Before you read the rest of this, if you’re awesome, you will give me the greatest birthday gift and make me super happy by donating to St. Jude’s Hospital!! You can click the link here to donate, it’s super easy and doesn’t take more than 2 minutes! Every little bit counts 🙂

Usually I get pretty happy and excited about my birthday but this year that hype is lacking a little! I’m not sure if it’s just that I’m getting old or I’m looking at bigger milestones that are upcoming in the near future but either way I wanted to write SOMETHING so I could look back years from now and remember things that happened during this time of my life! Here’s a couple of things that happened over the past year!

• I started my first full time grown up job. It’s interesting to go from working in group projects with classmates to working with a wide range of personalities and ages at work. I also now know entirely too many tricks in Excel
• Learned how to budget and save up a pretty good sum of money for a rainy day!
• I moved out into my first apartment and then I  moved back home all in one year! Hahaha I wouldn’t have had it any other way though! I absolutely loved my time in my Ballston apartment and getting to buy my own furniture, decorate it, and cozy up in it. The walk to the metro was good for getting in those steps but also mildly impossible at times. I know that sounds dramatic but lugging heavy camera equipment, two laptops & lunch or a suitcase and laundry basket (don’t ask) was surprisingly difficult at times. And don’t get me started on days that it was raining which lead to bullet number 3
• I learned to be more tolerant of the rain. I used to HATE getting caught in the rain but over the course of this past year it’s happened so many times that I’ve gotten more used to it. I do still prefer being indoors and cozy during it if given the option though!
• Moving back home was equally as nice! I’ve always been friends with my parents but it would be weird to go from living on your own in college to being back at home. Oddly enough after moving back after living in my apartment it’s been much different than what I’ve expected and really, really comforting and nice! I thrive off of having background noise, a Nespresso machine, and a big kitchen to cook in!
• I bought a black stick shift Jetta and my high school self would be really proud that I decided to continue driving stick hahaha I kind of had to “relearn” how to drive it since the clutch is very different than my old car (which led to a rough test drive, not gonna lie) but I’ve definitely gotten used to it and some of my favorite times this past year have been driving in it either on the way down to Charlottesville or back and forth between Herndon and Ballston with the radio/Spotify keeping me company and having time to think about life
• Leading to the fact that over the course of this year, I actually learned that I LOVE cooking!! That’s something my high school and even college self would absolutely not believe. That being said, I’m still a huge foodie and have gotten to try so many new amazing restaurants over the course of this past year
• The people who have always been there for me throughout my life have continued to be the ones to support, encourage, and even question me throughout this year and I’m very thankful for that. Oooh also my best friend graduated and moved back home and I’m SO HAPPY about that!!!
• I’ve had my fair share of ups and really down days. It’s something that I realize won’t ever go away and I’m still learning how to cope with.
• I guess the biggest and most obvious one is that I built a business after years and years of honing my craft! So that’s pretty cool 🙂 It’s starting to gain the kind of traction and momentum my high school could never have dreamed up!

 

Things that I’m hoping to change for next year!

• I really want to travel more for fun next year and not just for photography! I took a bit of a hiatus this year (due to saving up money). But if you take half a look at my saved pictures on Instagram/Pinterest, it’s VERY clear that I miss it a lot!
• I DO want to continue to travel for photography as well and I can’t wait to grow my business to it’s fullest potential!! More on this coming very very soon 🙂
• That being said, this next year I am definitely taking more time & initiative to block off time for more leisure activities. I guess this can be summed up as “work life balance” which has been surprisingly hard for me over this past year. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that I need to be working on my business in all my waking hours but it’s not going to combust if I carve out time for myself. I made the mistake of neglecting the importance of free time during points of this year and it never ended well so I want to be even more intentional with my time moving forward
• I started reading again this year and it feels so good!! I’m hoping to continue to carve out time to do this every day as well as journal & meditate
• I guess this still goes along with the two things above but I want to strive to become more present/aware/grateful for each day. All too often I feel like I’m rushing through to-do lists and wishing days away when I should never take a single day for granted
• Although structure and routine are a great thing, I’m hoping to be a LITTLE more spontaneous on a day to day basis! I think this could help with the above 🙂
• Visit more vineyards this year with family and friends!
• There’s about a million and one other things but I’ll end this on a fun note: I had all my Charlottesville spots but I really want to find a dope place for mac and cheese near here!!

Headshot by Hope Taylor Photography!

If you enjoyed this post, you might like these as well:

A Place Called Home

DC to Charlottesville

Friday Fun – Foodie Edition 

My brother Sohum and I are only two years apart so when he joined me at college at UVA it felt natural and like we were both just in the next phase of life. From growing up asking if we’re twins or if he’s older than I am, to his maturity as well, I’ve always felt really close in age to him along with being just close in general!

