By now, you’ve probably heard all about the earthquake that caught the East Coast off guard. One minute I was sitting at my desk and the next, the entire building was shaking. It felt like our office building – a large corporate complex – would collapse right from under us. It lasted for about 30 seconds, but it was the longest 30 seconds of my life as I ran down the stairs (along with the rest of my coworkers) and out of the building. As soon as I was safely outside, I immediately checked my twitter feed (yes… sad that twitter is the first place I turn to in a time of crisis) and learned that it was in fact an earthquake. From there on the light hearted jokes continued and the West Coasters got to poke fun at us silly East Coasters for a few hours. But those 30 seconds of uncertainty were definitely scary and it made me think about the many that suffered at the hands of more serious natural disasters. I couldn’t help but be extremely thankful for the gift of another “boring” Tuesday night as planned with one exception: takeout…
You would think that living a hop away from one of the greatest cities in the world that I would have tons of candid street shots in my portfolio, but I don’t. Even though I absolutely love street photography, the honest truth is that I get very anxious when it comes to taking pictures in public. The last thing I want to do is take a picture of a random stranger and have them chase me down the street or worse, have them break my camera in a fit of rage (yes…I have an active imagination)! But I do believe in stepping out of one’s comfort zone and one of my goals this year is to keep flexing those street photography muscles. The funny thing is that when I’m visiting another country, it comes to me much more easily. I think it has a lot to do with that tourist mentality which let’s you get away with taking pictures of just about anything. These photos were taken during our stay in Athens. The political climate was pretty intense at the time since we had arrived at the tail end of the riots. Our hotel was located right in front of the Greek Parliament building where most of the mayhem occurred, so we had front row seats to the aftermath. Though the pictures may look alarming, it was business as usual and not once did we feel unsafe roaming the streets of this fascinating city.
A stray dog chases pigeons in front of the Greek Parliament building.
Life can get so incredibly hectic and before you know it, days can pass by before you’ve had a chance to sit down and have a talk with your significant other. For a while there, we were just running from place to place. I was trying to keep up with three jobs and two blogs and Kleber was busy handling his own affairs. In all honesty, there were days when we wouldn’t see or spend time with each other all day. Luckily, those days are behind us (at least for now). I didn’t realize how much time we spending apart until we started spending more time together. We’re having the best time this summer going to the movies, taking walks, eating out and making plans for the future and all the great things that await. I know the lazy days of summer will soon be a thing of the past, but I’m so thankful for this reprieve and for the chance to spend just a little more time with my best friend.
*This is us from the top of the Acropolis. I wish I had something … umm… a little less sweaty to show you, but this will have to do. Plus, it’s a perfect segue for the final stop on our Greek vacation – Athens. Only a few more posts to go…I promise!
A stray dog chases pigeons in front of the Greek Parliament building.
Welcome to Mad Hearts Photography: the blog! A place where I share my latest photography projects and life's other adventures.
