Gone Fishing
Dear Faithful Blog Reader,
I’m terribly sorry that I haven’t updated since I moved to Prague. You see, it’s like this:
I want a simple life. And one of the biggest reasons I moved here is the strong determination I’ve adopted to map out a life for myself that isn’t lived behind this computer screen. So when I can avoid it, I do. Thus a lack of posting. Don’t feel that I don’t want to keep in touch, but I’d much rather communicate with my readers more directly at this phase instead of just sending my words out into the void. So find me on facebook, email me or call. And keep an eye out for postcards!
I’m not saying I’ll never post again (yet), but don’t bother checking for a while… ’cause I’m taking an extended vacation.
Sincerely, your loving wanderer,
CAT
| Posted in » 2009.
I’m not going to lie when I tell you that 2009 didn’t pan out like I thought it would when we entered into it one year ago today. My hopes and dreams at that time were much much different – I was going to have the best garden in town, my photo business was going to be hugely successful and make far more money than I did in 2008, and I even hoped to marry the wonderful man I loved and dated for 3.5 years. It’s funny to think back on that time, only one year ago. It was set up to be quite a big year. And it was. It was bigger and better than expected – even though not a single one of my expectations were met…
Milestones. In Review.
Well first off there was that whole economy thing that set my photo income numbers off right from the start.
My garden was ok, but things didn’t grow quite as vibrantly as I hoped.
Then I broke up with said ‘man I loved’ and entered into a brief period we will term ‘the dark night of the soul’.
Well that gets us about half way through the year, at which point my life became decidedly more amazing than it has ever been. Seriously. I blossomed out of all that into a wonderful period of change and hope where I was free to rethink what I wanted, what I was doing, and what my dreams for my life are.
So I took a month-long holiday in Spain – where I walked the most grueling and wonderful 630 kilometers through the northern part of Spain. I met the most amazing people and rethought everything. On the plane ride back I noted in my journal, “I have a strong feeling as we land, that I am coming back, only to say goodbye.”
Then I got back, established incredible friendships with friends here, packed out of my apartment at 740 Barnett St., and gave away my garden. Life as a nomad began.
My photo income numbers picked up – and while I didn’t make much more than 2008, I certainly didn’t make less.
I then headed to China for a month to do some photo work. Also, an incredible experience in a country a love deeply with more wonderful people.
I returned from that to close out the rest of the year here in Atlanta with previously mentioned incredible friends and have met even more individuals who I’ve grown to love. There are so many amazing people living in Atlanta and I’m starting to think I’ve been given the opportunity to meet the cream of the crop.
And that brings us to today. December 31st, 2009. My first 25 years of life behind me and an increasingly phenomenal life ahead. Even with the ups and downs, I wouldn’t have done any of it differently if I could.
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So with 2010 right around the corner, this is what I’ve got to look forward to:
I’m saying goodbye to Atlanta, like I thought I would on the return trip from Spain, to move to Prague, Czech Republic. I’m a nomad again and my life is going to continue to blossom as it always does in periods of change. I’m entering into the most promising year of my life yet with the support of all those wonderful friends I have here in Atlanta and all around the world.
So, Happy New Year from me! Here’s to 2010!
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Oh, and my new year’s resolution?
LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
And so the second quarter begins…
Where to start? I’ve been wanting to share my big news on this blog for a while now, but I can seem to abbreviate all I want to say about it into a manageable amount of text. My mom says I inherit this inability from my father…
You see, I want to use this blog as an avenue to explain all the things I’ve learned over the last year and let that serve to give you an understanding of my confident decision to make big changes in my life. Maybe I’ll eventually get in all into words, or maybe you’ll just have to trust me when I say that I’ve put a lot of thought into it.
So… I’m moving to Prague!
(Yeah, yeah – I’ve been talking about it for months, so if you’ve seen me, you are probably already sick of hearing about it already, but for those I see less often…)
I am moving there to work with a group of hostels in Prague. I’ll start out doing everything from reception, bartending and working with the marketing team doing some design and photography. I am so so excited about this opportunity and every part of the planning and interacting we done this far makes me confident that it is going to be really good fit. I’ll still be keeping up ‘Cat Norman Photography‘ minimally – maintaining a few travel clients and personal projects. I’ll be in the Czech Republic for at least the next few years, so please come visit! I leave the States in late February.
Šťastný nový rok! Happy New Year! I hope 2010 holds as much promise for you as it does for me!
