A few months ago, my day job and I parted ways. It just wasn’t working out. Long hours of high stress, repetitive monotony for the past 5 years has taken it’s toll. Bailey, my wife, encouraged me to take a few months off and relax. After both of us working 4+ jobs for the past couple years, I did not decline. Now, I complained about this for sure. I am not one that is typically content being idle. As with most things, she was right. I started noticing that I wasn’t truly happy. I had a decent, well paying job, but I was miserable.

After some much needed rest, recuperation, and catching up on the long overdue “honey-do” list, the next few months made me realize something. I never want to go back to working for someone else again. I found out that in the midst of what I thought I should be doing, getting a good job and starting a career, I had lost myself. I had lost myself and the things that make ME happy. Photography, videography, hiking, exploring…. all things that used to bring me so much joy and happiness were non-existent. In their place were never-ending worries of tomorrow’s pending workload, stressing out about finicky claims, busy days, and unhelpful upper management. This is no way to live.

Then it happened…

I got a message from a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile, Frank (Website, Instagram). He wanted to go shoot the fireworks tonight for the 4th of July. I was stoked. I gathered all my camera gear, asked Bailey if she wanted to go, and set all the alarms I could set. I wasn’t going to miss this.

We met at one of my “secret” parking spots. A hidden gem that seemingly nobody knows about for whatever reason. We caught up while we scouted spots to park our tripods. Talking about cameras and what’s been going on lately. We got a few great shots and had a blast. It was the most "me” thing I have done in a long time. My buddy Travis reached out while Frank and I were shooting and asked if I wanted to film some stuff for his bosses paramotor company, Lone Star Paramotor (Website, Instagram), and it finally just clicked. I need to do this for a living, something that makes me happy and lets me create.

With the current housing market in Austin being overly inflated, Bailey and I had already decided to sell our house to hep get out from looming student loan debt. Admittedly, I have been a little..… less than enthusiastic about moving. I was born and raised in Austin, and seem to be one of the few locals left. Maybe I was holding onto that feeling. Maybe I was just nervous about uprooting our lives not knowing exactly where we are going. Either way it was the smartest move for us, so it was happening. But I realized something while I was out shooting.

It’s good to say goodbye.

Maybe this isn’t something to be sad about. This is a chance to see what else is out there. What else I can get myself into. To add to the list of fond memories and cheerful moments instead of the blur of stressful years remembered. And while this is goodbye to Austin, it’s hello to a bright new future for us. I can’t wait to see what’s in store….