Summer in Constanta

I was glad to get to Constanta in time for a BBQ with all the base staff, some friends and volunteers. The weather was perfect! Lots of community time and catching up, good food, games and lots of laughter.

It was great to attend a women’s event while in Constanta, visiting and catching up with some of my friends.

It was amazing to see the community center pretty much finished!!! I was able to see it from the beginning, when we were praying over the building until now.

I learned how to make a flat white. I still need some more practice with my latte art!! Some thought it looked like a sea turtle while I thought it was more of a melted marshmallow or abstract art.

I always had fun with the kiddos!! I helped with photographing at the yearly summer day camp one of the weeks.

Every other week I volunteered my time with cooking lunch for the DTS students and staff. Most days I cooked, we had around 15-20 people. It reminded me of my Teen Missions days when I would cook for 30 people.

The kids at YWAM CT always make me laugh!!

Enjoying some of the weekly base worship time.

The board I brought to Constanta back in 2021 is still going strong!! The kids still enjoy riding it.

Summer in Budapest

I was so excited to be a part of the new communication team at YWAM Budapest. We spent days brainstorming new ideas of how to reach the younger generation through social media. We created a lot of reels that we have used on Instagram. I felt real comfortable with this team, like I’ve worked with them for years.

A couple weeks into my trip I got to be a part of larger group, walking around the city evangelizing. We as YWAM Budapest went out as a smaller team, telling others about Jesus and inviting them to Selah Coffee House for Friday night music.

We had the privilege to hear some amazing testimonies and mission stories from Hank Young, who pioneered and started YWAM Budapest years ago. His two daughters stayed and volunteers for one month.

I love when we had creative worship time to express ourselves with the talents God has given us.

I made a new friend while on shift at Selah, Fafa!!

During one of my shifts, I took time to capture some close up shots of the baristas and their latte art!! They are super talented.

With the help of my friend David, we created the “Cory” (pictured above). It’s a shaken hazelnut espresso with oat milk. And I could really go for another one right about now!!

I also was able to help out and bless the sandwich run ministry, bringing food and love to the homeless around Budapest. Some weeks we were were smaller team and other weeks we had so many volunteers that we sent out 5 groups of people.

I had the opportunity to support my friend Hanna at her Hungarian folk dancing recital.

My friend Shannon (YWAM Budapest staff) and I spent an afternoon visiting some local museums.

A bunch of the Americans got together at one of the staff’s houses for a 4th of July party!! We were over 20 Americans celebrating the 4th. Some of us went by train to get there (around an hour from the city). It was a fun filled day with a BBQ, s’mores, lots of food, water balloon fights and ending the night with some show tunes!! Thank you Laser family for the fun day!!

Creative portraits

I love having the opportunity to photograph whatever is in my mind. Using my creativity alongside my photography brings me joy.

The Bruintjes Family

It’s always fun to photograph the Bruintjes family over the years, especially since their family has grown since our last photo session.

These two together are the cutest!

Thanks for the smiles and laughter you guys!!

A S L A N

I could just leave these pictures here, without words and you could just soak in this cuteness overload. I had the privilege to photograph my friend’s sweet baby, Aslan while in Constanta.

He is the sweetest little one and was such a model for his session.

I’ve known Madi and Giuni since 2021 when I first traveled to Romania. At that time, they were just dating. While I was there that year though, I photographed their surprise proposal. Of course I went back in 2022 and photographed their wedding. And now their firstborn. I love being able to document their life’s precious moments over the years.

Auntie Cory loves you sweet Aslan!!

In a field of poppies

My friends wanted to get some new family photos and asked if was up for an adventure. Of course I said yes. I love photo shoots and adventures!!

A few days prior to our session they had passed by this huge field of poppies and thought it would be a great spot for photos at dusk. The adventure part came in when we didn’t know exactly how to get to the field by foot. We parked and walked around 5 minutes and came up to the field.

We didn’t realize how tall the poopies grew though, they were higher than my waist.

With all the adventures on this photo shoot, they turned out amazing and have become my favorite.

Thank you Harder family for all the adventures in the poppy field!!

Dublin // Ireland

I spent my last two days in Ireland exploring Dublin with a friend of mine. To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite city I’ve visited but it was really cool to explore the city. It was nice to spend time with my friend and catch up with her and eat some good food!

