I have been a financial planner since 1992 and have been truly blessed to have met hundreds of people with incredible life journeys. Very rarely do they share those journeys with their children or grandchildren. I didn’t want that for my family. Being a serious photographer, I’ve also searched for things to do and places to see.

The first time I picked the camera was in September 1969, the first week of high school. I will always appreciate Joe Quinsey, my first friend in high school, for talking me into the camera club meeting. Andreas Lichtblau was the camera club president then; he saw something in my photographs and must have realized I had an eye. Mr. Dewey, the camera club support teacher, also gave me the luxury of always having the camera club’s camera with me. Not to mention, there were plenty of photo opportunities and film.

My wife, Donna, and I have been very fortunate to be curious about our natural, historical and man-made world. We love to travel and have made travel a must in our lives. Our trips were within our comfort zone; they may not have been as fancy as others or possibly more fancy than others; put simply, they were our trips.

Every single opportunity that presented itself was an exciting destination. For instance, why fly somewhere during company conferences, spend three days in a conference room, and then return home without seeing any of the places we were visiting? For any conference I attend, I make time to see the city I have travelled to by going one or two days in advance to explore it. Additionally, I add two to three days afterwards to decompress. I would even drive and take longer. I love road trips. Sometimes, it would be tripping with Donna, and other times, a collective of friends and family.

My purest form of joy is my sharing those special moments with others who, for some reason, have either decided not to or cannot replicate those trips. I also realize we are all built differently, and my bucket list or wish list differs from someone else’s; appreciating the differences is part of the journey.

By sharing my journey, I hope to give others a taste of finding a balance in their lives. Life is too short to spend it doing something you don’t like. Celebrate with gratitude all your blessings. Allow me to share my journey with you…