However, I have a ton of friends who have much younger siblings that I’ve watched grow up from a really young age. From watching them waddle around in diapers, to playing in homemade forts, to running around our cul de sacs every evening in the summer, it’s surreal watching these kiddos start senior year, wear their graduation cap and gowns and travel across the state and even COUNTRY to go to college!! That’s when all the FEELS start to hit!!

I’ve known Namrata since I was probably 4 or 5 years old! I grew up playing with her, her older sister Krittika, my brother, my best friend Sachi and her younger Dhruv in everyone’s backyards. Thinking back, I don’t really know how one adult handled the whole lot of us! They were some of my first friends when my family moved to Virginia so many years ago. Over the years I’ve seen her grow from the youngest and somewhat quietest of the group, to the most beautiful, HILARIOUS yet laid back and calming presence. Also, if you can’t tell from the pictures, this girl has got the BEST sense of style!! I’m so glad she let me take her senior year pictures!!

The session was a whirlwind with a thunder cloud coming out of nowhere and almost losing Krittika’s phone and then at one point, Krittika herself, without a phone! But through the whole session Namrata was so laid back and trusting! She was worried about looking natural in front of the camera but I took pictures of her for TWO minutes and she was perfect, a total NATURAL in front of the camera!! We got the most amazing glow right at the beginning of her session! And although I loved taking her pictures, my favorite part was getting dinner with Namratta and Krittika afterwards! I suggested we go to one of my favorite restaurants in Georgetown, Pizza Paradiso, and they treated me to it before I even realized!! This was already on TOP of the caramel latte they had gotten me from Baked & Wired (if you think they know the way to my heart, well they really do!). Thank you guys SOO much!! So despite the running around Georgetown (with Namrata in admirable booties), it was such a perfect summer evening and I wish I could do it over and over again 🙂

 

 

 

  

FAN FAVORITE below!

   

How cute is this?!

If you enjoyed this post, you should binge read these as well!

Tanvi’s Capitol Hill Sunset Senior Session

Sachi & Lori’s Virginia Tech Graduation Weekend & Senior Session

Helena’s Nautical Preppy Old Town Alexandria Senior Session

After having to move the date of their engagement ceremony, Sayali & Pulkit got to officially celebrate their engagement among all our family and friends at the Reston Lakehouse on Memorial Day! I got there bright and early to snag some cute portraits of them before their guests came in to join the fun. I got to meet Pulkit’s sister along with his parents that have been visiting from India. And it was amazing watching them being welcomed into our extended family because family friends isn’t a term that quite covers how close our community has become after 15+ years of celebrating milestones and enduring and supporting each other through hardships.

Their toast given by Sayali’s dad was so reflective as this, he held the microphone in one hand, his glass of champagne in the other and turning his head from left to right, he could see all the families that not only Sayali grew up with but even him and his wife grew up with. These were the people that helped bring up Sayali as a kid, that helped shape and mold so much of who she is today. These were the people that hundreds of dinners and every weekend had been shared with, the ones where every Holi and Ganapati celebration was with, these were the people that truly  made Virginia feel like home. And now here he was welcoming a son into the family that has meant so much, inviting everyone around him as well to welcome Pulkit as one of the kids, as a son!

Sayali and Pulkit I’m so glad you had me capture your big event, I love the attention you guys put in to all the little details and how they were true to you both and your story with your roses being the same that Pulkit proposed with, the engagement sign being made again by Sachi, and the champagne being the same kind you toasted right after your proposal!! I can’t wait for Pulkit to experience and become a part of all the shenanigans that go down when all the families get together and know that no matter what comes your way, you always have this family to fall back on. I know you guys will have the most incredible wedding in India and I can’t wait to see the pictures from it!!!

Was so happy to be able to take some portraits of these two before all the guests arrived! 😀

Just mildly obsessed with these rings!!

 

And of course some family portraits as well 🙂

LOVED all the thought that went into the detail for their toast! They had the same kind of champagne that they celebrated with after their proposal just a couple of months ago, how sweet is that 🙂

Leave it up to Shirish Uncle to crack everyone up 😀

The photo above doesn’t do this cute moment justice, Pulkit kept playing with Sayali and she had to force him to be gentle with the mini cupcakes which were to DIE for!! Thank you guys for letting me photograph the day!!

If you liked this post check out these posts as well 🙂

Sayali & Pulkit’s Engagement Session – Capitol Hill, D.C.

Sayali & Pulkit’s Proposal Story

Lakshmi & Nakul’s Vibrant Harbour View Engagement Ceremony