With not much time invested and an afternoon to kill in Amsterdam, my first post will be a little short.  A very easy, uneventful flight across the pond was highlighted by an absolutely delightful photographer named Miriam.  Limited by a rare degenerative disease, she's been forced to live her life with a stainless steel walking stick.  Sitting on a plane for 6 hours with her, however, I was able to see the woman without seeing the disease.

Her zeal for life and passion for photography were palpable.  We talked about cooking and our families, shared our life stories, and offered each other both words of encouragement as well as suggestions for the future.  She captures images at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. and said no matter what type of day it's been, she looks around and realizes it could be much much worse.  This constant reminder, coupled with the difficult "black and white" life choices that come from the nature of her handicap classifies her opinion as "one of a kind".  Perhaps she has forgotten about me, or might not have felt influential, but I will not quickly forget her kind words and refreshingly unique perspective.

Thank you Miriam, you are beautiful inside and out.  Keep shooting.

Interestingly, right before I got onto the plane during a phone call to old friends, I was reminded to let go of my focus on the destination.  If you sit around and say, "I can't wait to get there", both in an airport or in life, you loose sight of what is in front of you.  The journey of life is meant to be experienced here and now.  So, embrace the moment.  Look around and say hello to a stranger, you never know when they will change your life.

I'M IN HOLLAND FOR SURE!!!

The "friend of a friend"'s flat I am currently in

The view everywhere in Amsterdam