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Fresh Year, Fresh Start

Image | | Tammy Fong

It’s time for another revamp because new year, new blog right? Again, this year, I am going to try and be more consistent and really put this blog to use and capture and share my travels.

2018 was all in all a great year filled with a lot of travels, great food, great company, The beginning of the year started off a bit rough but eventually, we got through it and grew from it. 2019 is another new year for new experiences, new travels and continuing my growth, personally and professionally.

Towards the end of last year, I decided to take a stab at photography professionally. I have always loved photography and shot as a hobby, but because I never thought my work was good enough per my standards, I never thought to pursue it and monetize it.

However, at the end of 2018, I felt stuck and stagnant professionally and I thought to myself, ‘What is stopping me? What do I have to lose?‘ and I found courage within myself to decide to just start my freelance photography business. I’m not going to lie, it was extremely scary, and during the whole journey of planning and executing, there were multiple occasions that I had just wanted to quit because of the self-doubt I had. However, once I started, the momentum didn’t stop and I felt alive. I felt like I had found a new sense of purpose and I found something that I loved to do and was pursuing it.

That in itself made 2018 a great year for me overall. I ended the year by stepping out of my comfort zone and it allowed me to grow and for that, I am grateful.

Looking forward to 2019 and another year of growth and new experiences.

 

Cheers!

Eurotrip In The Works..

Image | | Tammy Fong

Apologies for not updating recently.. but life has been busy and planning has been busier. I’ve got a major trip coming up.. any guesses?!

E U R O P E !

I went to London for the first time last summer and I will be going again this summer, and venturing into other countries including France, Switzerland and Italy. I am beyond excited and cannot wait to share my adventures!

Planning this trip has been.. intense with a ton of research what with trying to figure out their transit system, accommodations and just places we’re going to be visiting but I’ll give y’all a hint.. Swiss Alps and the Dolomites!

Once we finalize our itinerary a bit more, I’ll share it so if any of you are ever planning an intro eurotrip, you have somewhere to start with! Or, if any of you have ever been, please share some tips! We’ve booked most of our Airbnbs, or at least requested to book, and we’ve booked our rental car for that drive to Italy from Switzerland.. and we’ve booked our trains to and from the different countries but not within the Alps.. so, any suggestions welcomed!

Until then..

Recommendations and Updates

| Tammy Fong

You know what I miss? Reading a good book.

I’ve read several books this year so far (I think.. I know I’ve read at least 2-3) but really, I need some recommendations.

I recently finished an oldie: A Wrinkle In Time and I’m currently re-reading The Phantom Tollbooth.

But I want to get my next book ready so please, if you have any recommendations, leave a comment!

If you guys need some recommendations, I definitely recommend Mitch Albom books, a few of them really helped changed my perspective of things; kind of allowed me to see the world just slightly differently and in a more positive manner and that’s what we all need right?

Anyways, happy Monday, the week is ALMOST over, haha!

 

TTFN!

P.S. If anyone cares, I’m currently in the process of editing my Canada and Utah/Wyoming photos so hopefully I’ll be able to share them with you soon!

4th of July Weekend

| Tammy Fong

Happy birthday, America!

I’m so excited that I will be heading off to Canada for the first time this next week. I’m even more excited to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and to visit their national parks (yay for free entrance during their 150th year)!

I’m also excited to get to shoot again; my camera has just been sitting in my room every time I’m home and not on a trip. Definitely looking forward to capturing some beautiful shots of Canada.

Can’t wait to share with you all! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! Stay hydrated (insert water emoji here).

 

TTFN!

Colorado Street Bridge (Suicide Bridge)

| Tammy Fong

I’ve seen so many photos of the infamous Pasadena Suicide Bridge and have driven over it ONCE in my life (even though I live like minutes away) and I have always wanted to take photos on the bridge itself but never knew how to find it until one night recently, I decided to make it a mission to find it. My friend Aaron and I set out around 10:00 PM to find the bridge and practice shooting and we got lost a few times. The first time, we ended up UNDER the freeway next to the bridge and the second try, we ended up being really far on the other side of it. Finally, I was able to find a blog that gave me more clear instructions on how to find the bridge.

If you’re going North on Orange Grove, you’ll want to turn LEFT onto Green St. (I know Green St. normally only goes one way East, but on this side of Pasadena, it will allow you to make a LEFT. This is right next to the freeway entrances.

After you make a LEFT onto Green St. you’ll want to turn RIGHT (dead end street), and just park anywhere. This should be in front of the Maxwell House. The walkway to the bridge will be right behind you, very accessible and easy to find!

