Capturing Life

I have always been obsessed with taking pictures. In High School before digital cameras were popular, I always had those disposable cameras that you had to wind up and press the button for the flash. When I would be walking to class and saw a friend I would stop them to take a picture and I would get SO pumped to go and get the pictures developed. You see way back when, you never knew if you got a good shot.
I got my first digital camera at the end of High School and it was the COOLEST THING EVER. I know my parents spend a good couple hundred bucks on it and it had the tiniest screen-but to me it was magical. I could see what pictures I had captured and zoom in and even delete the ones that were bad! Since then I only used disposable cameras for tubing trips because I was that person that wanted to capture EVERYTHING!

I finally upgraded my simple first digital camera (probably one of the first ever made digital cameras with tiny screen) to the well known brand of Canon. I got this camera because I was going to Europe after graduation and was going to need to practice with it first. It is amazing what a camera can pick up and remember for you with the blink of a flash and the press of a button.

Looking at this picture makes my heart race and it takes me back to where I was three years ago. Standing underneath one of the most beautiful structures in the world. I can still feel the breeze, I can hear people talking and I remember feeling that giddy-ness because I was going to go up it.

 When I look back at this picture I can feel the heat. I was just talking about this day with my friends, Allison and Jessica. Saying how we have never been to hell and back but this was the closest we have come. This was probably the most dehydrated I had ever felt-Climbing the Acropolis in Athens. This is not even the Acropolis! This is like the first mini climb on marble(which I did in sandals). I remember taking this picture and thinking "Oh man, I hope I can get through this!" It was totally worth it in the end.

Pictures take you back and I often get made fun of because I want to take pictures of everything. I have 144 albums on Facebook and endless amounts of camera cards. I know why I take pictures and I have said it out loud. I take picture to capture life and also to remember. 

To remember how the music sounded. 

To remember how little they once were.

To remember that overpowering love and joy your friend has for their first child. 

To remember  what is important in life.

To remember what I am passionate about. 

To remember how beautiful it was. 

You may feel weird carrying around a camera all the time, but you will not regret it when you look back on them years from now. Take pictures of everything! You only have one wild and precious life to live so make it worth it and document it along the way.