattle. I only had my 200mm in hand. The jet showed up so suddenly, that I was caught unprepared. Not a good shot, but it happens to well describe my current status: I am taking a long-distance night flight crossing the Pacific Ocean. I publish this post from my phone before I board the plane.
I am aiming for more journeys and therefore more discoveries, dream more dream and make dreams come true.
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