For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with palm trees. If I had to guess at the reason behind this fascination, I would say that it stems from the fact that palm trees are usually found in warm places and I have spent my life fantasizing about living in one of those places.
I'm one of those people who is ALWAYS cold, no matter how many layers of clothing I put on. Sometimes during the winter months I feel like I spend weeks on end unable to ever really get warm.
Three years ago during a particularly bad snowstorm, I was outside shoveling my driveway, cursing Mother Nature for piling the snow on faster than I could take it off, and I finally reached my breaking point. It wasn't a pretty moment for me - there was lots of cussing and shouting, a lot of tears, and perhaps the tossing of the shovel a time or two. I decided that perhaps a change was in order before my neighbors called the cops and had me hauled off to the looney bin. In that moment, I decided that I didn't have to spend the rest of my life freezing to death, and I began plotting my escape to a warmer climate.
But fate had other plans in store for me.
About the time that I would have considered getting my house ready to sell, I started dating my husband, who had just started working on his undergraduate degree. I knew almost instantly that the two of us were destined to be together, and therefore, I was going to have to put up with a few more long Indiana winters. I told him that I would stay here long enough for him to finish his degree, as long as he did it as fast as possible, and was willing to move with me to some place warmer once he graduated.
True to his word, my husband completed his degree in 2 1/2 years, and when it came time to apply to law schools, he only applied to ones in the southern half of the country. After several months of waiting to find out where he was accepted, and discussing where we wanted to relocate to, we've settled on Phoenix, Arizona.
We are both ridiculous excited about our upcoming move, and can't wait for this new adventure to begin! Several things are still up in the air, as we wait for our house to sell in Fort Wayne, and I begin the process of looking for a new optometry position in the Phoenix area. But what is definite is that come August, Kevin and I will be sunning ourselves in Phoenix!
What does this mean for Michele Whitacre Photography?
That's a good question! For now it means that I am going to spend the next two months wrapping up business in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I will be accepting clients, and scheduling photo sessions through May 31, 2011. After that time, I will focus my attention on our upcoming move, and I will no longer be available for photo sessions.
If you have contacted me recently saying that you want to schedule a spring photo session, please contact me ASAP to set up your session! I only have a limited number of photo session spots available, and when they are gone, they are gone. So please don't wait to contact me!
If you have won a photo session giveaway, or if you volunteered to be a subject for a free photo session this spring, please contact me as soon as possible to schedule your session. Don't worry - a photo session spot will be reserved for you, but the longer you wait to contact me the more limited your options will be! All time slots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Once Kevin and I get settled in Phoenix, I will slowly re-open for business in our new location, which will be exciting and scary all at the same time! All of my friends and family have been such a wonderful source of support as I have started this business. Branching out on my own in a city were I won't know a soul is going to be challenging, but I'm looking forward to embracing that challenge as I see what new things are in store for me in Arizona.
Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.
