Travel Series - J'ampple Paris!!
Family trip to Paris, France.
It’s my mom’s birthday month. So for her 49th, I suggested Paris with a tour if possible. As time got closer we just kind of made an adventure out of Paris. So, the beginning of the trip was a show. We get to our flight and we didn’t make it so, we had to change over to Amsterdam then connect to Paris. After a few minor hiccups and getting things in order and restructuring we were off to the Netherlands. We finally arrived, and Meech was on a earlier flight than ours because KLM doesn’t allow parents to fly under contract. Meech arrived in Paris as we were boarding our flight on Air France. Land in Paris we all finally get back together. The first night was a chill night as we all decided that a day flying through different time zones was extremely tiring.
Day two was a start of the adventure. As the day started we planned out what we wanted to do, so Muse du Louvre it was. We took an Uber to the first providence. We arrived and wandered about the area and took pics and videos around and inside the Louvre. While buying time to get in, Meech was spotted by a few of his fans. First a group of guys then one girl with her friends from South Africa. We took pictures and he chatted with them for a good five minutes. Now it was time to head in as the morning is the worst time to go to the museum. Tickets are cheaper at the museum than online! I didn’t know the museum was below ground then goes back up above ground. We seen the Venus Di Milo and the Mona Lisa. I was highly disappointed with the Mona Lisa. For one, it was protected behind a glass and a barricade separating you ten to fifteen feet. It takes away the nostalgia of seeing the painting. It was only maybe no larger than a 16 x 20 picture. I honestly enjoyed looking at the statues and other paintings. One last stop was to the Louis Vuitton store but from my miss calculations I took us to the Paris headquarters instead of the actual store.
It’s a new day and also our Mom’s birthday. We were suppose to have breakfast but we started a little late. Instead of breakfast we went to Five Guys to get lunch from there and walk to the Louis Vuitton store, so she can get the birthday present she always wanted to get for herself many years ago. After she got her bag, we stopped real quick and took a few pictures. In doing so, Meech told her to open her card. To her surprise it was money to hey her mortgage (which probably all came from Meech himself). At that moment of time it was tough staying afloat while living in Los Angeles.
We continued our exploration after her emotional moment. we started to make our way to Notre Dame, along the way we stop at a dope spot near the Louvre. We did our picture and videos. We finally arrived to Notre Dame, I forgot to mention it was pretty much a rainy day. There was a line to get in but it was never the plan to go inside. After that we made it back to Five Guys to regroup and eat then head back to the apartment.
Last official day in Paris, and Meech is sick and I have a shoot at three, so it was a completely late day for us. Thinking he cold would get better it never did. What makes it worst was it continued to rain and once we do to our destination we were taking pictures and trying to kill time til my model arrived. She finally arrived and we started right away. Fifteen minutes into the session it began to down pour like crazy for ten minutes. Mom and Meech were caught in, and they were done for the day. So, he had to cancel his meet and greet because the rain killed the entire day and he was sick and soaked. Once your feet get wet, it is a wrap for the whole day.
An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.
Friedrich Nietzsche
“An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.”
The morning of was almost a shit storm as there were no Ubers out in our area and the owner had to call us one and the guy that worked for the host was late as hell. There was a ton of traffic and our driver went to the wrong terminal. We barely made it to our flight. we were the last ones to board on the flight. A long eight hours flying home. Arriving was no better as the line for customs was overly long and took forever. We enjoyed ourselves minus a few setbacks but definitely planning more European trips in the future.
Travel Series - Hawai'i
Check out my trip to Hawai’i on the island of Oahu celebrating my friends birthday.
In Search of ... Paradise
I never thought in my life that I would be going to Hawai'i, Honolulu on the island of O'ahu to be exact. For weeks we been planning a trip, originally the first trip we were looing into was Africa. With such short time before this trip. Trying to find the flights, hotel, and shoots... oh yeah shots just to travel to Africa. So, Honolulu was the final decision. Within one day we found a hotel and car rental everything was finalize. Two weeks later and off we go.
On the plane the there I was chatting with another passenger and learned of a few things to do while there. She gave me a few things to check out, and we did none of it, but we did end up stuck on a 10 mile highway going the wrong direction. We landed, took pictures and got the rental. Just like most of the hotels we've had on many other trips. This was one okay. After we finally settling in, we went exploring a bit during the day. Later that night we went hiking on a trail that was not very beginner to say the least. It was an old rail system that went up the mountain that only gets steeper higher you get. About half way up, Chris and Jacob headed back because it was getting a little dangerous in the tracks, and we were concerned about Jacobs health, as he was bigger than all of us.
Enough of the introductions check out the the photos and video below.