I’m so glad I was able to finally find the bridge and walk on it. This bridge is beautiful in person; just the history behind it is a bit saddening. Anyway, here’s a few shots from that night. I can’t wait to go back and practice shooting more.

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TTFN!

Oh Wonder

| Tammy Fong

I started listening to Oh Wonder early last year and I fell in love with Technicolour Beat. I would put the song on repeat for an hour and just listen to it over and over. When they had their concert in Los Angeles last year, I could not attend for whatever reason I can’t remember right now but I remember hella regretting it, so this year, when I saw that they were touring in LA again, I made sure I got tickets.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Their show was amazing; their voices were so beautiful and angelic and I enjoyed the concert so much!! I can’t wait for them to come to LA again next year. If you haven’t listened to them before, I definitely recommend them. Some of my favorites are:

Technicolour Beat
Lifetimes
Ultralife
Without You
Landslide
My Friends

Anyway, hope you enjoy my photos from the concert!

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TTFN!

Hiatus

| Tammy Fong

Hello everyone! So sorry for the short hiatus but I’ve been so lazy to edit photos and so swamped with work and other priorities..

Anyways, short recap of what’s been happening:

  • I visited Chicago early March (which I will blog about soon, with photos hopefully)
  • I visited San Francisco late March
  • Had Spring Break even though I’m not in school but I teach so they had spring break, aka I had spring break haha
  • I’ve been spending a lot of time with family, celebrating birthdays and just relatives that visited
  • I’ve also spent some time working on my own personal projects
  • and last of all, I’ve been trying to read! I’ve made it a goal to read at least 10 books by years end. So far, I’m almost done with the first one haha slowly but surely right?

I’m settling into the new work week so hopefully I’ll have some photos edited and be able to share them with you guys!

 

TTFN!

Eaton Canyon

| Tammy Fong

Last year, I made it a thing to go hiking a lot, especially during the summer. That probably wasn’t the smartest choice considering how disgustingly hot it was last summer but hey, I got outdoors and got my workout in. This year, I finally went on my first hike and it didn’t happen until Feb 1. Little late but better late than never!

My friend Rachealyn and I were originally planning on hiking San Gabriel Peak but we weren’t really prepared so we opted for something more local and easy, hence Eaton Canyon! It’s a fairly short hike, very easy; kids and dog friendly!  There’s also a free parking lot with an extra dirt lot (if needed).

We’ve been getting a lot of rain recently so there was plenty of water in the streams and it made the hike a lot more fun than it usually is. Here are some photos from the hike, hope you guys enjoy!

Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, CA

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TTFN!

5 Ways To Stay Motivated Post-College

| Tammy Fong

It’s been more than 6 months since I’ve graduated college and I’ve got to admit, it’s not as glamorous as I envisioned it to be. I haven’t exactly started my “career” but I’m working on getting there and it’s really difficult. Prior to graduating, I knew it would be difficult but I didn’t anticipate how difficult it was going to be because I didn’t think I’d lack so much motivation and feel so ‘stuck’. When I finally realized this, I decided to re-prioritize and set achievable goals and in order to do that, I really had to figure out how to motivate myself. With that being said, I just wanted to share some of the ways I stayed motivated post-college or in general (and how you can, if you’re struggling)!

  • Figure out what you want to do with your life (within 3 years, 5 years, 10 years). Make a list, try things out, work in different industries. You’ll be able to narrow down what it is you really like and don’t like and you’ll have a start.
  • Figure out how to get into that industry, unless you’re already there, then good job! Figure out how to move up and what you need to do to move up. Maybe it’s to get a certification? More education? Network with people who can help you get your foot in the door.
  • Surround yourself with friends who will lift you up and push you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have friends who will support you no matter what, but you want friends who will push you and literally FORCE YOU out of your comfort zone. That’s the only way you’ll grow.
  • Work on yourself. Do self-reflections periodically and take care of your body, mind and soul. These will be the ones carrying you while you move forward so take care of them. Eat healthy and exercise several times a week. Spend time with family because that will really help boost your motivation (at least it does for me)!
  • Last but not least, check your goals periodically and move them around if you have to. Goals can change so don’t be scared of not achieving one and having to move it to a lower priority. As long as you’re working on moving forward, that’s all that matters.

I know this is a short list but it’s a lot of work already to even work through any of these. Let me know if they help you and if you have any suggestions on how you stay motivated, let me know!

TTFN!