Just in those two days I was able to see a lot and get some pretty fun shots of Dublin.

I love capturing shots of the different types of transportation wherever I travel to.

Abbeys of Ireland

During my week in Ireland for my writers retreat, we took a field trip one of the days to some of the local abbeys and some coastal areas.

This area of Ireland is so beautiful and majestic. I hope to get back again and spend more time exploring around the area.

As we started out that mooring it was a bit dreary and overcast but later on during our travels, the sky cleared up for us.

It was super windy this day on the coast but I still could have stayed all day, watching the waves crash over the rocks.

Rosses Point // Ireland

When I arrived in Rosses Point, my jaw dropped with the beauty that was surrounding me. I also thought to myself, this place is like a Wes Anderson movie.

The Friday before leaving Enniscrone, a few of my friends were headed to Rosses Point so I tagged along. We were just there around 20 or 30 minutes, but plenty of time to capture some beautiful images of the place.

“This is an adventure.” Steve Zissou, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

I loved coming across all the different colors around Rosses Point, even the hand railing and trash can.

“You don’t know me, you don’t want to know me…I’m just a character in your stupid film.” Ned Plimpton, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

It was a bit windy that day but seriously so gorgeous.

Ballina // Ireland

While at my writers retreat in Enniscrone, I had the chance to explore Ballina for a bit. Some friends of mine were going grocery shopping for an hour, so I tagged along and walked around town a bit. I was so glad I did!

I loved coming across so many colorful doors on the houses and buildings. A lot of the buildings, homes, businesses were similar in color but you could tell them apart by the color of their door.

I love everything about this photo above. I love the beautiful blue sky with clouds, the sun falling on the street/building ever so softly and the gentleman walking up the hill.

If you are familiar with my photography work as of late, I love finding colors!! And these houses made me very happy.

Next time I’m visiting my friend in Enniscrone, I hope to get back to Ballina and explore more parts of the town.

Enniscrone // Ireland

A week in Enniscrone, along the coast of Ireland is the perfect place for a writer’s retreat. I was surrounded by eleven other creatives, nestled in a cute house with a Barbie pink door. I was able to really take time to focus just on my book and writing, which was really needed. I hadn’t been able to work on it that much over the last couple of months. I read through it and worked on the layout with fresh new eyes.

The weather that week was full of strong winds and some rain, making it a bit easier to stay indoors to write and create.

There were times though when I needed to clear my head and I braved the wind to get a glimpse of the sea. It was only a short walk down to the water. My bedroom window actually had a view of the sea in the distance, along with a field where sheep or goats grazed at times.

On the last day in Enniscrone, the sky cleared up and we had some beautiful weather. I was able to walk around the Main Street of town and see a little nit more of this adorable town.

One week in Enniscrone wasn’t really enough for me, so I hope to be back for another visit one day.

Beaches of California

The California beaches are home for me. I’ve been to many beaches but the ones back home hit different. I grew up near some amazing places and went there often as a kid: Morro Bay, Los Osos, Pismo Beach, etc. Whenever I’m back visiting family, I try to get to some of my favorite spots.

San Diego

San Diego

On this last trip back in October/November, I got to visit numerous ones. I hadn’t been to San Diego in around 4 years, so it was fun to see some of those places again.

San Diego

San Diego

San Clemente

It had been a while since I’ve passed through or stayed in San Clemente. Though this stop was pretty short, I could see my cousin, see my favorite pier and capture a few photos.

San Clemente

San Clemente

San Clemente

San Clemente

Huntington Beach

I think that last time I walked along Huntington Beach pier was when Ruby’s Diner was at the end. This new place has some pretty cool colors though, loved the vibe.

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach

desert living // California

The California desert might be dry, the summers are hot, the winters can be pretty cold but it’s a beautiful place. I go from time to time to visit family and love exploring as many of the areas as I can. I came across this really cool old gas station turned store in Joshua Tree. They were still doing some work outside, but they said it was fine to walk around and grab some shots. I stopped by there again the day before leaving the desert to get some more photos of the cool orange car.