“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind”
Travel Series - To See DC
Recent Visit to Washington D.C.
Back in June I took my sister Phoebe to Washington D.C. for her birthday. We were able to see a lot of great museums and monuments. The one location we weren't able to visit was the newly built African American Museum of History and Culture. I learned you had to have tickets to enter because it was still so new.
Fast-forward five months, I finally have tickets for the museum. The tickets go so fast that you have to order them months in advance. I missed October, but managed to get them for November. The weekends are the worst days to try and get tickets, so unfortunately Monday was the best available day. I got these tickets back in August there was plenty of time to prep ahead of time for the trip. In the beginning, there were four of us who playing on attending this trip, my mother, Phoebe, Izzy, and myself. To cover myself and others, I order 6 tickets and offered up the other two who ever wanted to join along. Although they would have to get there under their own means.
As the trip came closer and closer, Phoebe dropped out from the trip at least a month or so before the trip. My mother dropped out the day before the trip. I hate that she did because I wanted her to experience this with me as this would have been my last trip to take with her before I transferred to Los Angeles. She had some things very important to take care of first. To fill in the void from the two that wasn't able to make it, I asked a coworker if he and his wife would be able to join Izzy and I. I know it was last minute, so I really wasn't expecting an answer.
Monday the 13th arrives and it's just Izzy and I are on our educational trip to Washington D.C. We arrived and first thing first food. After a short break, we made our way to the National Mall. As it was Izzy's first time in D.C., she was gleaming with excitement with everything around us. Our first stop was the National Gallery of Art West building. Upon entering we walked right to an exhibit that was showcasing Vermeer and other masters of genre painting. Seems like a lot of Dutch artist. I wasn't a fan. I felt the imagery was bland and repetitive, so I was quickly bored with it. We continued to walk around view a lot of the art, we seen student tour groups which I was happy to see. It's nice to see children introduced to art at such a young age. We also learned that artist are allowed to come in replicate any piece of art just as long as it is not the same size as the original piece.
Next we went back over the Museum of Nature History. First thing I did was ask about the Dinosaur exhibit only to learn that dinosaurs will not be live til 2019. Disappointed I was!! We continue to walk around looking at the different exhibits. We looked at mammal life, aquatic life and few dinosaurs We spent another 45 minutes or so just wondering around before we headed up the street to our last spot of the day.
What are you looking at?
Ant eater with child and eating in an ant hole
NMAAHC
Washington D.C. National Mall
Now off to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Our time was scheduled for 1:30 pm but it didn't matter because we arrived early and was still let in. They didn't even check the time on the ticket, just scanned and moved on. As we walked in after the metal detectors and scanners we were in awe at the design and a layout of the building. We checked out some the contributors to the museum and there were a lot of donations along the names were Oprah Winfrey (one of the largest donors) and Tyler Perry, Best of America, Bill Gates Foundation, and Microsoft just to name a few. We went to the infomation desk to grab a map of the museum, and the worker told us to start with the 1400's the start of the slave trade and how it started.
I would like to forewarn. This exhibit will pull on every emotion possible, as I overheard an employee state that a woman was crying due to its nature. We walked through and was able to read as mush as possible. It was so crowded that moving was like driving on the 5 in LA or 75 in ATL. Everything about what happened was just so much to talk in for a first time visit. As we continued we seen parts of a slave ship that was found, some the largest contributors to the slave trade (Portugal with 5.5 million). As we moved to the years, especially in the south, blacks were considers property of war and were forced to stay with their slave masters. Fast forward to the 1960's with the women of that era who put themselves in harm way to not protect their fellow black men but also for women rights. The hardship they endured as always been on equal ground.
The rise of the KKK
A book written by the original founders
There is so much to talk about that this blog post would be come a miniseries. The best way to understand the past of the black community is to make this visit. This museum answers a lot of questions that most needed answered. When visiting, schedule your time wisely. Just like many of the museums, and thousands of exhibits in that area. This is one of the places you will spend the entire day exploring the history of African Americans. You will not be disappointed with this visit.
Video History
Visitor's are watch a video on the south with an old guard tower in the background
On our way back to the airport, I made a huge blunder and got on the wrong train heading the opposite direction. I what should have took 30 mins to get back took us an hour to get back. We made it back in time, and the line to security wasn't too bad at all. We made it through and as soon as we got to the gate it was already time to board. Talk about cutting it close.
Key note to my ladies who would love or would love to travel. Wear comfortable shoes!! It's one thing to look sexy, cute or whatever it might be, but having swollen feet and ankles is not the route you want to take. Izzy learned this lesson twice. First in Las Vegas for New Year and now in Washington D.C. So ladies be sexy, but comfortable.
“There are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them.”
“I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”