Here I sit, days before turning another year older; and as I reflect on my life while wrapping up a phenomenal vacation, I’m taken aback by just how incredibly blessed I am, and I couldn’t go another minute without formally acknowledging it.
After committing to a solo trip that was originally supposed to be shared with someone important to me, and not being very certain of how it would turn out traveling alone, the experience absolutely exceeded my wildest expectations thanks to a little faith, a lot of roll-with-it attitude, and some really great people. At no point in the last few days did I ever truly feel “alone”, with opportunities for some very inspiring photography involving cool subjects (human and non), and catching up with old and new friends keeping me busier and more entertained than I could’ve imagined. I laughed, I ate, I drank, I rested, I shared, I gambled, I snapped, I sweat, I got rained on, I thanked, I explored; and I enjoyed every single moment of it all.
Venturing out of my comfort zone doesn’t come easily for me, so visiting a considerably larger city alone, with expectations of having to eat a few meals alone, navigating the unfamiliar alone, and devising plans alone was admittedly a bit unnerving. But God. 😊 I was protected, I was sheltered, I was guided, I was encouraged, I was reminded that He was always there, and I was surrounded by some truly amazing other humans; and a few days preceded a question mark turned into opened box succeeded by an exclamation mark, and I couldn’t be more appreciative.
So, thank you cities of Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater; hotel staff for a wonderful, comfortable stay; CVS fellow B’ham traveler for the reminder of it truly being a small world; Chloe & Nicole for keeping me entertained amidst Bangers & Mash; Amy, Jerry, Emma, and Spyro, for dinner, dessert, dinner & dessert again, and so many laughs; Asha & Nash for a crazy amount of hospitality and generosity and sun and scenery and smiles; Courtney and the people of Vinoy Park for being gracious and obliging photography subjects; and above all, God, for humbling me with such a blessed existence and for the wisdom to recognize and be thankful for it. It’s a challenging world, but remembering its blessings shouldn’t be. 😊✌🏾