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

Yucca Valley

There’s really a lot of cool places in this area. Besides Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, in the middle you have Yucca Valley, Desert Springs, and the cool Pioneertown.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs is one of my favorite places to photograph when I’m in the desert. There are so many fun and vibrant colored buildings and signs. I enjoy exploring new areas but I also like stopping by my go to places as well. One of my spots is the Saguaro hotel. I love all the colors of the building. I hop out of the car and take a walk around the entire hotel, taking a new set of photos from the previous trips.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs

Palm Springs

Palm Springs

Disneyland // California

Disneyland might be full of people, lots of crowds almost every time I go, but it’s also one of my happy places. Disney always brings me so much joy when I’m walking around: the sites, the rides, unique food and the shops. It brings up fun memories of going all the time when I was a kid. Growing up on the Central Coast of California, we started going to Disneyland at a young age.

This trip I brought my Fujifilm camera and tried to get as many photos as I could, in between rides and eating. There are so many cool spots around each land, each one is different and unique.

I love walking down Main Street, I want to live there. The colors you find on this street are so bright and colorful. Some of my family were shopping so I decided to walk up and down the street, capturing all the little shops. I wanted to get images without people, so sometimes I had to wait a bit in between those passing by.

It would be cool to just spend a whole day or even half a day of just walking around the parks alone, photographing everything around me. Whenever I am at the parks, I try my best to take as many as I can in the time that I’m there.

The day I walked through Galaxy’s Edge for the first time, my jaw dropped and I wanted to move right in. This place is beyond magical. It feels like you are walking through a scene in a Star Wars movie. My family and I were talking over lunch while in the parks, asking each other which land would we ever want to work in. My first choice would definitely be Galaxy’s Edge.

DCA // California

Taking photos of trash cans is my thing from time to time but especially in Disneyland/DCA. Trash cans in the parks are just super cool, colorful and bright. I love how they are all unique to their land or area in the parks.

I hadn’t seen the new area of San Fransokyo Square until this trip. I loved all the new things added and the colors. They also had some amazing food in this area; some of use enjoy tacos and others some birria ramen.

Disneyland park is my favorite of the two, but it was fun to see the Avenger’s Campus over in DCA. We arrived just in time to see Spider-Man out and about, showing off some of his tricks.

I love walking around the parks and photographing things you don’t always notice or look at when you’re at Disney. I like getting the close up shots that could have been taken anywhere. The colors and tones at Disney are amazing and super photogenic, making it so easy to capture its beauty.

Photographing during the day is my favorite but Disney at night is a lot of fun with all the lights around. Strolling through Cars Land at night is my favorite spot.

The Black Sea Coast // Romania

Looks like paradise, right? This place can be magical. I remember when I first saw the Black Sea Coast in 2021. I was staying just a couple blocks away so I went down there as often as I could, which was a lot. For whatever reason (maybe because I wasn’t living as close) I didn’t venture down there as much as before. The times I found myself down there, whether it was for a quick walk, sitting and watching the waves or walking in the sand, it filled me with peace. The ocean, beach, the coast is one of my happy places.

Summertime in Constanta can be pretty busy on the beaches. Full of lounge chairs, umbrellas, bars, playgrounds, blow up bounce houses, volleyball courts and a lot of people. Every so often I was there right before the crowds arrived or at the end of summer when it was dying down. I really enjoyed both of those moments, when it was really busy or when it was more calm. I kind of enjoyed the chaos during the summertime. I would walk along the beach and watch all the interactions going on around me. There would be so many families or individuals lying in the sun, playing in the water, eating food and having fun.

This photo above was along the waters of Mamaia beach. It was in an area I would explore from time to time but didn’t go down by the water too often. The day was a bit overcast but I noticed these colorful and unique paddle boats, wanting to capture them up close. There were a few of these all lined up to rent and take out on the water. Not sure if this is the type of boat I would want to go on, but seems fun for kids. You paddle out, climb the ladder and slide right in the water.

Tomis Port // Constanta

Tomis port in Constanta was one I visited frequently. The bigger main port was on the other side of town but this one was more quaint and easy to get to. It’s located right next to Old Town, which I went to often, so I would walk down the steps and walk along the port some days. Some days I would notice boats that I saw from the previous years of traveling through this port.

