19 (and 18) Days of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for two to make up for missing Saturday:
First, I am thankful for water. You often forget how important water is for life (whether it be our planet or our bodies).

We just reached 7 billion people on planet earth and 1/7 of that (nearly 1 billion) people live without clean drinking water. Clean, drinkable water is such a vital asset of life and when you have the great fortune of living in a country with drinkable water highly accessible, you sometimes forget that.

Water surrounds our everyday lives. To replenish our bodies, to bring life to plants and trees, to clean our laundry, dishes, cars, bodies, etc. We rely on water and we can often take it for granted by wasting it.

Sadly, when something is so crucial to life, someone/company tries to profit. One film that I highly recommend checking out --which will forever change the way you look at the bottled water industry-- is called Taped. Check out their website which discusses the injustices and robbery of free municipal water.

But --like everything-- with every negative, like the previously mentioned rich water bottling companies, there is a positive. That positive is the awareness and overall charitable actions of those so lucky to have water and money to donate to a good cause like The Water Project. This great foundation provides information and ways to help those in need of fresh, clean water.

While in Africa, I got to see many people who's lives revolved around water specifically. Their days were driven by the long, grueling trips to water for their families. And their use of it was conservative and strategic. When living in a home where the water was literally looked at as "liquid gold" or one's "life blood" your perspective is changed. I challenge you to donate to such a great charity that can changes the lives of not millions, but billions of people. (Be sure to check out Water.org as well for more information)

The second thing I am thankful for ties into the water discussion and that is charities and being aware of the world around you.

20 Days of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for medicine.
I got my flu shot today and we'll see if it actually works or if it gets me sick but I must say, without modern medicine, I would not be here today. Quite honestly, it's something I do not think about very often, but now getting my flu vaccine, I thought about all of the vaccinations I received before living abroad and how terribly I did not want any of the foreign diseases or sicknesses that are common of southeast Asian and Africa. Because of some vaccines, I may have avoided them, and I appreciate that. I know it's a little glim, but sometimes its necessary to appreciate the things that are keeping you balanced and healthy.
Thanks, medicine.

21 Days of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for travel. I think a lot of people take travel for granted and believe it is strictly to far off destinations. Many people consider that when I talk about travel I only am referring to abroad because of my somewhat extensive resume of foreign locales that I have been to. But many people forget that travel includes so much more; the commute to work, the walk to the bathroom to brush your teeth, the trip to the grocery store, etc. Travel is everywhere and it's appreciating those trips as much as the big ones to faraway places that makes you realize how vital travel is to us as human beings. It is overlooked and under-valued. People who get the "travel bug" don't realize that they probably do travel each and everyday, and it's a matter of simply recognizing it and filling that void. Yes, I miss traveling internationally, but I can still connect with other types of trips and travel within my everyday life.

For instance, everyday I read National Geographic(Traveler) to and from work... while traveling. It makes me long for the times when I could pack up my bag with a couple pairs of underwear, two pairs of shorts, some sunglasses, couple shirts and sandals and head to some remote location and soak it in. That was the life. But I fill my void with reading about travel and appreciating the beauty of domestic travel. Today, I don't live the life of a foreign backpacker anymore, but I still enjoy the daily commute and the life that I see around me. I find it enjoyable and eye opening.

Holding discussions with people on the bus to work, clicking through thousands of old photographs of past trips in intense nostalgia, interacting with the world outside of my house, or even the planning of future trips and destinations are what I thrive off of. As some may that you wear your passions on your sleeve, I say that I recognize my passion and fulfill it in some way each day. I am truly thankful for the gift of travel and how much it means to me. I look forward to integrating more of my life with travel whether it be in writing, photography, or some other facet, but I know that if that day comes when I am presented with that pristine job, I know that my entire life has been resume building in travel experience.
So thank you, travel.

(To give anyone some motivation to get up and "Move", watch the video below)

22 Days Until Thanksgiving: What I am Thankful For

As there are 22 more days until Thanksgiving, I figured I would start a little tradition and put what I am thankful for as my status each day (somewhat stolen idea):
Today, I am thankful for all of the support of friends, family, colleagues and co-workers of W Michael Tirone Photography. Your presence in my life keeps my passion strong. Without all of you, I would not be so fortunate to have websites, galleries, books, and photo shoots and also an outlet. My appreciation of your support is beyond words and I am truly thankful for that.

"Happiness [is] Only Real When Shared": Do Yourself a Service

When hard work pays off, it truly feels incredible. We deal with so much pressure and stress in this world already, so when you put all of your effort toward a goal, it is incredibly important that it is successful. The weight of a deadline or anxiety of making good impressions are all logical reasons to perhaps not try to take risks or set difficult goals.

Within two weeks time I will be have completed two fairly monumental things in my life. Everyone has had events that impact their life significantly and during those “ah ha” moments you reach clarity. I remember back in 2008 I volunteered to do Hurricane Katrina clean up with Spring Break Outreach in New Orleans. Before my group left, we had an orientation that featured my good friend, John, as a speaker. He gave a speech about what it meant to volunteer your time to a good cause. He said that doing service is a time in which you see the face of God and He is ever-loving, therefore your heart is filled with love, compassion, and joy by doing said service. I was affected by John’s speech (and musical selection to play Ben Harper’s “Blessed to Be a Witness” song) and its groundwork has stuck with me for a very long time, especially because he was right, volunteering did show me love.