Recognition & Gratitude: A pause on this journey

Yesterday evening I had a moment of recognition. I had managed to find myself the perfect placement in a very comfortable nook (you know the spot, where you are nice and cuddly but at the same time not tilting your neck so much that you won't be able to turn your head for hours after you get up) and reading up on this industry I love so much. It was a very simple moment. Nothing else was going on except the "owner" of said nook feeding his addiction to a balloon popping game while I read. :) While some might find this a lack-luster evening at home, I found it to be ideal. No TV, no cell phones, just two people relaxing in each other's company.My recognition caused me to pause and be grateful for I found myself to be perhaps just an arms length away from the goal I set out to achieve when I moved back to Chicago in 2010. A goal then I wasn't even fully aware I had.I'm sharing my love of photography & ability to capture priceless fleeting moments with awesome couples while keeping time to share life with amazingly supportive friends and family. Just yesterday I was talking with one of the fabulous volunteers at Flashes of Hope about the portrait fundraiser I'll be running before Mother's day (stay tuned & get excited!) and upcoming events I'll be capturing for their outstanding organization. Getting involved with volunteering and social justice work again was a goal I had set for the end of 2012 after an inspiring time at Pictage's PartnerCon this past November and it's happening before May.It's no secret that my move back to Chicago has not always been easy but as I sit in a beautiful studio I'm lucky enough to call my own, I know those 3:30am barista shifts were worth it. The light at the end of the tunnel is near and no longer is it a threat of a train barreling thru my unknown, but the soft warm constant light of the sun.  Thank you to all who have walked along this journey, all who continue to, and all who will one day.