I mainly went during the day but there was a time or two, along with friends, we walked around at night to see all the boats lit up. Seeing the boats at night was cool, but I enjoyed walking around during the day, especially if the sky was blue, filled with some clouds.

I remember spotting this little submarine back in 2022, possibly 2021 (can’t remember). It was at night, when I was walking around with a friend. My first thought was, that would be super creepy to venture out in that thing at night time. Even in the daytime it might be, as I have a hard time being in something inclosed underwater. It does photograph quite well though.

My favorite walk down the port though was this day, when I found this cute yellow boat. I couldn’t stop taking photos of it. Would love to have seen the inside, if it was as cute.

CT // RO

I first visited Constanta in 2021 for three months and fell in love with an amazing community there that have become like family. Each time I go there to work and visit my friends, I always love taking photo walks, trying to find new spots to photograph. Some days were spent going back to places that became my favorite over the years.

I walked by this spot multiple times during my stay, as I walked down to the Black Sea. This one day though the sun was shinning on it at just the right time, giving some cool shadows along the wall.

I love finding the unique spots, new spots, ordinary and different places as I travel. This building in the photo above was one of those new spots. It was in an area where I have explored before, but either I missed it before or it’s just a really new building. I loved the layers the building brought with the faux trees spread throughout each level.

This bright colored building was part of the huge store Hornbach (like a Home Depot or Lowes). A friend of mine needed to grab a few things and since I had my camera with me, I decided to just roam around the parking lot and capture this bright and colorful place.

One of the places I would explore as well is down by the large port, along the Black Sea Coast. I would sometimes start from the large port, walking along the coast and end up at the small port Tomis which is right next to Old Town.

Dresden // Germany

When Carey and I were in Prague, we decided to take a day trip to Dresden since it wasn’t very far. We left early one morning and took the train, which took around two and a half hours. As we traveled by train, it looked so gloomy and cold out. By the time we arrived in Dresden it was overcast and cool but at least it wasn’t raining.

On the way we were trying to find a nice place to have lunch while we were there. We had found one Mexican restaurant but it wasn’t going to open until dinner time. We knew we could just find something once we go there. We left the train station, heading towards the old town area, making stops along the way. Once we went around the corner, walking to old town there was a fall festival going on. We were so excited!!!

The square was filled with all types of booths. Some with food, handmade gifts, and more. Once we came across this festival, we knew we had to try some legit German food. Later in the day we had our fill of the best bratswurst i’ve ever had, a schnitzel and a chimney cake for dessert.

By the afternoon the sky cleared up some which was nice, especially for these fun photos of the ferris wheel. The colors of the wheel, the architecture of the buildings in the square and the clouds in the sky made it a perfect memory.

The old town area and its surroundings in Dresden wasn’t too big so we were able to see a lot during that day. We explored as much as we could, went to some cute shops, and saw all the tourists areas.

Budapest // Hungary

Going back to Budapest for the second time was thrilling. I fell in love with this city the fist time going, I knew this trip was going to be incredible as well.

One of the new spots I came across, thanks to one of my friends was District 13 (photo above and the two photos below). Taking photos walks always inspire me but even more so when venturing around unknown terrain. I walked up and down the streets, in awe of the stunning architecture I was finding.

I tried finding as many new places on this trip which wasn’t very hard with Budapest being so big. Some days I wanted to go see areas I’ve been before but it was exciting when I stumbled across something new. Those were the days when my excitement for photography increased a bit more.

The photo above and below was a happy accident. I was saying at a friends apartment and decided to take a walk to a mall nearby. I had been to this mall the previous year but it must have been at one of the other entrances because I would have remembered this brightly colored building next door. I think that my jaw practically dropped as I stood there, my eyes big and full of wonder, taking as many photos and videos as I could.

While I was in Budapest Harley Davidson had a big anniversary going on in town. I knew I wanted to out and explore the city that day, but was trying to stay away from the crowds. Of course the place I ended up being at was pretty much in the middle of everything. It ended up being really cool. I was able to be there for their Harley parade. It was real fun to watch and capture photos for them driving by. There were so many from all over the world. A lot of them had their countries flag on their bikes. After the parade I had to do more walking since some of the trams weren’t working right in the center and I captured this awesome classic car.

Budapest, until next time. I hope to explore even more new places again.