One Ticket to Paradise: My Solo Trip to Hawaii 🌴

The biggest goal I have set for my business is the ability to travel around the world to capture people's memories. I've loved traveling since I can remember, and I have been to some really beautiful places over the years. As much as I love my cozy little home in the woods of PA, there is nothing that excites me more than a trip to the airport, on my way to my next adventure ✈️

2022 into 2023 brought my many challenges personally - my health took a turn for the worst and I was unable to leave the house much at all. I decided once I got better, I would book the trip of a lifetime that I'd been putting off. Being sick made me realize there's no time to waste. I want to see the world, and I am going to see it, whether I have someone to go with me or not! June 2023 I got my health back and I immediately booked my solo plane ticket to Hawaii. 🌴

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I went in August, stayed in a rented apartment with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head. Talk about a dream come true! Long story short, I sent a message to a girl I was in boot camp with 9 years prior (I was in the Navy Reserves!) because I knew her husband was stationed there. I told her I was arriving solo and looking for recommendations, and in return I'd love to give her photo shoots free of charge to help me build my portfolio. She (obviously) agreed, and we ended up spending every day I was there together, with her cute kiddos, going on the best adventures, and of course, reminiscing on the embarrassing boot camp days.

There is nothing like a "local" being your tour guide. Deanna took me on sunrise hikes, shark diving, the best food spots on the island - you name it, we did it. And I got to do 3 formal portrait sessions with her, her husband, and her kids, and of course she knew the best spot for that too 🤩

Hawaii was truly one of the best trips I've ever taken. Not only did I get to reconnect with someone I haven't spoken to in 9 years, but I put myself out there, flew across the world and experienced life in a way I never had before. And it ended up leading to even bigger and better things.

On my last day in Hawaii, her and her husband ended up asking me if I'd be willing to fly to Arizona that October to shoot their (past due) wedding. They had already been married for years, but never had an official wedding - so they decided to have one in his hometown.

I nearly jumped out of my seat - this was my dream, and while I've been to many states, Arizona wasn't one of them. I quickly checked my schedule and somehow, my only available week in October (aka the busiest month of the year) was the week of their wedding. First destination wedding BOOKED! 🥳

I had planned this solo Hawaii trip to get my confidence back, and prove to myself that I can still do hard things no matter what I've been through. Traveling anywhere solo is incredibly intimidating, even scary at times, but the reason I love it so much is because you never know where it will lead you. You never know who you will meet, or reconnect with, what you will see, or the experiences that can change your life.